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CLHIA calling for pension innovation, access to cheaper drugs in provincial budgets

The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association is highlighting new retirement savings options and access to cheaper drugs in its priorities for the Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador provincial budgets. In its submission to Newfoundland’s finance minister, the CLHIA called for the government to make pooled registered pension plans available in the province. Citing Statistics Canada data that […]

  • February 4, 2020 November 30, 2020
  • 09:00

Do ETFs warrant their own trading tools separate from equities?

Trading volume for exchange-traded funds is rising. And as such, more ETF trades are flowing through trading desks. For ETFs with underlying securities that have different characteristics than equities, such as credit instruments or fixed income, it’s sometimes unclear who should be handling these transactions, according to a report by Greenwich Associates based on interviews […]

  • February 4, 2020 December 13, 2020
  • 07:35

Unifor blockade continues at Co-op refinery after pension talks break down

Unifor is calling out the Federated Co-operatives Ltd. for delaying bargaining after hitting an impasse in a pension dispute. Currently, the Co-op employees’ defined benefit pension is fully funded by the employer. The conflict started in mid-December when the Co-op proposed that employees begin paying 11 per cent of contributions, among other concessions. Unifor members have been blockading […]

  • February 3, 2020 November 30, 2020
  • 16:30

Canadian DB plan returns rise in fourth quarter as equity markets rebound

Canadian defined benefit pension plans returned a median 2.52 per cent for the fourth quarter of 2019, reflecting an improved economic outlook for investors, according to BNY Mellon Asset Management Canada Ltd. Its Canadian master trust universe, which is based on 84 Canadian corporate, public and university pension plans, reported a one-year median return of […]

  • February 3, 2020 November 12, 2020
  • 15:15

SSQ Insurance, la Capitale combining operations

SSQ Life Insurance Co. Inc. and la Capitale Insurance and Financial Services are combining their operations. The two companies have similar sized and complementary operations, with SSQ Insurance handling group insurance and la Capitale dealing with property and casualty insurance, noted a press release. The combined company’s assets under management are expected to exceed $20 […]

  • January 31, 2020 November 12, 2020
  • 15:15

Hefty equity gains drove Canadian DB pensions to double-digit returns in 2019

Canadian defined benefit plans posted a median return of 13.6 per cent for 2019, according to Northern Trust Canada’s pension universe. North American equities led the way to double-digit returns for the year, with 1.9 per cent gains in the final quarter of the year, outpacing 1.6 per cent returns in the previous quarter. “Despite […]

  • January 31, 2020 November 12, 2020
  • 09:00

NYC hiring advisors to create divestment plans for its pension funds

New York City is taking major steps toward divesting from fossil fuels by hiring investment advisors to review three of its pension plans and make recommendations about divestment. Combined, the three plans have more than $155 billion in assets under management, of which about $3 billion is invested in fossil fuel reserve owners’ securities. The […]

  • January 31, 2020 November 12, 2020
  • 08:53

Medavie names new Ontario government executive lead

Medavie Blue Cross has appointed Hélène Lavictoire as its Ontario government executive lead. Lavictoire is joining Medavie from Telus Health, where she was a product director and general manager. She also managed a group of public sector programs, including the Ontario drug benefit program. Read: Medavie Blue Cross appoints VP of product, disability management Previously, […]

  • January 31, 2020 November 12, 2020
  • 08:52

New York City hiring advisors to create divestment plans for its pension funds

New York City is taking major steps toward divesting from fossil fuels by hiring investment advisors to review three of its pension plans and make recommendations about divestment. Combined, the three plans have more than $155 billion in assets under management, of which approximately $3 billion is invested in fossil fuel reserve owners’ securities. The […]

  • January 30, 2020 December 13, 2020
  • 09:15

CARP sets out wish list for DB pension protections in 2020 budget submission

CARP is highlighting the need for further protections for defined benefit pensions in its 2020 Ontario budget priorities. The submission noted CARP, formerly the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, supports the steps taken by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario and the provincial government to bolster innovation in DB plan design, as well as reducing red […]

  • January 30, 2020 November 30, 2020
  • 09:00