Being systematic doesn’t mean overlooking the fundamental risks in the corporate credit asset class, said Scott Richardson, senior vice-president and director of systematic credit at Acadian Asset Management, during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2023 Investment Innovation Conference in November. “What’s the risk? It’s a company — they make stuff [and] chose to fund themselves in a […]
A traditional method used to calculate expected returns and risk by institutional investors is limited by the scarce amount of available carbon emissions data, according to a report from BNP Paribas. The report, which used the MSCI world index and the MSCI world Paris-aligned benchmark index as investment universe benchmarks, found that when assessing the […]
Data management and transference is a key area of risk for pension plan sponsors as the vulnerability of engaging with third parties creates opportunities for cybercriminals, says Jillian Kennedy, a partner at Mercer. According to an online brief published last year by Ernst & Young, third-party service providers hired by public pension plan sponsors tend to […]
While pension plan sponsors are still in the early days of exploring how artificial intelligence solutions could help automate maintenance tasks, they’re exploring the various functionalities they can automate from a member service standpoint, says Akio Tagawa, president and chief executive officer at consultancy Linea Solutions. He’s seen increased interest from plan sponsors in evaluating how […]
The Pension Investment Association of Canada is calling on the B.C. Financial Services Authority to reconsider implementing new standards for climate-related risks analysis guidelines, noting it would be extremely challenging for most pension plans to meet a potential new climate and transition risk review system. In an open letter, the PIAC recommended a principles-based approach to […]
The Association of Canadian Pension Management is urging the federal government to reverse its position on the cessation of real return bonds and open a stakeholder consultation on the matter. In an open letter, the ACPM said the real return bonds are an important tool in building a balanced portfolio that manages inflation risk. In […]
Artificial intelligence has the potential to make a variety of human resources tasks faster and more efficient, but while the technology is sophisticated, employers should be aware of its limitations and risks, said Matissa Hollister, assistant professor of organizational behaviour at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, during Benefits Canada’s 2023 Future of Work Summit. […]
Two-thirds (67 per cent) of institutional asset owners believe environmental, social and governance factors have become more material to investment policies in the past five years, citing the environment and issues around net-zero emissions as key ESG materiality drivers, according to a new survey by Morningstar Inc. The survey, which polled more than 500 global […]
After years of viewing diversity, equity and inclusion as a side-of-the-desk issue, Canadian employers are increasingly considering it a top priority and integrating their organizational DEI goals into their benefits plans. While employers have been introducing DEI initiatives for years, incorporating these goals into benefits plans had been neglected, according to multiple panellists during Benefits Canada’s […]
I’m sitting down to write this on the hottest day so far in 2023. Environment Canada has issued a multi-day heat warning in my region — today, it’s 31 degrees Celsius but feels closer to 40, the humidity is 70 per cent, pressure is 101.3 kilopascal and the UV index is seven. This is the […]