Over the last 80 years, the TTC Pension Plan has grown from a contribution of $250,000 and a small team within the Toronto Transit Commission to a Maple Middle pension fund with close to $10 billion and a team of 42 people serving 28,000 members. “We’ve built a model where we’ve tried to learn from […]
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, […]
Climate-related risks are increasingly reshaping real estate investments, according to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. It found buildings account for 37 per cent of global energy-related emissions and property assets across 34 OECD countries, valued at about US$111 trillion in 2022. The report noted while real estate is a […]
State-owned institutional investors reached a combined US$60 trillion in assets and foreign reserves in December 2025, according to a new report by Global SWF. The total includes assets managed by sovereign wealth funds, public pension funds and central banks, all of which expanded their balance sheets during the year. Sovereign wealth funds surpassed $15 trillion […]
An article on the Quebec government’s adoption of legislation for variable payment life annuities was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Quebec adopts VPLA legislation 2. What employers need to know about provincial changes to sick […]
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he wants to block large institutional investors from buying houses, saying that a ban would make it easier for younger families to buy their first homes. Trump — who has been under pressure to address voters’ concerns about affordability ahead of November mid-term elections — is tapping into […]
Active management in the real estate market is delivering higher absolute returns and stronger risk-adjusted performance, according to a new report from Hazelview Investments. Active global REITs outperformed passive strategies across a 15-year time span by 151 basis points per year, the report said. An initial $10,000 investment grew 24 per cent in over the […]
An article on Ontario’s proposed changes to preferred pharmacy network agreements was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. How Ontario’s proposed changes to preferred pharmacy networks could reshape drug plan costs 2. How predictability in the […]
The average Canadian defined benefit pension plan returned 4.4 per cent in the third quarter of 2025, up from 1.6 per cent in the second quarter, according to a new report by the Royal Bank of Canada Investor Services. This growth was driven by a broad-based mix of equity and fixed income contributions, the report […]
While integrating private assets into target-date funds can give plan members income-generating and diversification benefits at an attractive risk profile relative to traditional asset classes, these assets aren’t without complications, said Brett Goldstein, senior vice-president and head of asset allocation portfolio management at Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions. Speaking during Benefits Canada’s 2025 Defined Contribution Investment […]