After the economic turmoil that defined 2008 and decimated assets in many pension plans, few expected the turnaround in markets that occurred in 2009. In last year’s Top 100 Pension Funds Report, 66 of the funds on the list posted double-digit increases in assets for 2009. Only eight ended the year with decreases. While many […]
An employee volunteer program can benefit more than the community. A new study by Manulife Financial suggests that such programs can also help develop essential skills to advance their careers. The study, Bridging the Gap, notes the benefits of a common trend among some of Canada’s most successful companies to establish employee volunteer programs. In […]
Maple Group Acquisition Corp, made up of 13 pension funds and Canadian financial institutions, has officially launched its $3.7 billion hostile bid for the TMX Group Inc. The official submission offers to buy 70% of TMX for $48 per share. The Maple Group hopes that will be enough to make a case for its offer […]
The need to boost financial literacy among Canadians continues to capture a growing measure of attention from government and the media, plus plan sponsors, providers and consultants in the retirement industry. Canadians clearly have ground to cover if they’re going to improve their understanding of, and the control they exert over, their finances. Since 1990, […]
According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information’s National Health Expenditure Trends report, private insurance and out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare in Canada reached an estimated $56.6 billion in 2010. Given this, it’s no wonder more and more plan sponsors are cost-conscious and turning to their plan providers for help. “These days, we expect our relationship […]
Why should institutional investors invest in the infrastructure space? Most pension plans need to match liabilities, and infrastructure investment is a way to do this, providing “real return protection,” said Janet Rabovsky, senior investment consultant with Towers Watson, speaking earlier this week at the Infrastructure Symposium 2011 in Toronto. “Given the level of bonds, many […]
Because of the young average employee age at Work at Play, getting buy-in for a benefits plan was a challenge in the years following the company’s 1999 creation, says Mandy Eagles Gratton. Management didn’t want to go to the trouble and expense when interest was lacking. In those early days, the company had just eight […]
There’s no question that designing, communicating and administering a DC pension plan is complex. So why was Keep it Simple the theme of this year’s DC Plan Summit? Because among other discouraging statistics, 36% of people surveyed in a recent Ipsos poll spend less than five minutes understanding the information in their statements, explained Anna […]
SmallBizAdvisor.ca, brought to you by the editorial teams at Benefits Canada and the Advisor Group, has gone live. This one-stop destination for advisors with small businesses or entrepreneurs as clients addresses important issues surrounding the group benefits and retirement industries from the small business perspective. Featuring regular news articles and in-depth features on relevant small […]
With an aging workforce and related costs (i.e., medical costs and lost productivity) estimated to be greater than $6 billion annually to the economy, it’s no wonder chronic pain has become a hot topic of discussion. The Canadian Pain Society reports that chronic pain affects 20% to 30% of Canadians. Considering the potential costs to […]