While the 2022 federal budget proposed funding for national dental care, the plan, as currently understood, lacks universality, would disrupt existing public and private dental care and threatens single-tier health care. According to a recent article in the Harm Reduction Journal, thousands of Canadians needlessly suffer from largely preventable oral conditions, mostly tooth decay and […]
U.S. employers offering 403(b) retirement plans will benefit from access to collective investment trusts, according to a report by the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association. It noted the latest version of the Securing a Strong Retirement Act passed the House in March and, if it passes through the Senate with language that allows institutional 403(b) […]
Pension and retirement plan members in Saskatchewan can now designate beneficiaries through electronic means. The provincial government recently passed a series of amendments regarding the electronic handling of legal matters. Bill 56 specifically allows individuals to name beneficiaries electronically for certain types of plans including an employee pension, retirement, welfare or profit-sharing fund or plan, […]
Decentralized finance technology facilitated more illicit cryptocurrency transactions in the first quarter of 2022 than in any other period, according to a report from Chainalysis Inc. “DeFi protocols have accounted for an ever-growing share of all funds stolen from cryptocurrency platforms since the beginning of 2020 and lost the vast majority of stolen funds in […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is introducing a whistleblower program to more effectively identify misconduct in the pensions and non-securities financial services sectors. The program will apply to any individual or entity who comes forward in good faith with valuable, timely and non-public/insider information related to an alleged or intended contravention in any […]
Amid plans by the federal government to introduce national dental and pharmacare programs, key stakeholders in the private payer health-care sector should highlight the value of private health plans in Canada, according to a panel during a webinar by the Group Insurance Pharmaceutical Committee last week. In March, the Liberal Party and the New Democratic […]
Idaho lawmakers are calling for a ban on investments in environmental, social and governance compliant companies by its state pension funds. Proposed by Republican State Senator Steve Vick, the bill would bar the state’s public sector pension plans from investing in companies that have made any ESG commitments. In its second reading, the bill received […]
An agreement reached between the federal Liberals and New Democrats this week will prioritize work on a dental-care program, national pharmacare and paid leave. The deal will see the NDP support the Liberals on matters of confidence until 2025. The dental-care program and national pharmacare, which the NDP have long championed, had to get Liberal buy-in for the […]
Canadian employers should consider the pros and cons of employee share ownership plans on both sides of the border. Loren Rodgers, executive director of the National Center for Employee Ownership (pictured left) Canada should maintain the current paths by which companies are creating employee ownership, but it should also create a new vehicle that draws […]
Developing a made-in-Canada approach to employee ownership trusts will address multiple public policy challenges, according to a new report by non-profit Social Capital Partners. Employee-owned companies — where a broad base of employees own a significant stake in their employer — are associated with better company performance, stronger local economies, long-term investment and higher wealth […]