By slotting alternative assets into portfolio offerings, Saskatchewan’s Public Employees Pension Plan is incorporating an element of the defined benefit pension plan model, according to Gary Hutch, chief investment officer and executive vice-president of investments at Plannera Pensions & Benefits, which administers the plan. “We believe that including all of these alternatives provides more of […]
The median solvency ratio among Canadian defined benefit pension plans was 123 per cent as of March 31, according to a new report by Mercer Canada. It attributed the finding to recent valuation results, along with the use of contribution holidays by employers. Compared to the end of 2025, market fluctuations didn’t impact the decrease […]
The funded status of a typical defined benefit pension plan increased on a solvency basis but decreased on an accounting basis in January, according to a new report by Telus Health. The monthly pension index found the typical DB plan increased from 100 per cent on Jan. 1 to 101.7 per cent on Jan. 31 […]
Despite the ongoing geopolitical and economic volatility that marked 2025 and will continue to shape 2026, institutional investors are taking a measured approach and viewing their portfolios through a long-term lens. “You can indicate those risks, but it’s not going to change the way we invest — it’s just an added risk,” says Jennifer Shum, […]
The last decade has seen seismic shifts in geopolitical, macroeconomic, capital market and technological trends. Today, uncertainty abounds: U.S. policy has become increasingly erratic, and artificial intelligence is advancing at a pace that promises massive productivity gains as well as disruption. How can investors navigate so much change and ongoing uncertainty? Here are some lessons […]
Global pension assets reached a record US$68.3 trillion in 2025, rising 9.6 per cent year over year, with defined contribution savings continuing to drive growth, according to WTW’s latest global pension assets study. The report credited the creation of $6 trillion of pension asset value to a year of sustained recovery across global markets with […]
The funded status of a typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan increased on both a solvency and accounting basis during the month of December, according to a new report by Telus Health. The monthly pension index revealed the typical DB plan grew slightly from 107.4 per cent in November to 109 per cent on the […]
The average Canadian defined benefit pension plan returned 0.6 per cent during the fourth quarter of 2025, down from 4.4 per cent in the previous quarter, according to a new report by the Royal Bank of Canada Investor Services. It found the average DB plan returned 7.9 per cent for the full year, down from […]
An article on the future of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero and its impact on institutional investors was the most-read investment story on BenefitsCanada.com this year. Here are the top 10 investment stories of 2025: 1. Unraveling of Carney-led GFANZ doesn’t spell end of global climate action: expert 2. Financial markets resilient in […]
The funded status of a typical defined benefit pension plan in Canada increased on both a solvency basis and on an accounting basis in September, according to a new report by Telus Health. The solvency index for plans grew to 107.4 per cent, compared to 105.8 per cent at the end of August, while the […]