The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is appointing Dexter John as chief executive officer, effective March 1. John is currently the president and CEO of Morrow Sodali Canada Ltd., where he has advised on corporate governance, environmental, social and governance initiatives, shareholder engagement, executive compensation and strategic investor voting analytics. Prior to that, he […]
In response to proposed legislation that would introduce the option of variable life benefits in Ontario, the Association of Canadian Pension Management is recommending against regulating plan sponsors to disclose an expected rate of return on contributions made to a variable life benefits fund. In an open letter to the provincial Ministry of Finance, the […]
Implementation of harmonized minimum funding regulations for federally regulated defined benefit pension plans tops the Pension Investment Association of Canada’s list of advocacy priorities in 2025. Currently, DB plan sponsors are operating amid a patchwork of minimum funding regulations across the country, as most provinces have introduced requirements of their own. “A unified ‘going-concern plus’ regime […]
The cryptocurrency-friendly administration of President-elect Donald Trump and an expanding lobbying effort in statehouses could push states to become more open to crypto and lead public pension funds and treasuries to buy into it. Many bitcoin enthusiasts and investors are quick to say government-backed currencies are prone to devaluation and increased government buy-ins will stabilize […]
An article on the impact of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation on financial markets was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Financial markets resilient in wake of Trump tariffs threat, […]
France’s new Prime Minister François Bayrou announced this week the renegotiation of a contested plan raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, in a crucial move to seek more stability for his minority government. In his first address to lawmakers at the National Assembly, Bayrou vowed to seek “a new path of reform, without […]
Verizon Communications Inc. is facing a lawsuit by retirees alleging the organization breached its fiduciary duties and engaged in prohibited transactions when it completed a US$5.9 billion pension risk transfer to Prudential Insurance Co. of America nearly a year ago, according to a report by Investment News. The proposed class action lawsuit, filed in December […]
Promoting employee financial awareness and retirement readiness amid the rising cost of living is a priority for the Canadian Public Pension Leadership Council in 2025, says Cheldon Angus, co-chair of the CPPLC and chief executive officer of the Winnipeg Civic Employees’ Benefits Program. “More and more these days, employers are prioritizing their financial literacy education for […]
Amazon.com is facing a lawsuit that claims the company violated U.S. federal law by using nearly US$350 million in forfeited 401(k) funds to offset the company’s own contributions rather than to reduce administrative fees for plan participants, according to a report by Reuters. In December, Cory Curtis, an employee of the online retail company, filed a […]
Variable payment life annuities and the impact of gender identity on actuarial standards are among the issues the Canadian Institute of Actuaries is monitoring in 2025, says Simon Nelson, a principal at Eckler Ltd. and chair of the CIA’s pension practice committee. A CIA task force on VPLAs will present its findings early this year, […]