The market value of assets held by Canadian trusteed pension funds rose 1.8 per cent to $2.18 trillion in the third quarter of 2021, up from $2.14 trillion in the previous quarter, according to new data from Statistics Canada. Within trusteed plans, public sector assets grew two per cent to $1.7 trillion, accounting for 77.6 per cent of […]
After navigating the unpredictable markets of the past two decades, some defined benefit pension plan sponsors could be forgiven for wanting to seek out some certainty. But a new threat has emerged in the form of rapidly rising inflation and the possibility of rate increases after decades of persistent lows. The consumer price index increased […]
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 […]
The Alberta Investment Management Corp. is appointing Sandra Lau and James Barber as co-chief investment officers, effective March 1. The pair will succeed Dale MacMaster, who is retiring from the organization after 23 years. Lau will also be head of public investments, responsible for bringing together fixed income, mortgages and public equities, while Barber will be […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec saw overall returns of 13.5 per cent in 2021, its best performance since 2010. By the end of last year, the institutional investor’s managed assets reached $419.8 billion, up from $342 billion at the beginning of the year. The Caisse exceeded its own performance expectations by about […]
A Danish defined benefit pension fund is ceasing its investments in Russian assets following recent developments in the ongoing crisis between the world’s largest nation and Ukraine. On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his government would recognize the independence of two territories in eastern Ukraine: Donetsk and Luhansk. In response, the AkademikerPension, a US$23 […]
The strength of equities was among the factors pushing the transaction volume of Canada’s group annuities market to a record high in 2021, according to experts. According to a recent report by LifeWorks Inc., the total volume of group annuities sold in Canada reached $7.5 billion in 2021, up 70 per cent from the previous […]
Nearly two years after the declaration of the global coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent impact on the worldwide economy, institutional investors are looking to the future with cautious optimism. Amid a recovering economy and rising inflation, pension plan sponsors are taking a long-term investment view and staying the course in the year ahead, while incorporating […]