A new study looking at the implications of scale in defined benefit pension plans found size is key for several trends over time, including investment mandates, asset allocation and cost in returns. The research, ‘Scale Economies, Bargaining Power and Investment Performance: Evidence from Pension Plans‘ was recently awarded first prize in the International Centre for […]
Just over half (56 per cent) of Americans feel on track for retirement, an 11 per cent drop in confidence compared to 2022, according to a new survey by BlackRock Inc. The survey, which polled more than 450 large defined contribution pension plan sponsors, 1,200 workplace retirement plan savers, 1,300 independent savers and 300 retired […]
The majority (61 per cent) of global institutional investors are considering increasing their allocations to exchange-traded funds in the next year, down significantly from 82 per cent in 2022, according to a survey by Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., a private investment bank. The survey, which polled 325 global institutional investors, including institutional investors and […]
As world markets contend with supply chain issues stemming from climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, environmental, social and governance considerations are slowly taking a more prominent role in pension funds’ risk assessments. In particular, Canadian pension funds are taking a progressive approach to ESG investing. Many have become signatories of […]
Three-quarters (76 per cent) of U.S. defined contribution pension plan sponsors say their plan offers automatic enrolment, according to a new survey by investment consulting firm Callan. The survey, which polled roughly 100 DC plan sponsors, found the vast majority used auto-enrolment for new hires, while far fewer offered this feature for current employees. Half […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is reporting a total fund net return of 1.2 per cent for the six-month period ended June 30, 2022. The 12-month total fund net return was 8.3 per cent while net assets grew to $242.5 billion, according to a press release, which noted the five- and 10-year annualized total fund […]
While there’s broad interest in environmental, social and governance factors, the majority of U.S. defined contribution pension plan consultants said their plan sponsor clients are looking for further clarity on the Department of Labor’s proposed guidelines before incorporating ESG into their investment options, according to a new survey by the Schaus Group and T. Rowe […]
The percentage of institutional investor assets that are actively managed has dipped by eight per cent since 2019, according to a new study by institutional investment consulting firm Callan. The study, based on data collected from 160 U.S. institutional investors with US$598 billion in assets under management, found 62 per cent of assets held by […]
The majority (64 per cent) of consulting and advisory firms said their plan sponsor clients are looking to improve financial wellness programs, according to a new defined contribution plan consulting survey by PIMCO. The same percentage (64 per cent) of respondents said plan sponsors want to improve participant retirement education and evaluate investment fees. The […]
Despite this year’s extreme volatility, the past ten years have been an extraordinary time to be an equity investor. This can be seen by looking at the so-called equity risk premium, which is simply the difference between returns on global stock markets and risk-free assets, such as U.S. dollar bank deposits. Over the very long […]