With bonds exposed to market volatility, how can investors seize emerging opportunities in fixed income? The current liquidation in the market is the result of the de-leveraging process, risk models that limit managers’ scope, tightening of bank lending, and rebalancing of balanced portfolios, said Marc-André Lewis, senior-vice-president, fixed income, with Natcan Investment Management, speaking in […]
When it comes to chasing alpha in today’s market, the new mantra should be “less is more,” according to an expert. Speaking at the Stock Market Crash and the Return of Alpha event in Toronto on Tuesday, Saker Nusseibeh, global head of equities with Fortis Investments, explained that fund managers should focus on simplicity for […]
A psychologically safe workplace is one that does not allow significant harm to employees’ mental health, said Dr. Martin Shain, director and founder of the Neighbour@Work Centre, speaking at an Employee Assistance Program Association of Toronto seminar yesterday. With increasing legally enforceable standards for the protection of employees’ mental health at work, employers need to […]
While most of your employees will have come through adolescence quite painlessly, some of them may be suffering through “middlescence.” “Middlescents,” a term coined by American researchers, are mid-career employees between the ages of 35 and 55 who have been with an employer for at least five years, work 50-plus hours per week and are […]
Executive vice-president Bob Bertram talks about his years at Teachers’ and his advisory role with the pension fund after retirement. During your time at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, what was your greatest achievement? Probably developing an overall investment program where we integrated risk management compensation systems and portfolio management into a single set of […]
Thomas Hockin, chair of the Expert Panel on Securities Regulation, addressed the Economic Club of Canada today in Toronto about the panel’s report, which was released earlier this week. Securities regulation helps to ensure that the markets work efficiently, said Hockin. “And that’s important to Canadians: young people, entrepreneurs and international investors.” A national securities […]
Saint Mary’s University encourages its plan members to attend financial planning education sessions, with or without incentives. In 1953, Saint Mary’s University in Halifax implemented its first pension plan. It was an optional plan, for faculty members only. Over the years, the university had a number of capital accumulation plans, which, in the mid-’80s, eventually […]
Bell Aliant keeps prescription drug costs top of mind for its employees—and their doctors. Bell Aliant Regional Communications, the regional telecommunications company for Atlantic Canada and rural Ontario and Quebec, began to implement its flexible benefits plan, flexconnect, in 2003. Aliant was formed out of the four Atlantic telephone companies, each of which had its […]
A woman for all seasons helps unengaged plan members to move their money through employee meetings and targeted communications. Karen Welch started at the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in May 1985. “I said, ‘I’m here for two years.’” But another 21 years passed. While she says the Four Seasons is a company that believes […]
Forty-year veteran Jean-Guy Desjardins brings a scientific approach to investment management. Jean-Guy Desjardins had a dream. The 64-year-old chief executive officer and board chair of Fiera Capital Inc. wanted to be the president of a holding company. “In the 1960s, the big thing was conglomerates,” he says. “[But] we all know what happened with that.” […]