For the fourth year in a row, five Canadian pension funds are among the most transparent in the world, according to the global pension transparency benchmark, a collaboration between Top1000funds.com and CEM Benchmarking Inc. The benchmark, launched in 2021, measures the transparency of disclosures of 15 pension systems across measurements such as cost, governance, performance […]
British Treasury chief Rachel Reeves said Thursday the government planned to merge dozens of pension funds with the aim of unlocking tens of billions of pounds for investment and boosting the U.K.’s subpar economic growth. Reeves said in her speech to finance leaders in central London that the creation of so-called “megafunds” will represent the […]
The Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities’ new plan sponsor guidelines surrounding investment fee transparency are a good first step, but require further development to make them more effective, says one expert. “[CAP sponsors are] still trying to understand what this [guidance] means,” says Joseph Bevilacqua, associate partner in Aon’s wealth solutions practice. “Fees can be […]
Alberta’s finance minister has sacked the chief executive officer and entire board of directors of the Alberta Investment Management Corp., the Crown corporation that manages pension and other funds for the province and handles more than $160 billion in assets. Finance Minister Nate Horner said in a statement Thursday that the changes at the AIMCo are due […]
Despite declining annuity rates, Canadian capital accumulation plan members retiring at the end of September experienced some of the best outcomes in more than 13 years, according to a new report by Eckler Ltd. The consultancy’s latest CAP income tracker found a typical male member retiring at the end of September 2024 achieved a gross […]
In its fall economic statement on Wednesday, the Ontario government said it plans to consult with pension industry stakeholders on the possibility of offering variable life benefits to employees in the province. In 2021, the federal government made amendments to the federal Income Tax Act to permit Canadian jurisdictions to regulate this new pension option, […]
According to an old adage, the fish rots from the head down. With the chief executive officer being the head of a corporation, are there any red flags to make institutional investors anticipate the rot when considering investee companies? Notable American businessman Charlie Munger was once asked what advice he would give to young investment […]
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence tools in financial industries represents an evolving risk to institutional investors, according to a new report by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. The financial regulator noted rapid developments in the generative AI space have resulted in an increased adoption of AI tools in financial industries. While […]
When communicating risk management posturing to executive boards, it’s important for pension plan sponsors to tell a cohesive and fulsome story, said Danny Ip, director of investment risk and analytics for the Toronto Transit Commission Pension Plan, during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2024 Risk Management Conference. The TTC plan, which has $8.7 billion in assets under management, has […]
Overseeing the transition of a single-employer pension plan to a jointly sponsored one felt at times like launching a startup firm, according to Theo Heldman, chief financial officer and vice-president of risk at the Workplace Insurance and Safety Employee Trust, speaking during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Risk Management Conference. “There was […]