The funded status of a typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan decreased on a going-concern basis and solvency basis during the first quarter of 2026, according to a new report by Normandin Beaudry. It found the average going-concern ratio decreased from 132 per cent to 129 per cent, while the average solvency ratio dropped from […]
The WISE Trust Pension Plan is reporting a net annual return of 8.1 per cent for 2025, with net assets increasing to $4.8 billion. The organization attributed the return to strong performances by public equities and global credit, according to a press release. The plan posted five- and 10-year annualized returns of 5.8 per cent […]
The funded status of the 100 largest U.S. defined benefit pension plans is projected to have reached 84.7 per cent as of Nov. 30, 2025, according to a new report by Milliman Inc. It noted the last time these plans reached similar heights was in December 2021, when the funded ratio reached 85.5 per cent, […]
After an eventful 2025, there are several developments and trends affecting Canadian defined benefit pension plan sponsors in 2026. Focus on investment strategy Major equity markets performed well in 2025, which was a key driver for another year of improved funded positions for many DB pension plans. Although most pension plans are well funded today, […]
The median solvency ratio among Canadian defined benefit pension plans was 132 per cent as of Dec. 31, 2025, an increase of seven per cent during the year, including three per cent in the final quarter, according to a new report by Mercer Canada. The report, which analyzed more than 470 plan sponsors, found Canadian […]
Size matters when it comes to Canada’s much-vaunted model of pension investment. Sebastien Betermier, an associate professor of finance at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, says the in-house capabilities and direct, private-asset investment that characterize the approach pioneered by the Maple 8 aren’t replicable by just any pension fund. “You need to be really […]
Alternative assets can maintain institutional investors’ liquidity needs if they generate enough income, but this method is getting expensive, according to Janet Rabovsky (pictured centre), chair of the investment committee at the Teachers’ Pension Plan Corp. of Newfoundland and Labrador. During a panel session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2025 Alternative Investment Conference, she said […]
A representative defined benefit pension plan portfolio returned 0.8 per cent during the month of July due to a positive result from equities, according to a new report by Telus Health. It found the funded status of a typical DB pension plan increased both on a solvency basis to 104.3 per cent and on an […]
The average projected solvency ratio for Ontario defined benefit pension plans was 122 per cent as of March 31, 2024, up three per cent from Dec. 31, 2023, according to a new report by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. It found 90 per cent of DB plans were projected to be fully funded […]
The funded ratio of the 100 largest U.S. public defined benefit pension plans rose to 78.6 per cent as of Feb. 29, up from 77.7 per cent at the end of January, according to Milliman Inc.’s latest public pension funding index. Individually, public pension plans returned between an estimated 0.0 per cent to 3.2 per cent […]