Calvin Jordan, CEO of the Nova Scotia Association of Health Organizations (NSAHO) Pension Plan in Bedford, N.S., discussed how this DB plan uses leverage to improve its asset liability matching at the Pension & Benefits Conference on April 27 in Toronto. The $3.6-billion plan’s asset mix is 25% fixed income (65%, but 40% is leveraged), […]
Pensions are inextricably tied to the economy, said Malcolm Hamilton, an actuary with Mercer (Canada) Ltd., speaking recently in Toronto at the Association of Canadian Pension Management’s spring session, Checking the Pulse of Pension Reform. “If the markets do well, any pension will work. If the economy is bad, any pension—no matter how good—will fail,” […]
Plan sponsors should think about currency as they would about pie. How so? “When we talk about currency, it’s like we’re talking about pie,” said Ian Toner, head of currency implementation with Russell Investments, speaking on April 28 at the Pension & Benefits Summit in Toronto. “The problem with currency is, you need to know […]
Global investing provides investors with “the broadest possible opportunity set,” said Gerald Smith, chief investment officer at Baillie Gifford, speaking today at the Pension & Benefits Summit in Toronto. Baillie Gifford—an Edinburgh-based investment management firm that has been investing in global equities since 1909—has learned a few lessons over its hundred years in this space. […]
Dr. Damian Handzy admits he’s a skeptic. The chair and CEO of Investor Analytics, speaking yesterday at the Pension & Benefits Summit in Toronto, said skepticism is an overall approach that requires information to be well supported by evidence. But what has this got to do with pension risk? With risk analytics, Handzy said, you […]
Calvin Jordan, CEO of the Nova Scotia Association of Health Organizations Pension Plan in Bedford, N.S., discussed how this DB plan uses leverage to improve its asset liability matching at the Pension & Benefits Conference today in Toronto. The $3.6-billion plan’s asset mix is 25% fixed income (65%, but 40% is leveraged), 40% equities and […]
Pensions are politically difficult, said Peggy McCallum, a partner with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, speaking at the Association of Canadian Pension Management’s spring session, Checking the Pulse of Pension Reform, held on April 25.
According to a 2010 Conference Board of Canada survey, 64% of respondents indicated that their benefits programs are focused on health promotions and disease management. However, only 26% reported that their organizations had fully developed a comprehensive wellness strategy. “Health as a strategic business issue is something that businesses can no longer afford to ignore,” […]
The results of Towers Watson’s annual Pensions Risk Survey—presented today at The Conference Board of Canada’s 2011 Summit on the Future of Pensions: Rebuilding Pensions, Rethinking Retirement in Toronto—indicated that DB plan sponsors continue to convert to DC arrangements for current or future employees. “In the ’70s and ’80s, DB was in its heyday,” said […]
For the last 10 years, taking risk did not pay off for DB plans, said Leo de Bever, CEO and chief investment officer of Alberta Investment Management Corp. (AIMCo), speaking today at The Conference Board of Canada’s 2011 Summit on the Future of Pensions: Rebuilding Pensions, Rethinking Retirement in Toronto. DB is an efficient system, […]