In its 2018 budget, the federal government created an advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare, led by former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins. The council, which solicited submissions from Canadians between June and September, is expected to release its final report in the spring. Whatever the report recommends, Canada is closer to a […]
Though President Trump hasn’t been successful in following through his promise to construct a wall on the border between the United States and Mexico, he’s certainly stoked serious divisionism, with signals popping up the world over that nations are tugging on their drawbridges where trade, migration and other economic activities are concerned. Whether it’s the […]
Though President Trump hasn’t been successful in following through his promise to construct a wall on the border between the United States and Mexico, he’s certainly stoked serious divisionism, with signals popping up the world over that nations are tugging on their drawbridges where trade, migration and other economic activities are concerned. Whether it’s the […]
Will institutional investors be able to breathe a sigh of relief now that North America has come away from the negotiating table with a new trade deal? As the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement replaces the long negotiated North America Free Trade Agreement, political cohesion in North America has been restored, according to Dec Mullarkey, managing director in the investment strategy […]
Longer living Canadians should have the option of pure longevity insurance and the government should facilitate Canadian insurers’ ability to offer it, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. As baby boomers are hurtling towards retirement, and many have been saving in capital accumulation plans, government policies should focus on how to effectively draw down those […]
While Canadians’ increasing longevity has been a growing issue for pension plans and providers alike, its effect on quality of living can vary significantly across income brackets, according to new research by the C.D. Howe Institute. Since 1965, both men and women in Canada have been living longer after the age of 50, the report noted. Men […]
In February, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board flipped the script on fixed income by issuing its own bonds rather than purchasing them. The move to issue one billion euros’ worth of 15-year bonds at a 1.5 per cent fixed annual coupon marked the second time it had released euro-denominated bonds. In June 2017, it […]
Ken Eady understands the challenges a defined benefit pension plan can present for plan sponsors, particularly when they find themselves in financial difficulty. “Healthy companies aren’t always too crazy about the liability, so it can become a heavy weight to carry when there is trouble maintaining financial status. That’s why they seem to generally be […]
A recent report from the C.D. Howe Institute suggests that in addition to levying a bevy of tariffs on some of America’s biggest trading partners, U.S. President Donald Trump is using the uncertainty he’s creating in order to gain further leverage at the global negotiating table. “Under the Trump administration, U.S. trade policy has been […]
A new report from the C.D. Howe Institute is recommending a longer deferral period for the Canada Pension Plan and the Quebec Pension Plan, suggesting that retirement savers would benefit from the greater flexibility and security. The report’s authors propose increasing the deferral period by five years, to age 75 from 70. They also suggest that deferring the […]