The funded status of a typical defined benefit pension plan in Canada increased on both a solvency basis and on an accounting basis in September, according to a new report by Telus Health. The solvency index for plans grew to 107.4 per cent, compared to 105.8 per cent at the end of August, while the […]
The average funded ratio of the typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan rose four per cent in the third quarter of 2025 to 134 per cent, according to a new report from Normandin Beaudry. It found a positive trend has continued throughout the year for Canadian DB plans with the funding ratio increasing five per […]
Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of benefits managers are reporting more pressure due to higher health-care costs now than at any point in the past 10 years, according to a new survey by WTW. The survey, which polled more than 400 employers, found a third (34 per cent) believe it will be necessary to make […]
Not everyone can say they’ve spent two decades at the same organization, but Candy Wong, portfolio manager of external managers and international strategies at Manitoba’s Civil Service Superannuation Board, is now in her 21st year at the public sector pension plan. “I don’t think you can foresee where you’re going to be, especially in finance. […]
In a year marked by an ongoing trade war and threats of tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump and against a backdrop of rising costs, Canadian employers are reconsidering their total rewards and talent management strategies. “A lot more attention is being paid to total rewards, such as how we’re paying people,” says compensation and […]
The world is riding a shockwave set in motion by the transition to a data-driven economy and into the new age of machine knowledge capital, driven by big data and generative artificial intelligence. Speaking during a keynote session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2025 Alternative Investment Conference, Dan Ciuriak, senior fellow at the Centre for […]
The median solvency ratio of Ontario defined benefit pension plans increased to 122 per cent during the second quarter of 2025, an increase of three per cent from the previous quarter, according to a new report by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. Ontario DB plans showed resiliency and remain on track despite economic […]
The current uncertainty around tariffs and trade policy is dominating institutional investors’ macro view of fixed income, said Alexander M. Mackey, co‐chief investment officer of fixed income at MFS Investment Management, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2025 Risk Management Conference. To reduce the noise of the uncertainty, his day-to-day focus is dominated […]
As employers and employees grapple with inflation, political turbulence and an economic slowdown, consultants are stepping up to offer support. That uncertainty also extends to broader business operations. Companies in the automotive and steel industries are particularly impacted by the tariffs, but many other sectors remain unsure of what the future holds more generally. The […]
The average Canadian defined benefit pension plan posted a 1.6 per cent return during the second quarter of 2025, an increase from the 1.1 per cent return seen during the previous quarter, according to a new report by the Royal Bank of Canada Investor Services. The report attributed the quarterly returns to a strong enough […]