Blake Wolfe

Factors such as population demographics, productivity and geopolitics impact economic growth and, by extension, the retirement outcomes of defined contribution pension plan members over longer-term time horizons, said Jon Knowles, senior investment analyst at Fidelity Canada Institutional, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2023 DC Plan Summit. Ageing populations have traditionally been viewed as a dis-inflationary force due […]

  • May 12, 2023 May 5, 2023
  • 08:46

PepsiCo Canada’s enhanced defined contribution pension plan is supporting the retirement goals of a very diverse employee population. The company, which employs roughly 11,000 people across its food and beverage divisions, has a wide range of roles, from drivers and warehouse workers to sales employees. While the organization offers multiple pension plans, the majority of […]

  • May 12, 2023 May 5, 2023
  • 08:45

Mitigating longevity risk is key to solving the decumulation challenge, said Pat Leo, Purpose Investments Inc.’s vice-president of longevity retirement solutions, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2023 DC Plan Summit. Referring to a recent survey, he noted defined contribution pension plan members were most concerned about market and sequence risks, while underestimating the impact of longevity risk. […]

  • May 12, 2023 May 5, 2023
  • 08:43

With eight billion people consuming the planet’s resources, assets such as clean energy and sustainable agriculture are becoming increasingly important to institutional investors, said John Cook, senior vice-president, portfolio manager and co-lead of the Greenchip team at Mackenzie Investments, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2023 DC Plan Summit. Each year, it takes roughly 13.5 billion tons […]

  • May 12, 2023 June 8, 2023
  • 08:42

The new first home savings account may work better in conjunction with a group registered retirement savings plan or group tax-free savings account rather than as a stand-alone product, says Eric Monteiro, senior vice-president of group retirement services at Sun Life Financial Inc. “The [FHSA] limit is kind of low — it’s a $40,000 lifetime maximum […]

  • May 3, 2023 May 3, 2023
  • 09:00

Just like professional athletes, employees have to balance high performance with periods of rest. To this end, Shopify Inc. introduced its Intermission program in 2018 to ensure workers aren’t burning out. “We must feed our mind and body with good input to achieve good output,” says Kelly Dawson, the organization’s global lead for wellness and […]

  • April 14, 2023 April 12, 2023
  • 08:58

When Richard Manley, chief sustainability officer at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, joined the organization as managing director and head of sustainable investing in 2019, global financial markets were slowly dialling up the focus and integration of environmental, social and governance factors into investment strategies. Over the last three years — amid the ongoing […]

  • April 14, 2023 April 12, 2023
  • 08:52

Schneider Electric’s senior compensation and benefits leader talks about adapting benefits to flex work, artificial intelligence and time spent gardening. Q: What top challenges do you face in your role? A: Labour market trends over the last two years have had a pronounced impact on expectations around rewards, leading to a greater emphasis on staying […]

  • April 14, 2023 April 12, 2023
  • 08:50

Two-fifths (40 per cent) of Canadian workers say they aren’t fairly paid in their current role, according to a new survey by Robert Half Canada Inc. The survey, which polled more than 1,100 employees, found while a higher salary is the No. 1 reason (62 per cent) employees are searching for a new job, workers […]

  • April 12, 2023 April 11, 2023
  • 09:00

By focusing on cancer as part of a wider chronic disease management strategy, employers can support employee health while reducing benefits costs, said Chris Bonnett, founder and principal at H3 Consulting, during a webinar hosted by the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute. While long-term disability plans pay out, on average, $3,500 per month, cancer patients […]

  • April 3, 2023 March 31, 2023
  • 09:00