Defined contribution (DC) plan members who utilized automatic features such as rebalancing and deferral increase during the recent market downturns realized average account balance increases of 26 percentage points to those who didn’t, according to Mercer. The findings are based on an analysis of Mercer’s database of 1.2 million DC plan participants, excluding any participants […]
Canadian employers expressing optimism about the job market in the latter half of 2010, although they will be adding jobs carefully, a new survey reveals. CareerBuilder Canada’s 2010 Canadian Mid-Year Job Forecast survey of more than 200 private sector hiring managers and human resource professionals finds that 58% of respondents plan to boost their workforce […]
While it won’t surprise any employers to learn that social networking sites get a lot of attention during business hours, the effects of such sites on workplace productivity may be unexpected. A recent survey by Right Management of more than 1,000 individuals throughout North America finds that 48% of C-suite and vice president-level respondents said […]
The changes in Ontario’s drug system that came into effect July 1 have provided employers with an opportunity to revisit their drug plans and consider an integrated wellness approach, according to Aon Consulting Canada. The recent patent expiry of Lipitor and the anticipated patent expiry of several other highly utilized prescription drugs over the next […]
Global investor confidence nudged higher in June, while confidence in North America slipped, according to State Street Global Markets. Global confidence increased by 1.3 points to 89.7 in June from May’s revised reading of 88.4. Meanwhile, State Street’s Investor Confidence Index showed that confidence continued its decline in North America falling 6.3 points to 92.2 […]
An Eckler Special Notice explains that the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) has registered an amendment to an Ontario-registered multi-employer pension plan allowing it to reduce payouts to members who terminate and withdraw their pension benefits when the plan is underfunded. The reduction is permanent, with no requirement to pay the balance at a […]
Programs designed to help employees better balance workplace and personal demands are increasingly being adopted by Canadian employers, a recent survey reveals. Hewitt Associates’ survey of 164 organizations finds that a majority of respondents have instituted flexible work hours, telecommuting, extra paid time off for personal reasons, education leave and job sharing for some or […]
The number of Canadian investment managers calling themselves bears is growing due to recent economic developments, according to a survey. The latest quarterly survey from Russell Investments shows that Canadian investment managers bearish on the Canadian stock market increased to 19% from 9% three months earlier. At the same time, the percentage of managers considering […]
Last week the federal government unveiled three amendments to regulations covering federally regulated private pension plans aimed at providing increased protection for plan members and cutting volatility in funding corporate obligations. The amendments to the Pension Benefits Standards Regulations, 1985 include the following points. • A new standard that uses average—rather than current—solvency ratios to […]
Almost half (47%) of money managers polled believe the market to be undervalued, according to a survey. Russell Investments’ latest Investment Manager Outlook survey finds that the number of managers who believe the market to be undervalued has risen 19 percentage points since a similar survey in March, while only 9% of managers believe the […]