With U.S. stock prices exceeding pre-coronavirus highs and credit spreads nearly as tight as before the pandemic, investors are signalling overconfidence in the market, says Rob Almeida, portfolio manager and global investment strategist at MFS Investment Management. While polls and betting odds appear to be favouring a Joe Biden win, that doesn’t align with what […]
Long before the global pandemic, jurisdictions across Canada were embarking on pension solvency reform, with some moving from strict 100 per cent solvency funding requirements to going-concern plus models, which incorporate a funding cushion. Low interest rates, which make solvency funding very expensive, have been a key driver pushing the going-concern plus model, says Dean […]
While target-date funds are now a staple in the Canadian defined contribution pension industry, it wasn’t always so. Some of the first employers to bring target-date funds to Canada were George Weston Ltd. and Loblaw Companies Limited, says Alain Malaket, who is currently chief executive officer of InBenefits, but previously oversaw those organizations’ pension and […]
In 2019, International Women’s Day was a significant event at the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology pension plan because it prompted the launch of many new initiatives to further diversity and inclusion at the organization. It also marked the first time the CAAT plan celebrated international women’s day, exploring how it could improve its […]
A new stock exchange aimed at serving companies and investors that share a long-term vision has opened its doors. The Long-Term Stock Exchange will trade U.S. exchange-listed securities for companies that publish and maintain a series of policies designed to provide shareholders and stakeholders with insight about their long-term strategies, practices, plans and measures. “A […]
The Halifax Port ILA/HEA has found a way to provide its defined contribution pension plan members with a defined benefit upon retirement — and it’s been doing so successfully for 35 years. As a private sector multi-employer plan, the pension has about 450 active members, 300 retirees and about $210 million in assets. The DB […]
While rising government deficits and debt are concerning for many bond owners, they should actually be more concerned that deficits aren’t big enough, said David Bezic, an independent economic consultant, during the Canadian Investment Review and Benefits Canada’s 2020 Plan Sponsor Week in mid-August. Many of the concerns around debt and deficits are founded on […]
The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan is well-known for its liability-driven investing strategy, which helped it successfully weather the 2008 financial crisis. During the coronavirus fallout, in an era of historically low interest rates, the HOOPP is working on developing LDI 2.0. “We’re very focused on liabilities, but what you do when interest rates are […]
As central banks stepped into the market to fund operating losses, the ability to raise capital has usurped the natural function of markets: price discovery, says Rob Almeida, investment officer and global investment strategist at MFS Investment Management. Many companies have experienced an epic year raising capital because both good and bad businesses have been […]
With an aging population of baby boomers and a general trend toward closing defined benefit pensions, many plan sponsors are facing negative cash flow situations. In response, retiree solutions are gaining more importance, says Michael Augustine, managing director of portfolio management at TD Asset Management. While pension plans can purchase an annuity through a life […]