Consider this. It’s the end of February, and you have plenty of contribution room left in your RRSP. So you take out a loan to top up your retirement savings while simultaneously lowering your tax burden. Essentially, that’s what Canadian Pacific Railway (CP Rail) did — at a corporate level — when it announced it […]
As State Street celebrates its 20th anniversary in Canada, executives reflected on the impact the company has had since it opened its first Toronto office in 1990. State Street also released a report Thursday, outlining a dramatic shift starting to take place in Europe, with a wave of consolidation on the horizon. According to October’s […]
Great-West Life has launched a new credit card-based system, making it easier for plan members to pay for treatments covered under their respective plans. The group benefits provider has partnered with U.S.-based Evolution Benefits Inc. to launch the first-ever Visa card for healthcare spending accounts in Canada. The Health SolutionsPlusVisa payment card will be loaded […]
The number of people receiving Employment Insurance (EI) benefits fell to 672,200 in July, down 31,400 from June, Statistics Canada (StatsCan) reported, Thursday. The decline offsets spring increases and brings the number of beneficiaries back to the level recorded in March. Nine provinces saw the number of EI beneficiaries drop, with the most significant declines […]
The price of obesity is starting to add up for many employers in added benefits and absentee costs—especially for women, according to a U.S. study from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Researchers examined several factors, including employee sick days, lost productivity and even the need for extra gasoline. They found that the annual cost […]
Defined benefit (DB) liabilities are poised to soar to record levels around the world in 2010, new research from Mercer warns. While most developed financial markets have experienced volatile equity values in 2010, returns have been generally positive for the past year. But, according to Mercer’s analysis, plan sponsors of large DB programs are still […]
There’s plenty of reason to be optimistic, but the reality is that defined contribution (DC) pension plans are in for a few tough years, Aron Gampel, Scotiabank’s chief economist, said Wednesday, at the third annual DC Investment Forum in Toronto. Canada is well positioned to emerge without too many deep wounds from the global […]
Americans remain generally unsatisfied with their healthcare system, but they are happy with the coverage they receive from their employer-sponsored plans, according to the 2010 Health Confidence Survey (HCS) from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). Confidence in the current system hasn’t changed much since the healthcare reform bill was passed in March. Since it’s […]
Integrated Asset Management Corp. (IAM) has launched a new global alternative investment manager, River Plate House Capital Management Inc. River Plate will offer long- and short-term investment strategies focused on real interest rates, as well as customized solutions for managing liability and risk. Michael Hyman is the company founder, president, CEO and chief investment officer, […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is buying eight shopping centres in a $230.5-million investment, the organization announced Monday. The 431,000 sq. ft. Hillside Centre in Victoria was one of the purchases acquired from the Ontario Pension Board. The CPPIB also acquired significant interests in seven other shopping centres in B.C., Ontario and […]