With global and domestic equities rallying in the first quarter of 2019, Canadian defined benefit plan returns were lifted to 7.2 per cent in the first three months of the year, according to RBC Investor and Treasury Services’ universe of DB pension plans. This compares with a negative return of 3.5 per cent for the fourth […]
The Nova Scotia Teachers’ pension plan posted a net loss in assets for 2018, down to $4.94 billion from $5.11 billion at the end of 2017. On a going-concern basis, the plan’s funded status also dropped to 75.3 per cent, from 78.4 per cent, as at Dec. 1, 2018, according to the Teachers’ Pension Plan Trustee Inc., which […]
Amid the growing popularity of incorporating environmental, social and governance factors in investing, a Dutch pension fund is partnering with index-provider FTSE Russell to design a custom passive index that incorporates some of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. Pensioenfonds Detailhandel has been incorporating ESG principles for almost five years, says Henk Groot, head of investments […]
Pooled pension fund managers bounced back in the first quarter of 2019, posting a median return before management fees of 8.3 per cent, up from the negative 5.6 per cent return they posted in the final quarter of 2018, according to Morneau Shepell Ltd.’s latest data. However, the firm’s pension performance universe came in 0.4 per […]
Looks aren’t a solid basis on which to form a long-term relationship and neither is the surface-level appearance of a target-date fund. “In a perfect world, we would like our members to have a long-term relationship with a target-date fund we’re offering,” said Zaheed Jiwani, a principal at Eckler Ltd., at Benefits Canada‘s 2019 Benefits […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is launching a venture capital investment platform to support companies using technology to create new sectors or disrupt existing ones. Called the Teachers’ Innovation Platform, it will make late-stage venture capital and growth equity investments. Olivia Steedman, a founding member of the Ontario Teachers’ infrastructure and natural resources group, will head up […]
Since using a single benchmark portfolio to measure a pension plan’s funding status paints a narrow picture, a new report by PBI Actuaries and Consultants looked at four different portfolio types to see how the equity fall off at the end of the year, among other market events, affected different asset mixes. The liability portfolio kept […]
FTSE Russell has built a series of customizable multi-asset indexes. The FTSE Multi-Asset Composite Index series will focus on measuring cross-asset market performance over a number of regions including the U.S., Europe, China as well as other emerging markets. The series was built in response to demand from clients for methods to measure multi-asset performance with more accuracy […]
In the face of a challenging capital market and its subsequent volatility, defined contribution plan sponsors must consider the affect on plan member behaviour, said Colin Sinclare, managing director of institutional sales for Western Canada at MFS Investment Management. “Volatility affects the compounding of returns in DC plan members savings plans. As well, it has behavioural […]
New Zealand government pension funds are calling on Facebook Inc., Alphabet Inc. and Twitter Inc. to reign in the proliferation of hate on their platforms in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attack in March. The New Zealand Super Fund, Government Superannuation Fund, National Provident Fund and Kiwi Wealth, as well as the country’s Accident Compensation Corp., […]