The total value traded in Canada’s equities marketplace reached $4.2 trillion as at Dec. 31, 2023, a 10 per cent decline from the previous 12-month period, according to a new report by the Canadian Securities Administrators. It found Canada’s equities marketplace faced a challenging market environment in 2023 caused by higher interest rates and tighter […]
More than a third (37 per cent) of U.S. employers that offer a non-qualified retirement plan say attraction and retention of key talent is their No. 1 reason for offering these plans, according to a new survey by WTW. The survey, which polled around 400 employers representing more than 7.5 million employees, found more than […]
Three-quarters (76 per cent) of U.S. defined contribution pension plan sponsors say their plan offers automatic enrolment, according to a new survey by investment consulting firm Callan. The survey, which polled roughly 100 DC plan sponsors, found the vast majority used auto-enrolment for new hires, while far fewer offered this feature for current employees. Half […]
A deal for the Royal Bank of Canada to absorb HSBC Bank Canada for $13.5 billion is good news for pension plans, said Dave McKay, chief executive officer of RBC. “This is good for shareholders — which are largely pension funds — and that’s average Canadian pension funds,” said McKay during a conference call. The […]
U.S. employers offering 403(b) retirement plans will benefit from access to collective investment trusts, according to a report by the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association. It noted the latest version of the Securing a Strong Retirement Act passed the House in March and, if it passes through the Senate with language that allows institutional 403(b) […]
The potential impact of a disorderly transition to a low carbon economy is a top factor driving financial market regulators to accelerate and focus their efforts on climate-related risks, said Tamara DeMos, chair of the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities’ environmental, social and governance committee and managing director of private pensions. Speaking during the […]
More than half (61 per cent) of U.S. employees nearing retirement age believe low interest rates combined with rising inflation will make it difficult to create a retirement income stream that will last their lifetimes, according to a new survey by Global Atlantic Financial Group. It also found a quarter (24 per cent) of survey […]
Nearly a third (29 per cent) of Canadians expressed concern about the impact of rising inflation on their retirement savings, according to a new survey by the Royal Bank of Canada. It found concerns about inflation were highest among respondents aged 25 to 34 (40 per cent). In addition to inflation, which reached a 30-year […]
Purpose Investments Inc. is introducing a new longevity pension fund, which invests 50 per cent in equities and 50 per cent in fixed income. It can be incorporated into a defined contribution plan to provide plan members with an in-plan decumulation option, says Pat Leo, vice-president of retirement solutions at Purpose Investments, noting investors can redeem […]
As bond yields drop, many Canadian pension plans are looking at new strategies to increase returns through alternative investments, according to a webinar hosted by the Portfolio Management Association of Canada on Tuesday. “We’re looking for uncorrelated scalable risk, with low or no correlation to major markets like equity or credit,” said Jane Segal, portfolio […]