Wells Fargo has agreed to a pay US$1 billion to settle a lawsuit filed by its two public sector pension plans who alleged the bank made misleading statements about its compliance with federal regulators after a fake account-opening scandal came to light in 2016. The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of members of […]
Jessica Tincopa may leave the photography business she spent 14 years building for one reason — to find coverage for fertility treatment. After six miscarriages, Tincopa and her husband started saving for in vitro fertilization, which can cost more than US$20,000. But the coronavirus pandemic wiped out their savings and they can’t find coverage for IVF in their state’s health insurance marketplace. So the California couple is saving again and […]
An opinion piece on how certain aspects of the Quebec government’s rules and constraints on private drug plans affect pharmacy costs was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. 1. Sounding Board: Why do Quebec’s private drug plans pay higher pharmacy fees? 2. Custodial, maintenance workers at TMU striking over pension contribution increase 3. Half of Canadian benefits providers […]
As the Canadian government develops its legislation to permit employee ownership trusts, the fact that the proposed model doesn’t include incentives is a big blow to companies considering the option, according to one expert. “I would have had a different answer for you prior to the [2023] budget,” says Jon Shell, managing partner at Toronto-based Social […]
The 2023 federal budget, which was announced on Tuesday, includes several initiatives related to defined benefit pension plans and the broader institutional investment sector. The government said it would entrust the administration of a new federal investment fund to the Public Sector Pension Investment Board. “By partnering with PSP Investments, the Canada Growth Fund will […]
A new report is calling on Canada to develop a sustainable finance taxonomy in order for it to reach its carbon emissions targets. “Many countries have developed, or are in the process of developing, taxonomies as a foundational tool within a broader policy framework to help mobilize and accelerate the deployment of capital to combat […]
A private member’s bill prohibiting the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board from making certain investments survived its first reading in the House of Commons. Bill C-315, submitted by New Democratic Party member Alistair MacGregor, would amend the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Act by prohibiting investments in any entity if there are reasons to believe […]
Defined benefit pension plan sponsors using overlay strategies will gain more flexibility amid rising inflation now that the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions has released guidance allowing these plan sponsors to disregard the overlay when measuring going-concern liabilities, says James Koo, a partner in Aon’s wealth solutions division. In May 2022, the OSFI raised […]
Canada requires clear, consistent guidance on the integration and reporting of sustainability factors into investment decisions, according to a new report from the United Nations-based principles for responsible investment. “There are currently no consistent regulatory requirements for sustainability reporting that apply to all investors and issuers across Canada,” noted the report. “Without such a tool, […]
The Canadian Employee Ownership Coalition is urging the federal government to introduce an employee ownership trust in the next federal budget and to remove tax barriers to employee ownership by adopting the U.K.’s approach to a capital gains tax exemption. The federal government pledged to study the barriers to employee ownership in its 2021 budget and committed […]