The average discount rate used by Canadian defined benefit pension plans at the end of 2021 was 0.5 per cent higher than the previous year, according to an annual report from LifeWorks Inc. Drawing from figures submitted by 83 Canadian public DB plans, the report found the average plan used a three per cent discount […]
An article on the FIRE — financial independence and retiring early — concept was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Is the concept of financial independence and early retirement truly feasible? 2. Expert panel: Can pension administrators deny benefits to plan members who don’t […]
Three-quarters (75 per cent) of institutional investors say their alternative asset managers are either meeting or exceeding performance expectations in 2022 despite operating in a challenging and volatile market period, according to a survey by EY. The survey, which polled 114 hedge fund managers, 112 private equity firms and 61 institutional investors, found 50 per […]
Despite concerns about global economic headwinds, the Bank of Canada’s successful efforts to curb inflation is capturing the attention of institutional investors, says Kathrin Forrest, a Toronto-based equity investment specialist at Capital Group Inc. “It’s surprised market participants,” says Forrest, referring to the central bank’s Oct. 26 decision to increase interest rates for the sixth […]
When Saskatchewan’s Public Employees Pension Plan’s board introduced alternatives to its investment lineup in 2020 with an aim to improve the defined contribution plan’s risk-adjusted returns through diversification, it wasn’t its first time at the rodeo. The move came after 15 years of experience and comfort with alternatives through the PEPP’s defined benefit companion plan, […]
The OPSEU Pension Trust is supporting employees’ and plan members’ financial literacy with its defined benefit pension education program and extensive member communications. “We run a program called People for Pensions, an education program focused on articulating the value of defined benefit pensions and not just the benefit they provide to people who have them, […]
Nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of Canadian pre-retirees say the rising cost of living is preventing them from retiring when they’d like to, up from 56 per cent in 2021, according to a new survey by Fidelity Canada. The survey, which polled more than 1,900 Canadians aged 45 and older, found 55 per cent said […]
Every day, it seems the news includes a story or two about the economy and whether or not a recession is coming. At the same time, with interest rates, inflation and day-to-day costs rising, employees may already be feeling anxious about their ability to meet their financial obligations. Some employees will be feeling concerned about […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s assets returned 0.2 per cent during the second quarter of fiscal 2023, according to its latest quarterly report. By Sept. 30, 2022, the investment organization’s net assets reached $529 billion, up from $523 billion at the end of June. About $5 billion was generated by net transfers, while the […]
Capital accumulation plan member outcomes saw modest increases in the third quarter, due to high annuity rates that shielded members from modest investment market declines, according to a new report by Eckler Ltd. It found a typical male member retiring at the end of September achieved a gross income replacement ratio of 60.3 per cent […]