Time and again we hear employers say the reason they provide a group retirement plan is to attract and retain quality employees, while younger employees say they…
For many Canadian pension investors, the Canadian dollar has been a source of tremendous volatility in recent years. After reaching a post-financial crisis high of…
The year 2016 started out with a bang, to say the least. The past year marked a transition in financial markets as the U.S. hiked…
In a move that has drawn significant attention in the pension community, Quebec has introduced a potential solution to a major conundrum for employers: how…
If you want something done right, do it yourself. This cliché rings true for more and more pension funds worldwide. Looking to save on investment…
While the decline of defined-benefit pension plans puts greater investment risk on employees, they do have options for securing at least a partially guaranteed benefit.…
What’s the best way to transfer DB risk? Here are three strategies.
The debate about the merits of the proposed Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP) and a mandatory CPP expansion versus private pensions continues. But proposal opponents…
Don’t be afraid to change your DC plan... learn from companies that do it right
The Government of Ontario did something right when it decided to exempt certain DC plans from the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP). Benefits Canada surveyed…
Greece is so battered even vulture funds are abandoning it. Canadian DB pension plans likely lack direct exposure to it, since they want to preserve…
The time is right to shore up our retirement system, and the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP) is a step in the right direction.
In May, the Conservative government said it will look into allowing Canadians to voluntarily put more of their earnings into the Canada Pension Plan. Announced…
A pension management task that doesn’t receive much attention is the need to collect and maintain detailed data relating to individual pension plan members. While…
The last bastion of DB plans—the public sector—is under attack, but there’s still life in the DB model
Today’s retirees are in a good place, but pre-retirees aren’t getting the help they need
De-risking is a term we’ve heard often in the last few years, as is liability-driven investing. But, in a sense, neither should be necessary, as…
If you were asked how long you think you’ll live, you’d probably do a quick mental scan of your grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and other…
Why pension funds should invest in oil companies
Canadian pension funds invest in emerging market debt. So why aren’t Islamic bonds, or sukuk, on the table?
The Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP) is an unprecedented new mandatory provincial pension plan that represents the provincial government's "made-in-Ontario" solution for expanding pension coverage…
Faced with growing pension risks, do target benefit plans offer security for sponsors?
Many employers that sponsor DB pension plans are considering reducing the risk in their plans. An approach to reduce risk that is gaining popularity is…
I’m lucky. I belong to the minority of Canadians whose company offers a defined benefit pension plan. But I don’t contribute to it. My colleagues…
The evolving annuity: where it’s been and where it’s going