In 2025, the Association of Canadian Pension Management is focusing on flexible pension plan models amid a backdrop of multiple elections taking place across Canada. Korinne Collins, chief executive officer at the ACPM, says flexibility is needed around decumulation strategies for defined contribution plans and the potential for different income tax treatments for workers looking […]
The funded position of a typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan decreased both on a solvency and accounting basis in December 2024, according to Telus Health’s latest pension index. It found the funded position declined slightly on a solvency basis to 111.3 per cent in December, down from 111.4 per cent at the end of […]
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 […]
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 […]
The median solvency ratio of Canadian defined benefit pension plans increased to 125 per cent by the end of the fourth quarter of 2024, up from 122 per cent as at Sept. 30, 2024, according to a new report by Mercer. The report, which tracks roughly 450 plans in Mercer’s database, found nearly nine in […]
With the start of a new year, there are several developments and trends that will likely impact Canadian pension plan sponsors in 2025. Implementation of regulatory guidelines In September 2024, the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities published a new guideline for risk management for plan administrators and an update to their guideline for capital […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is closely monitoring administrative risk and pension plan sponsors’ geopolitical concerns in 2025, says Andrew Fung, the organization’s executive vice-president of pensions. He cites increasing non-investment management risks like fraud, identity theft, data breach, cybersecurity and the use of artificial intelligence as emerging risks that plan sponsors will […]
The OPSEU Pension Trust has reduced its financed emissions intensity by 11 per cent when compared to 2022, according to the investment organization’s latest climate risk disclosure report. In 2023, the OPTrust extended the scope of its carbon footprint measurement to 70 per cent of its assets, up from 40 per cent in 2022. The […]
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 […]