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2023 Investment Innovation Conference: Is the 60/40 balanced portfolio strategy still viable for institutional investors?

Recent challenges to the 60/40 balanced portfolio rule shouldn’t sway institutional investors away from the strategy, said Steve Foerster, professor of finance at Western University’s Ivey Business School, during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Investment Innovation Conference in November. “Regardless of what’s happening now, we don’t want to confuse strategic asset allocation, which is what […]

  • January 18, 2024 January 17, 2024
  • 07:51

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: Valuation reviews helping institutional investors navigate equity market uncertainties

For institutional investors, valuation reviews will be critical in navigating equity market uncertainties, said Amy Chang, managing director and head of active global fundamental at the British Columbia Investment Management Corp., during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Investment Innovation Conference in November. “I think this focus on business quality and looking at individual opportunities is […]

  • January 18, 2024 January 30, 2024
  • 07:47

My Take: More financial literacy needed to help employees achieve retirement goals

The skyrocketing cost of living has created increased need for employees to receive additional financial well-being information to meet their retirement savings goals. It’s increasingly difficult for most Canadians to put aside any savings above their monthly expenses, thanks in large part to the squeeze from high inflation and the effects of increased interest rates […]

  • January 17, 2024 January 16, 2024
  • 09:00

Pension plan sponsors more vigilant of cybersecurity risks when dealing with third-party vendors: expert

Data management and transference is a key area of risk for pension plan sponsors as the vulnerability of engaging with third parties creates opportunities for cybercriminals, says Jillian Kennedy, a partner at Mercer. According to an online brief published last year by Ernst & Young, third-party service providers hired by public pension plan sponsors tend to […]

  • January 11, 2024 January 11, 2024
  • 09:00

AI holds uncapped potential for pension plan sponsors’ administration, communications: expert

While pension plan sponsors are still in the early days of exploring how artificial intelligence solutions could help automate maintenance tasks, they’re exploring the various functionalities they can automate from a member service standpoint, says Akio Tagawa, president and chief executive officer at consultancy Linea Solutions. He’s seen increased interest from plan sponsors in evaluating how […]

  • January 9, 2024 January 9, 2024
  • 09:00

Rising bond yields, frontier markets top of mind for institutional investors in 2024: expert

The progression of bonds and frontier markets over the long term will be top of mind for institutional investors in the coming year, according to Andrew Forsyth, senior vice-president of institutional investment services at Franklin Templeton. Fixed income may be in the good graces of institutional investors again as higher bond yields lead the way […]

  • December 21, 2023 December 21, 2023
  • 09:00

SHEPP diversifying portfolio with alternatives, less dependence on equities

Before Janet Jule joined the Saskatchewan Healthcare Employees’ Pension Plan as its chief investment officer in 2015, the pension plan sponsor started adding a wider variety of assets to its portfolio, emphasizing diversification and lowering its dependence on equities. Indeed, like many other plan sponsors, the SHEPP’s investment strategy is increasingly incorporating more alternative asset […]

  • December 15, 2023 December 14, 2023
  • 08:56

Worker demand for DB pension plans could increase as financial concerns continue: CAAT

A resurgence of defined benefit pension plans in Canada could be on the horizon, according to a report from the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology pension plan. It found most Canadian workers are looking for retirement features that are most prominent in a DB plan, including monthly and predictable retirement income that’s guaranteed for […]

  • December 14, 2023 December 13, 2023
  • 11:00

Study finds healthier funding status for DB plans raising interest in LDI strategy reviews

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, […]

  • December 12, 2023 December 12, 2023
  • 11:00

Removal of ‘30% rule’ could boost investment, reduce private equity fees for Canadian pension funds

If the federal government scraps its rule restricting Canadian pension funds from holding more than 30 per cent of the voting shares of investee corporations, pension plan sponsors and other investment organizations could increase their holdings in high-performing assets, have greater oversight and accountability of their assets and see a decrease in fees for private equity, according […]

  • November 23, 2023 November 23, 2023
  • 11:00