In stock ownership, Scotiabank employees have the combined heft of a large institutional investor: more than 30,000 active members in the bank’s employee share ownership plan own 20 million shares between them — or about 1.5 per cent of the institution’s total outstanding shares. “It’s a flagship benefit we have here,” says Simon Cabral, the […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is working to address the problems of a detailed compliance approach to pension regulation, said James Hoffner (pictured left), head of prudential supervision and large public sector pension plans at the FSRA, during the keynote session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2025 Risk Management Conference. A one-size-fits-all approach […]
Peter Shaker’s job requires him to stay connected with the financial world, its economic movement and any developing investment trends — mainly, what’s making people nervous these days. “A lot of it is keeping up to date with what’s going on in the world, economic trends, investment trends, what’s scaring people, what’s keeping people somewhat […]
User personalization and an ease-of-use approach are key in the adoption of artificial intelligence technology tools by pension plan sponsors, according to a new report by the CFA Institute Research & Policy Centre. It found the application of AI has the potential to revolutionize plan sponsors’ administrative duties but will require a collaborative approach that […]
As gig workers make up a greater share of the Canadian workforce, a lack of retirement savings options may leave this growing demographic facing financial insecurity in their senior years. According to data from Statistics Canada, 871,000 Canadians performed gig work as their primary job in the fourth quarter of 2022. Among those gig workers, […]
CAA Club Group’s holistic and data-driven approach to employee well-being led to a win in the Health/Wellness Program category for employers with more than 1,000 employees at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 18. This is the second year in a row that CAA has won the award. “We know that we do […]
The union representing 60 employees at Maple Leaf Foods in Port Perry, Ont., has ratified a four-year collective agreement that includes pension and benefits gains. Vision coverage will increase from $280 to $315 in the first year and coverage for paramedical services will increase from $380 to $410 in the first year and to $420 […]
Amid an increasingly volatile global economy, many institutional investors are employing innovative investment strategies to deliver returns, but Suncor Energy Inc. views a methodical adoption of new trends as key to plan stability. A conservative approach and a balanced portfolio has allowed Suncor to deliver sustainable contributions and growth to its pension plans. At the […]
A culture of prudent investment standards and guideline compliance is keeping Canadian pension funds safe from some of the unique risk management cases seen abroad, says Scott McEvoy, a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. “Good governance starts at the top, it’s all about structure and process,” he says. Read: Canada’s retirement system ranks No. 12 […]
During a panel discussion at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Global Investment Conference in April, three pension plan sponsors shared their perspective on plan design and the changing patterns for employees close to retirement. Nearly a decade ago, Via Rail Canada Inc. began allowing payments of lump sums to individuals up to age 65 to […]