With the arrival of the new year, there are three topics that will be important for pension plan sponsors, members and other industry stakeholders in 2024. The economy and financial markets At the end of 2023, the Canadian economy and the financial markets were still feeling the after-effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Read: Expert panel: […]
A story on how plan sponsors and insurers are considering covering weight-loss drugs as part of a broader push towards more inclusive benefits was the most-read benefits story on BenefitsCanada.com this year. Here are the 10 most popular benefits news stories of the year: 1. How plan sponsors, insurers are considering coverage of weight-loss drugs amid rising […]
Between 2000 and 2022, the average retirement age among Canadians climbed from 61.6 to 64.6, the highest it’s been since 1982, according to data from Statistics Canada. The agency’s June 2023 labour force survey found 22 per cent of Canadians aged 55 to 59 were either partially or completely retired. The same was true of […]
Nearly all (92 per cent) Canadian employers say they plan to award a year-end bonus to their teams, according to a new survey by Robert Half Canada Inc. The survey, which polled more than 900 employers, found nearly half (45 per cent) said they’re awarding a larger bonus than last year, while two-fifths (39 per […]
While the majority (87 per cent) of defined contribution pension plan sponsors feel their members are somewhat or very prepared for retirement, only 63 per cent of members feel the same way, according to a new survey by Voya Investment Management. The survey, which polled 305 U.S. DC plan sponsors, 205 plan specialists and 500 […]
About half (51 per cent) of global institutional investors believe a recession is inevitable, a sentiment that runs strongest in the U.K. (67 per cent) and North America (62 per cent), according to Natixis Investment Managers’ 2024 outlook survey. The survey, which polled 500 institutional investors in 27 countries, also found among those expecting a […]
The pension indexation rate for federal public sector pensions will be 4.8 per cent in 2024, according to the National Association of Federal Retirees. The rate, which is set by the Treasury Board Secretariat in accordance with the Public Service Superannuation Act and the Supplementary Retirement Benefits Act, is a decrease from last year’s indexation […]
The value of the total assets under management for the world’s 100 largest asset owners declined nine per cent to US$23.4 trillion as of Dec. 31, 2022, according to a new report by WTW’s Thinking Ahead Institute. Among these asset owners, pension funds retained 53 per cent of AUM, down from 60 per cent five […]
Desjardins Insurance is marking Financial Literacy Month with a series of budgeting workshops for employees and an interactive game to help improve financial literacy. The workshops cover topics such as using a budget to manage cash flow, how to plan for future goals and how to save on grocery bills amid rising inflation and food prices. […]
The Association of Canadian Pension Management is urging the federal government to reverse its position on the cessation of real return bonds and open a stakeholder consultation on the matter. In an open letter, the ACPM said the real return bonds are an important tool in building a balanced portfolio that manages inflation risk. In […]