Yaelle Gang

Plan sponsors urged to take advantage of innovative pension plan design to mitigate risks

In the fourth industrial revolution, technology is changing at a fast pace with a rolling effect on various industries. It’s also changing how people work, spend their money and save, said Jean-Philippe Provost, senior partner and wealth business leader at Mercer Canada. At the consultancy’s annual retirement outlook event on Thursday, Provost walked through current practices in the Canadian retirement […]

January 25, 2019 January 20, 2021
10:38

A ‘hard landing’ for China still not on horizon

Economic deceleration in China in the fourth quarter of 2018 wasn’t significantly sharper than expected and a hard landing for China still isn’t on the horizon, said Andy Rothman, investment strategist at Matthews Asia in a recent Sinology report. Rothman explained many investors were worried due to the perception that in the fourth quarter of 2018 China’s growth slowed more […]

January 25, 2019 January 20, 2021
10:24

Business interruption and cyber incidents top business risks in 2019, survey

Business interruption and cyber incidents were tied for the top business risks in 2019, according to the 2019 Allianz Risk Barometer. “The big driver with business interruption is largely the global nature of businesses,” says Bernard McNulty, head of claims for Canada at Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty, noting that businesses, particularly manufacturers, source components […]

January 24, 2019 January 12, 2021
10:30

How to prepare pension investments for an annuity purchase

Many defined benefit plans’ funded statuses are in relatively good territory, but with an uncertain investment atmosphere on the horizon, is now a good time for plans to consider taking risk off the table by purchasing an annuity? And for plans looking to de-risk in the future, what considerations are there from an investment perspective? […]

January 24, 2019 January 12, 2021
09:00

Investing in a low interest rate environment

While interest rates have risen, they remain low by long-term historical standards, causing challenges for long-term investors like pension funds. “Because we’re a pension plan, we invest significantly in fixed-income assets,” says James Davis, chief investment officer at the OPSEU Pension Trust. “A cornerstone of our member-driven investment strategy is to mitigate the interest-rate sensitivity […]

January 23, 2019 January 12, 2021
09:56

Preparing pension investments for an annuity purchase

Many defined benefit plans’ funded statuses are in relatively good territory, but with an uncertain investment atmosphere on the horizon, is now a good time for plans to consider taking risk off the table by purchasing an annuity? And for plans looking to de-risk in the future, what are the considerations from an investment perspective? […]

January 21, 2019 January 12, 2021
09:38

A look at the ROM pension plan’s merger with CAAT

While many pension plan sponsors are moving away from defined benefit plans and favouring more affordable defined contribution structures, a new option for plans is merging the management of their assets and liabilities with larger plans. Since 2016, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa and, most recently, Torstar Corp. have merged […]

January 18, 2019 January 12, 2021
07:54

Populism here to stay, economy already feeling the consequences

Rewind to 2017. It was a very unusual year, with global growth receiving a boost from a combination of ultra-supportive financial conditions, a temporary boom in the global trade cycle and the absence of any adverse political or financial shocks, said Darren Williams, senior vice-president and director of global economic research at AllianceBernstein, speaking at […]

January 17, 2019 January 20, 2021
08:47

City of York pension plan joins OMERS

The Corporation of the City of York Employee Pension Plan officially transferred the management of its assets and liabilities to the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System plan last week, as part of a broader initiative to transfer four pre-OMERS plans from the City of Toronto to OMERS. The City of York plan was closed to […]

January 16, 2019 January 12, 2021
09:07

The ESG of technology

With technology disrupting various industries, the opportunities are clear. But how can companies ensure they’re adopting new technology responsibly, while minimizing risks? A paper published by MFS Investment Management outlines a framework for how to review the ethics of technology when looking at companies as investments. “We don’t really look at any company as being […]

January 14, 2019 January 20, 2021
10:49