Alberta’s new Employment Pension Plans Act encourages innovation in plan design
The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved a new exchange-traded mutual fund. But what does this mean for transparency, something institutional investors love about their exchange-traded funds?
The number of active registered pension plan members has increased by 12% to 6.2 million over a 10-year period, according to the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada.
Transparency—along with liquidity and low fees—is one of a trio of exchange-traded fund (ETF) advantages often touted by their manufacturers. And the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission aims to keep it that way, at least for now. Last week, the U.S. regulator rejected a proposal by BlackRock to launch a non-transparent ETF. The question is, what now?
A new DB pension plan helps NHL players stickhandle major disparities in retirement income between its U.S. and Canadian teams
Burton Malkiel is updating his iconic book to reflect the rise of exchange-traded funds. But what will he say about products like smart beta that blur the lines between active and passive management?
The retirement plan landscape is stabilizing as fewer U.S. companies last year moved from DB plans to offering only a DC plan to new salaried employees than in any other year over the past decade, according to Towers Watson.
Membership in registered pension plans (RPPs) rose in 2012 as more employees were enrolled in DC or hybrid plans, according to Statistics Canada.
A few years back, we held a session at the annual Avantages Montreal DC conference and asked the sponsor audience how likely they would get involved in helping DC members optimize their retirement income, post-accumulation. Sadly, only two out of the 50 or so sponsors present said they would. But it looks like things are changing.
All too often, employers and plan administrators may sign an agreement without sufficient review and negotiation. Sometimes, they may enter into a service relationship without signing an agreement at all. While this may sound like the opening to a commercial (“Call your pension lawyer today!”), it remains a fact. The legal consequences for employers and administrators can be significant.