Canada’s retirement system jumped one spot to ninth place in Melbourne Mercer’s annual global pension index. Comparing 37 global retirement systems, the report found the Canadian system showed improvement partly due to the growth in assets under the Canada Pension Plan and the Quebec Pension Plan. It also demonstrated a link between the increasing household debt in developed and […]
Canadian defined benefit pension plans are increasingly focused on implementing long-term goals and mitigating asset risk amid a year of market volatility and shifting regulatory landscape, according to a new survey by Aon. Its biennial Canadian pension risk survey found 96 per cent of plan sponsors said they have a long-term strategy to reach their objectives, up […]
It’s an election year and, of course, I have a lot of opinions. But I’ll try to keep my political leanings as neutral as possible and simply lay out the facts. This issue will hit desks days before the federal election. However, as I write these words in mid-September, the main parties are just rolling […]
As the pension industry faces shifting demographics and rising longevity, and both the former and current federal governments have taken opposite positions on changing the retirement age, the issue is still up for debate. Carly Wybrow, spokesperson for the Canadian Institute of Actuaries When the Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan were established in […]
While defined contribution pension plans evolve and defined benefit plans decline, the McGill University pension plan is a true blend of both types — at least for some employees. When Sebastien Betermier, an associate professor of finance at the university’s Desautels Faculty of Management, joined the plan after 2009, a DC arrangement was available for […]
As the federal Conservative Party finally introduced its election platform last week, it included a number of provisions around pension plan solvency and retirement security. If elected, the party said it will mandate that all federally regulated companies report on the solvency of their pension funds. “This will give seniors the confidence that their hard-earned […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is seeking applications for four new technical advisory committees for the pension sector. As the regulator announced in July 2019, the committees will aim to address challenges specific to defined benefit single-employer pension plans, defined contribution plans, multi-employer plans and public sector plans. Read: FSRA creates new advisory committees on pension sector matters […]
Most (80 per cent) Canadians said they’d rather have an improved pension, or any pension, than a higher salary, according to new research by the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. The survey of 2,500 Canadians found more (75 per cent) respondents are worried about being able to save enough for retirement than are primarily concerned over […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority is giving late-filing pension plans a “one-time” opportunity to avoid administrative monetary penalties. The “safe harbour,” which applies to any outstanding filings under the Pension Benefits Act, expires on Oct. 31. “Rather than have people concerned about flagging non-compliance with late filings, the FSRA has offered this amnesty of sorts,” […]
When investing in Brazil, what considerations should institutional investors keep in mind? And how can the market fit into a pension portfolio? One issue to watch is pension reform, said Heather Hagerty, a research analyst at Fidelity Investments, during the Canadian Investment Review‘s podcast “Pension Podcast.” “Brazil is one of only a small number of […]