U.S.-based defined benefit pension plan sponsors are increasingly looking to assess their liability-driven investment strategies as they reach fully funded statuses, according to a new study by Coalition Greenwich and commissioned by Franklin Templeton. The study found nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of pension plan sponsors reported funding ratios of 100 per cent or higher, […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is investing in Vooban, a Quebec-based supplier of applied artificial intelligence services. The investment will aid Vooban’s growth through expansion plans in Ontario and the U.S, according to a press release, which noted the company currently has 135 employees, but is planning to expand by 30 per cent. The […]
As U.S. President Joe Biden signs an executive order obstructing the departure of domestic capital from venture and private capital into China, it’s raising a red flag for institutional investors interested in significant returns from the advanced technology space. The executive order, which took effect earlier this month, branded the production of semi-conductors, quantum computers […]
New U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission listing requirements that impact compensation clawbacks could create conflicts with domestic employment laws for Canadian companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges. The rules are expected to take effect on Oct. 2, 2023, with compliance mandated by Dec. 1, 2023. They require all issuers on U.S. exchanges to adopt mandatory […]
Generation Z (28 per cent), millennial (25 per cent) and generation X (21 per cent) 401(k) members rank a lack of emergency savings as one of the most common factors causing financial stress, according to Cerulli Associates’ latest survey. In light of the provisions related to emergency savings accounts and student debt under the U.S.’s […]
The International Monetary Fund is altering its expectations for global economic growth and inflation in 2023. During a recent press conference, the United Nation’s financial agency said it expects the world’s economy to grow by 2.9 per cent and the overall inflation rate to reach seven per cent this year. In January, it predicted the annual […]
Sales of U.S. workplace supplemental health insurance products totalled US$2.1 billion in the first nine months of 2022, rising 11 per cent year over year, according to a new survey by LIMRA. It also found workplace supplemental health insurers reported a combined total of $453 million in the third quarter of 2022, three per cent […]
“I’m going to start my presentation by saying what any self-respecting consultants say all the time — we got it wrong,” said Andrew Bishop, senior partner and global head of policy research at Signum Global Advisors, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Defined Benefit Investment Forum. “I’m referring to China’s easing of […]
As the University Pension Plan increases its focus on climate change, its responsible investment policy considers environmental, social and governance factors as essential to sound long-term investing. “We’ve seen a lot of evidence from a variety of service providers — from investment banks to investment managers — that have demonstrated [the climate] is getting warmer […]
Income inequality in the U.S. is contributing to the growth of financial insecurity in retirement, exacerbated by a shift from pensions to individual 401(k) savings accounts, according to a new report by the U.S. National Institute On Retirement Security. It found in 2019, white households across three generations — baby boomers, generation X and millennials […]