The economic impact of the pandemic has been unevenly distributed across various industries, with travel and transportation among the hardest-hit sectors. However, while travel restrictions and subsequent employee layoffs in these industries made headlines throughout 2020 and 2021, the pension plans provided by these employers have largely weathered any economic fallout. The impact on air […]
Rio Tinto Group is making parental leave more accessible for employees by removing the distinction between primary and secondary caregivers. The policy change — which takes effect in Canada in June and will be implemented worldwide by the end of 2023 — provides all new parents with 18 weeks of 100 per cent paid parental […]
A new multi-employer pension plan is being created for Canadian incorporated physicians. The Medicus Pension Plan, developed by MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank, will provide physicians with predictable lifetime retirement income based on personal earnings and years of service with their medical corporation, while pooling investments, longevity and economic risks among all plan participants, […]
With today marking the second anniversary of the coronavirus pandemic, it isn’t surprising that a pair of articles on the pandemic’s lasting impact were among the most read stories over the past week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Two years later: Canada’s DB, DC pension plans weathering the […]
The average funded status for the largest U.S. defined benefit pension plans was 93.8 per cent in 2021, up from 86.2 per cent in 2020 and reaching the highest level in 15 years, according to a new report by Russell Investments Group. The report, which analyzed 19 publicly listed U.S. corporations with more than US$20 […]
The OPSEU Pension Trust is reporting a net investment return of 15.3 per cent for 2021, a result driven by strong private equity performance. In its 2021 funded status report, the OPTrust said its private equity portfolio generated a net return of 52.2 per cent. By comparison, public equities provided a net return of 12.9 […]
Canada’s pension plans are weathering the coronavirus pandemic, with many plans currently in their best financial shape in several years. The early days of the pandemic painted a bleak picture for institutional investors. Between Feb. 19 and March 23, 2020, the S&P/TSX composite index dropped by 37 per cent — the latter date marking the index’s lowest point […]
The average 45-year-old Canadian employee earning $60,000 per year will need to accumulate $1.4 million in retirement savings by age 65 if they want to retire comfortably, according to a new report by Aon. It found since 2019, the average employee requires an additional $100,000 in private retirement savings, partly due to a one per […]
An article on British Columbia’s paramedics and their need for enhanced mental-health benefits was the most read story over the past week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. B.C. paramedics seeking enhanced mental-health benefits 2. Canadian pension plans overcoming legislation, governance challenges: webinar 3. Ontario’s DB pension plans should take steps […]
With Ontario’s defined benefit pension plans in their best financial shape since 2009, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is advising plan sponsors and administrators to better prepare for the future. “They need a good sense of investment policies as well as how the plan itself may be affected [by different scenarios],” says Lester […]