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Mercer Canada appoints principal advisor to health team

Mercer Canada has appointed Myriam Bélanger as a principal advisor on its health team. Based in the organization’s Montreal office, she’ll be responsible for managing group benefits plans of various sizes and structure. With more than 10 years of experience managing group plans, Bélanger previously held various roles at Montreal-based financial services firms. Read: Mercer, Wealthsimple launch online savings, investment tool “Group […]

  • July 25, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 15:00

Lessons from 2019’s proxy voting season

Institutional investors are focusing on board diversity and an increased clarity of communication with their portfolio companies, according to a new report by EY. The report, which examined investor activities during the 2019 proxy-voting season, found institutional investor pressure on companies to increase the gender diversity of their boards is beginning to take effect. As well, […]

  • July 25, 2019 February 23, 2021
  • 09:45

Markets waiting for clarity on macro uncertainty

While there are signals that the global economy is slowing down, it doesn’t appear to be quite at recession levels. “That has major investment implications,” said Alec Young, managing director of global markets research at FTSE Russell, in a webinar on Wednesday. Trade uncertainty is a big part of recent sluggishness in markets, he said. […]

  • July 25, 2019 January 9, 2021
  • 09:01

Institutional investors calling on cement makers to address high carbon output

A group of institutional investors representing US$2 trillion in assets under management is calling on the cement industry to do better on their carbon emissions. The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change and investors in Climate Action 100+ called on Europe’s major construction material firms to commit to taking steps to achieve net zero emissions no later […]

  • July 25, 2019 February 23, 2021
  • 08:30

Drug claims expected to rise in 2019: survey

Plan sponsors can expect to see a three to five per cent increase in prescription drug claims in 2019, according to Buck’s annual Canadian health-care trend survey. However, the survey noted, since insurance providers also add a market inflation factor, the projected increase is actually 10.99 per cent, down from 12.45 per cent in 2018. Based […]

  • July 24, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 10:12

Nova Scotia’s PSSP generates 5.33% return for 2018/19

The Nova Scotia Public Service Superannuation Plan posted a 5.33 per cent return for the 2018/19 fiscal year, with $335 million in total investment income, according to its annual report. Net of investment management fees, the plan’s rate of return was 5.13 per cent. Measured both ways, the returns slightly underperformed the plan’s benchmark rate of […]

  • July 24, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 09:00

What drives U.S. state-sponsored pension plans to take bigger risks?

What effect do low interest rates really have on how pension funds invest and what are the long-term consequences? When plan sponsors are underfunded, they have a few set options, according to a new paper by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. For a state-sponsored plan, the choice of whether to take on assets with higher […]

  • July 24, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 08:30

FSRA to appoint new technical advisory committees on pension issues

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority is creating three new technical advisory committees, which will provide advice and feedback to the regulator on pension sector related matters and will form part of its stakeholder engagement process going forward. The aim is to improve processes and approaches to regulation and reduce regulatory burden, noted a press release. […]

  • July 23, 2019 January 9, 2021
  • 10:12

Morneau Shepell names VP and practice leader, asset and risk management

Morneau Shepell Ltd. has appointed Mazen Shakeel as vice-president and practice leader for asset and risk management, effective July 2019. In the new role, he’ll assist plan sponsors with investment, outsourced chief investment officer, risk management and transfer-related needs. As an actuary with nearly 30 years of experience, Shakeel’s previous roles span the actuarial consulting […]

  • July 23, 2019 January 9, 2021
  • 09:26

FSRA creates new advisory committees on pension sector matters

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority is creating three new technical advisory committees, which will provide advice and feedback to the regulator on pension sector related matters and will form part of its stakeholder engagement process going forward. The aim is to improve processes and approaches to regulation and reduce regulatory burden, noted a press release. In its first year of […]

  • July 23, 2019 November 30, 2020
  • 09:15