Institutional investors in North America owned US$56 billion worth of exchange-traded fund assets at the end of 2023, a 22 per cent increase year over year, according to a new report by S&P Global. The report, based on financial disclosures from U.S. and Canadian pension funds, endowments and foundations and sovereign wealth funds, found the […]
Three-quarters (74 per cent) of U.S. defined contribution pension plan sponsors say they’ll review plan fees throughout 2024, according to a new survey by investment consulting firm Callan. The survey, which polled more than 130 DC plan sponsors, found that half of respondents said they’re likely to move to lower-cost investment vehicles in 2024, up […]
Four in 10 (39 per cent) Canadian institutional investors say they have either direct or indirect exposure to cryptocurrency, according to a new survey by KPMG in Canada and the Canadian Association of Alternative Assets and Strategies. The survey, which 31 institutional investors and 34 financial services organizations, found three-quarters (75 per cent) of institutional […]
Younger workers in the U.S. are feeling less confident about their financial security compared to those from older generations, according to a report by LIMRA. The report found more millennials (55 per cent) and generation Z (44 per cent) workers were concerned about having enough money saved for a comfortable retirement, compared to generation X […]
The average Canadian defined benefit pension plan posted a median return of 3.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2024, according to a new report by RBC Investor Services. The report, which tracks performance and asset allocation across Canadian DB plans, credited the positive investment return to the strong performance of equities. Read: Average […]
The federal government has begun imposing financial sanctions on the Canada Life Assurance Co. after months of outcry from public servants, retirees and their families who were left fighting for medical claims to be covered, according to a report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Public Services and Procurement Canada said it’s “taking steps to address startup delays faced by […]
Environmental, social and governance standards have helped investors generate positive annualized returns, with environmental investments leading the pack globally, according to a new study from Amundi Asset Management. The study reviewed the annualized financial returns of long-short portfolios designed with a broad ESG theme and a more specialized approach in North America, Europe, China, India, […]
The union representing more than 600 employees at GreenShield Canada in Toronto and Windsor, Ont. has ratified a three-year collective agreement that includes pension and benefits gains, ending a strike that began on March 1. The agreement includes a $1.50 increase to the defined benefit pension plan for each year, bringing employees from a $71 […]
More than half (55 per cent) of Canadian employees say their employer-sponsored health benefits don’t fully meet their needs and two-fifths (42 per cent) say a lack of timely access to their health-care provider may be negatively impacting their health, according to Telus Health’s latest mental-health index. The survey, which polled 3,000 employees, found the […]
While menopause impacts more than half of the workforce, there’s a critical lack of support in the workplace for women employees experiencing health issues related to menopause, according to a new report by McLean & Co. Menopause is a natural stage of life with symptoms that can vary greatly, including emotional symptoms like anxiety and […]