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Consumer staples, health care expected to provide downside protection in medium term

Health care and consumers staples are sectors that typically perform well, even in moments of market stress. But during the coronavirus crisis, these sectors have provided slightly less downside protection, says Ramiz Chelat, global equities portfolio manager at Vontobel Asset Management. On the consumer staples front, the coronavirus shutdown is impacting consumption outside of the […]

  • May 20, 2020 December 6, 2020
  • 08:22

Charting a new course at the Air Canada pension plans

In 2009, when Vincent Morin walked through the doors of Air Canada as the vice-president of asset allocation and strategy for its investment division, he faced a tough situation. The company’s eight defined benefit pension plans, which buy units of a single master trust fund, were facing a $2.6 billion deficit. In the following years, […]

  • May 15, 2020 March 3, 2021
  • 08:54

Active ownership matters now more than ever amid coronavirus crisis

At a time of uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis, active ownership is more important than ever, says Kevin Thomas, chief executive officer of the Shareholder Association for Research and Education. Many organizations are trying to influence companies and policy-makers, and those voices matter, he notes. “You don’t want to be sitting on the sidelines.” […]

  • May 14, 2020 December 6, 2020
  • 09:20

What’s next for monetary policy on other side of coronavirus crisis?

Monetary and fiscal policy-makers around the world are taking different approaches to tackling the  current economic crisis, but their actions today will pose challenges down the road, says Erik Weisman, chief economist at MFS Investment Management. Looking at combined monetary and fiscal policy responses, the U.S. is likely the most aggressive, while Europe and Japan […]

  • May 13, 2020 December 6, 2020
  • 10:47

Considerations for DC plan sponsors before suspending employer contributions

The Canada Revenue Agency is waiving the minimum one per cent employer contribution requirement for defined contribution pension plans for the rest of 2020. To take advantage of the contribution relief, employers must amend their DC plans to suspend accruals for the year, meaning no employer or employee contributions can be made. Further, DC plan […]

  • May 11, 2020 December 6, 2020
  • 10:57

How pension plan sponsors can use data for strategic decision-making

With all that’s happening in the world, the ability to use data to make smart decisions is key, says Adam Jones, chief technology officer at U.K.-based consulting firm Redington. While the importance of data has gained new significance amid the coronavirus pandemic, Redington built a financial technology tool before the crisis called ADA Research, which […]

  • May 11, 2020 December 6, 2020
  • 08:20

A look at the different paths to ESG integration in DC plans

With environmental, social and governance issues becoming more prominent among investors, it’s important to consider what sustainability means for DC plans. Plan sponsors are facing somewhat conflicting objectives, said Christine Girvan, senior managing director and head of Canadian distribution at MFS Investment Management, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2020 DC Plan Summit in Montreal […]

  • May 8, 2020 December 6, 2020
  • 08:56

Northleaf introduces matrix to help investors track capital calls, distributions

In the current market environment, institutional investors worried about cash management want advance notice of when capital calls are coming, says Stuart Waugh, managing partner at Northleaf Capital Partners. In response, Northleaf has created a new matrix to help institutional investors. “We actually built a matrix of all of our investors across all of our […]

  • May 7, 2020 December 6, 2020
  • 08:23

Transitioning to new normal of remote meetings without compromising governance

Digital is the new normal for committee and board meetings, so people must get used to it, says Rahul Bhardwaj, president and chief executive officer, of the Institute of Corporate Directors. Pension plan sponsors are under lots of strain in the current environment. “You want to make sure that you have efficient, effective meetings that […]

  • May 6, 2020 December 6, 2020
  • 11:32

Interest in DBplus and OPTrust Select remains amid coronavirus crisis

The coronavirus crisis is putting new stresses on businesses as they grapple with cash flow and business continuity, but even amid such uncertainty, some employers are still looking to join defined benefit plans. The Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology pension plan is continuing to see interest in its DBplus offering, with the coronavirus crisis […]

  • May 5, 2020 December 6, 2020
  • 08:59