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 […]
Benefits Canada is extending the deadline for entering the 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards to Friday, July 5 at 5 p.m. EST. The original industry awards program has been recognizing employers and plan sponsors for more than 20 years, highlighting their innovative approaches to supporting the mental, physical and financial well-being of their employees. Enter the 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is investing $500 million in National Bank of Canada to support its acquisition strategy for Canadian Western Bank. The acquisition deal is worth $5 billion and will give National Bank a presence in Western Canada. Following the Caisse’s investment in National Bank, it will become the second […]
Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of U.S. employees are choosing to stay with their employers, a significant change from 2022 when 53 per cent were looking to leave, according to a new survey by WTW. The survey, which polled 10,000 U.S. workers, found, while a quarter were open to offers in 2022, only 11 per […]
An article detailing a stark increase in the use of obesity medications among Canadian employer-sponsored benefits plan members was the most-read article on BenefitsCanada.com this week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the past week: 1. Claims for obesity drugs increased 42% in 2023, 92% since 2020: report 2. How […]
Canadian-based fixed income assets rallied in the first quarter of 2024 as the likelihood of interest rate cuts from global central authorities increases, according to a new report by FTSE Russell. It noted improved inflation data helped boost the results from Canadian long, corporate and real return bonds in May. While Canadian high-yield credit gained […]
Nearly half (45 per cent) of U.S. employees say they’ve experienced burnout, down from 58 per cent in August 2020, according to a new survey by Eagle Hill Consulting. The survey, which polled more than 1,200 employees, found women (49 per cent) continued to report higher levels of burnout than men (41 per cent). Across generations, […]
The University Pension Plan generated a net return of 10.2 per cent in 2023, up from a 9.1 per cent loss in 2022, according to its latest annual report. As of Dec. 31, 2023, the investment organization’s net assets increased to $11.7 billion, up from $10.8 billion in 2022. It also reported a funded status […]
Dollar cap match formulas could distribute employer contributions to 401(k)s more equitably than other common match formulas, according to a new report by Vanguard Inc. The report analyzed more than 1,300 large employer-sponsored plans that are record-kept by Vanguard between 2013 and 2022. It found among two-thirds of plans, employer contributions exacerbate pay inequity and […]
Institutional investors are at the forefront of an infrastructure overhaul expected to be worth more than $100 trillion, which will be crucial for global energy transition plans, according to a report by IFM Investors. It found over the next three decades, investments in infrastructure equity funding for renewable energy and climate change adaption methods will […]