Amid geopolitical conflict and market volatility, the volume of risk transfers among Canadian defined benefit pension plan sponsors is down roughly 60 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, says Brent Simmons, senior vice-president and head of DB solutions at Sun Life Financial Inc. “The pullback that […]
It’s OK to ask for help is a lesson I’m learning very gradually. While I do lean heavily on my immediate family, particularly my parents, who have both been crucial in helping me survive — and thrive, I hope — as a solo parent to two young kids, I’m not usually a person who regularly […]
As employers and employees grapple with inflation, political turbulence and an economic slowdown, consultants are stepping up to offer support. That uncertainty also extends to broader business operations. Companies in the automotive and steel industries are particularly impacted by the tariffs, but many other sectors remain unsure of what the future holds more generally. The […]
Wealth services firm Aviso is maintaining its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts amid geopolitical uncertainty, trade wars and DEI rollbacks by other employers, says Sherri Evans, the company’s senior vice-president and head of service, operations, compliance and talent. “I said, ‘unequivocally yes.’ I think the thing they get wrong in the U.S. is when [DEI] […]
Amid ongoing geopolitical tension, the U.S. trade war and the rising cost of living, it’s important for employers to provide a psychological safe workplace, says Alan King, president and chief executive officer of consultancy Workplace Options. “There’s a level of uncertainty that comes when you hear and experience the things that are going on. But […]
After reaching new highs at the end of 2024, capital accumulation plan member outcomes have seen significant impacts following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump and subsequent tariffs on Canadian imports, according to a new report by Eckler Ltd. The consultancy’s latest CAP income tracker found a typical male member retiring at the end of […]
The conventional assessment of global risk needs to consider the dynamic correlation between geopolitical and economical risks, said Radhika Desai, professor at the department of political studies and director of the geopolitical economy research group at the University of Manitoba, speaking during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Global Investment Conference in April. […]
The number of international pension plans and international savings plans that are offered in countries operating in challenging political or economic circumstances has risen to 126, up from 54 in 2019, according to a new survey by WTW. The survey, which polled 960 global plan sponsors that offer IPPs and ISPs, found this increase is […]
The decision by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board this month to reduce 10 per cent of its China equity team based in Hong Kong is a positive move. It highlights a shift in the CPPIB’s approach to China, which previously saw the Canadian pension fund fend off accusations that its past investment activity in […]
By the time Nick Chamie graduated with his first degree in economics in 1992, the Berlin Wall had already fallen and the Soviet Union had ceased to exist. Still, Chamie — now the chief strategist and senior managing director at the Investment Management Corp. of Ontario — explains that, as he began making his way in the […]