The estimated cost to transfer retiree pension risk to an insurer in a competitive bidding process decreased from 101.8 per cent of a plan’s accounting liabilities in November to 100.5 per cent of those liabilities in December, according to Milliman Inc.’s latest pension buyout index. The index uses the FTSE above median AA curve and […]
An article on the funded position of Canadian defined benefit pension plans was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five top HR, benefit, pension and investment stories of the week: 1. Average DB pension plan’s funded position on solvency basis up in November: report 2. Decision raises questions about dependent contractors’ entitlement to reasonable notice […]
The impacts of climate change and federal super-priority legislation on Canadian pension plans are among the issues that the Canadian Institute of Actuaries is monitoring in 2024, says Simon Nelson, a principal at Eckler Ltd. and chair of the CIA’s pension practice committee. While climate change is a consideration across all of the CIA’s practice […]
On Dec. 6, the Canadian Investment Review hosted its annual Defined Benefit Investment Forum. With the close of a year marred by financial fragility and global discontent, leaders from Canada’s defined benefit pension plan sponsor community gathered to shed light on the challenging economic landscape of 2023 and make informed predictions about the hurdles and opportunities ahead. Here’s what […]
Pension plan sponsors must effectively employ care, diligence and skill when facing cybersecurity threats, said Sandeep Kakan, board trustee and secretary at the Canada-Wide Industrial Pension Plan, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Defined Benefit Investment Forum in December. Cybersecurity concerns are rising in the aftermath of the MOVEit hack, which compromised […]
An article on how the federal government should ensure its new Canadian Dental Care Plan doesn’t displace existing employer-sponsored dental coverage was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the past week: 1. Tax credit could ensure national dental-care plan doesn’t displace employer-sponsored coverage: expert […]
The Pension Investment Association of Canada will concentrate its legislative advocacy efforts on funding reform in 2024, including for an overhaul of long-term, minimum funding regulations for federally regulated defined benefit pension plans, said David Lawson, the PIAC’s new chair. In an emailed statement to Benefits Canada, he said as DB plan sponsors continue to face […]
The University of California San Diego’s Kroner Center for Financial Research is examining four research areas that can assist institutional investors in determining successful strategies that mitigate risk and generate alpha, said its executive director Michael Melvin, during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2023 Investment Innovation Conference in November. The think tank’s advisory council, which is comprised […]
Despite pension funds navigating a “swim-at-your-own-risk” environment with a lower probability of positive returns, they can’t just stop and sink — they have to keep swimming, said Karin Sullivan, vice-president of fixed income at Trans-Canada Capital Inc., during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2023 Investment Innovation Conference in November. “[These financial challenges] have been going on now for two […]
As the objectives of defined benefit pension plans have evolved, so too have institutional investors’ reasons for including fixed income allocations in a portfolio, from adding diversification and offsetting negative returns in equity to liquidity management and capital preservation, said Ashwin Gopwani, managing director and head of retirement solutions at Sun Life Capital Management, during the Canadian Investment […]