The guiding document outlining best practices for fiduciaries practicing corporate engagement is in for a major update. As of January 2020, the U.K. Stewardship Code will include new expectations on how those investing on behalf of savers and pensioners integrate the activities of investment and stewardship, including on environmental, social and governance issues. The code, as […]
In a letter to the tax branch of the Department of Finance, the Association of Canadian Pension Management said it would be reasonable for certain large defined contribution pension plans to be issuers of advanced life deferred annuities. According to the current Income Tax Act, only a licensed annuity provider can issue an ALDA. However, the ACPM […]
Like many plans, the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Pension Plan came out of 2008 in rough shape. So, the government started to discuss what should be done to deal with the plan’s unfunded liability. In 2015, the agreement was made to turn the plan into a jointly sponsored pension plan, and the Teachers’ Pension Plan […]
Canada’s retirement system jumped one spot to ninth place in Melbourne Mercer’s annual global pension index. Comparing 37 global retirement systems, the report found the Canadian system showed improvement partly due to the growth in assets under the Canada Pension Plan and the Quebec Pension Plan. It also demonstrated a link between the increasing household debt in developed and […]
Many years ago, there was not much pension investment–related law, but with the rise of Canadian pension funds investing globally, this has changed, said Mitch Frazer, partner at Torys LLP, when speaking at Canadian Investment Review‘s 2019 Risk Management conference. “You see pension funds buying assets around the world, and it’s really a very interesting […]
Globally, institutional investors are shifting more of their assets to an environmental, social and governance-based approach, with year-over-year increases in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K., according to a new survey by RBC Global Asset Management. Regionally, the percentage of survey respondents that reported using ESG principles “significantly” as opposed to “somewhat” rose slightly in […]
As the federal Conservative Party finally introduced its election platform last week, it included a number of provisions around pension plan solvency and retirement security. If elected, the party said it will mandate that all federally regulated companies report on the solvency of their pension funds. “This will give seniors the confidence that their hard-earned […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is seeking applications for four new technical advisory committees for the pension sector. As the regulator announced in July 2019, the committees will aim to address challenges specific to defined benefit single-employer pension plans, defined contribution plans, multi-employer plans and public sector plans. Read: FSRA creates new advisory committees on pension sector matters […]
In just a few short years, Concordia University’s pension plan has transformed its governance model and investment approach. Before the financial crisis, the university’s plan, like many plans, had its assets in a 60/40 mix, said Marc Gauthier, Concordia’s treasurer and investment officer. Yet, in the financial crisis, its funding ratio went from 101 per […]
Most (80 per cent) Canadians said they’d rather have an improved pension, or any pension, than a higher salary, according to new research by the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. The survey of 2,500 Canadians found more (75 per cent) respondents are worried about being able to save enough for retirement than are primarily concerned over […]