Three-quarters of Canadian organizations (and 67 per cent of global employers) either offer or are keen to offer benefits choice or flexible benefits, according to a new survey by MBWL International, an international joint venture between Barnett Waddingham, Milliman Inc., Lurse and Normandin Beaudry. The survey, which polled more than 250 global employers, found 27 per cent […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario has updated its guidance on the roles and responsibilities of pension plan administrators, adding three additional areas for administrators to enhance protection and stability for pension plan beneficiaries. The guidance, which took effect earlier this month, stated an administrator is responsible for all aspects of the administration of the […]
Ivanhoé Cambridge, the real estate arm of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, is increasing the size of its investment partnership with Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners to US$500 million. The investment partnership, which was originally formed in 2021, will continue to seek equity investments in multifamily properties, student housing and manufactured housing […]
A fifth of global employees report experiencing loneliness, with the percentage increasing for employees under 35, according to a new report by Gallup Inc. The global report found fully remote employees reported significantly higher levels of loneliness (25 per cent) than those who work fully onsite (16 per cent). Overall, employee well-being declined in 2023 […]
A majority (77 per cent) of Tesla Inc. shareholders voted in support of restoring the landmark US$44.9 billion all-stock pay package for chief executive officer Elon Musk, despite public calls against the compensation by a pension fund and a sovereign wealth fund, according to a report by the Associated Press. The shareholder vote, held at […]
The Pension Investment Association of Canada supports closely aligning the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board disclosure standards with the International Sustainability Standards Board’s requirements but recommends it only make necessary Canadian-specific modifications to the guidance. In an open letter to the CSSB, the PIAC noted alignment between financial and sustainability reporting supports “a connectivity that is essential […]
More than eight in 10 (86 per cent) U.S. workers say they’re afraid of their human resources representatives, according to a new survey MyPerfectResume.com. The survey, which polled nearly 1,000 workers in the U.S., found a similar percentage (85 per cent) of respondents expressed hesitation in approaching HR to discuss work-related issues, citing concerns such as […]
More than two-fifths (42 per cent) of workers feel exhausted after work; with a quarter citing excessive workload as the leading cause of their burnout, according to Telus Health’s latest mental-health index. The survey found Canadians’ overall mental-health score declined to 64.0, down from 64.4 in March. Indeed, respondents also cited too many personal demands (20 […]
U.S. pension risk transfer sales reached US$14.6 billion in the first quarter of 2024, a 130 per cent increase from the same period in 2023, according to a report by LIMRA. Single-premium buy-out sales totalled $14.2 billion in the first quarter, up 124 per cent from this period in 2023. There were 146 contracts sold […]
The average projected solvency ratio for Ontario defined benefit pension plans was 122 per cent as of March 31, 2024, up three per cent from Dec. 31, 2023, according to a new report by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. It found 90 per cent of DB plans were projected to be fully funded […]