Colin Ripsman is president of Elegant Investment Solutions Inc.
Colin Ripsman is president of Elegant Investment Solutions Inc.
Last year offered up one of most tempestuous investment environments in recent memory, and this year looks to be equally dynamic. It will be increasingly important for pension investment committees to be proactive and flexible in the management and oversight of their portfolios. Those that can quickly assess and respond to fundamental economic shifts will […]
We won’t soon forget 2020. This tumultuous year was characterized by a global pandemic, lockdowns around the world, spiking unemployment levels and business failures. Increasing political polarization in developed countries resulted in clashes between governments seeking to control COVID-19 and anti-mask factions, all amid a U.S. election, the results of which the sitting president continues […]
\Over the course of the last 15 years we have seen an increase in the number of frozen corporate defined benefit plans in Canada. Frozen plans have limited the future benefit accruals in the plan, either through closing membership to new employees or, in some cases, freezing future service accruals to existing members. This fundamental […]
Over the last few years we have seen numerous First Nations’ settlements with the government. The amounts of these settlements are typically large and can, if prudently invested, greatly enrich the quality of life for both current and future community members. With that in mind, let’s explore some of the key considerations in determining a […]
In a recent case, the Ontario Superior Court found an employee failed to mitigate damages when he refused a return-to-work offer from his employer, with whom he…
Many of the changes that were introduced to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act in January 2018 were short-lived, as the province’s new government elected in June…
With the legalization of recreational cannabis on Oct. 17, 2018, employers have been preparing to answer questions about whether their current benefits plans should provide…
In a recent decision, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice found an employer didn’t constructively dismiss a long-service employee when it provided her with 18 months…
On Oct. 17, 2018, it will be legal to purchase and consume recreational cannabis in Canada. In a recent survey of Mercer’s employer clients and Canadian employees, we found…
Some organizations are unique. Their employees are genuinely excited to be at work and an undercurrent of energy and vitality permeates the air. They’ve transformed the…
While many Canadian organizations continue to search for solutions to rising health-care costs, most are falling short. That’s why they must investigate any opportunity to find…
Macroeconomic trends such as longer lives, a lack of access to pensions and retirement supports, a low-growth environment, and persistent lack of financial literacy and…
Any do-it-yourself handyman’s toolbox isn’t complete without a roll a flexible multi-purpose cloth adhesive that has unlimited uses — a.k.a. duct tape. It’s been used…
In the midst of the most significant socio-economic and health crisis since WWII — and maybe even longer — virtually every aspect of modern society has been…
In employee benefits plans, maximums and caps on prescription drug dispensing fees are common cost management features. These features are designed to nudge plan members to…
Most people agree massage offers some therapeutic benefits, such as reduction of muscle tension and pain related to soft tissue strains and injuries. Studies have…
Canada’s green bond market has been growing, but investors would benefit from digging a little deeper to ensure what they’re buying is in fact green…
When the coronavirus prompted a collapse in both economic activity and equity markets in March, it put an end to the longest bull market in…
There has been a lot of buzz about negative interest rates lately, as the idea that you would have to pay governments to borrow your…
Investment management is an unusual business in that it doesn’t typically offer customers their money back if they’re unsatisfied with the product or service. This…
US equities have dominated their global peers over the past decade. As of 30 June, the S&P 500 had returned 14.5 per cent per annum…
The novel coronavirus pandemic has been an enormous human tragedy and its ultimate impact on the global economy remains impossible to predict. For many companies,…
Bonds have traditionally been a reliable source of low-risk returns. For the moment, central banks have changed that relationship, yet many investors still need predictable,…
Last year offered up one of most tempestuous investment environments in recent memory, and this year looks to be equally dynamic. It will be increasingly…
We won’t soon forget 2020. This tumultuous year was characterized by a global pandemic, lockdowns around the world, spiking unemployment levels and business failures. Increasing…
\Over the course of the last 15 years we have seen an increase in the number of frozen corporate defined benefit plans in Canada. Frozen…
Over the last few years we have seen numerous First Nations’ settlements with the government. The amounts of these settlements are typically large and can,…
Putting U.S.–China relations back on a constructive path will be one of the top foreign policy challenges facing the Biden administration in 2021. I expect…
In China, keeping the novel coronavirus under control is key to maintaining the economic recovery, and there are reasons to be optimistic, despite a breakdown…
China’s V-shaped economic recovery continued for a fourth consecutive month in June, led by strong domestic demand. And if the novel coronavirus remains under control,…
China’s economy was the first to suffer the consequences of fighting the novel coronavirus and is the first on the road to recovery. If it…
The year 2020 tested the mettle of entrepreneurs and small business owners like none other in recent history. And private equity firms operating in the…
As the novel coronavirus pandemic upended the way businesses operate, investors around the world have been able follow daily market gyrations in real time to…
In many private equity asset classes, managers typically deploy most of their capital in a particular investment on day one. While they may increase or…
In the early days of litigation finance, most fund managers sold a concept and their own capabilities, but not much else. And risky strategies attracted…
In legal circles, it has always been thought that crises breed litigation. And while that appears to be the case in the current crisis, it…
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” The above quote from Charles Dickens aptly describes the current environment for the…
After years of relatively stable appreciation in global fixed-income and equity markets, investors were thrust into dramatic turbulence in the first quarter of 2020, as…
During and after the market crash of this year’s first quarter, retail traders flocked to the various commission-free online brokerages in droves. These traders began…
A value approach to investing has yielded great benefits in the past. Though there are often semantics around what constitutes value investing, it can be…
As alternative asset classes continue to be a major area of interest for institutional investors, considering the benefits and drawbacks of real estate as an…
Many defined contribution pension plans contain a built-in contradiction. During accumulation, they offer an array of investment choices — sometimes too many. In decumulation, by…
What a difference a year makes. At this time in 2019, initial reports of a novel virus to be called COVID-19 were just beginning to…
Employee benefits and total rewards planning have always been a critical element of business planning, but never more so than during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.…
Over the past few months, we’ve all had to deal with the challenges of social distancing and self-isolation. Some people have faced the extra pressure…
It’s the only story around these days. COVID-19 — the coronavirus — has broken out all over the world, leading to strain on health-care resources,…
Whether it direct or indirect, mental illness affects everyone. Beyond an individual’s personal suffering, which can range from mild to severe, the effects are also felt by…
A lawsuit settlement on the other side of the world is reverberating around the globe as it increases the environmental, social and governance standards for…
Meeting a deadline in the midst of a pandemic seems like a good test of corporate resiliency and, according to a recent survey of Canadian…
There is nothing like a deadline to focus the mind. Asset owners and managers who are signatories of the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investments…
In an art gallery, people often recognize and appreciate the arrangement of the pieces as much as the works of art themselves. When employers offer voluntary…
Voluntary benefits are the ‘choose your own adventure’ of the insurance world. For readers who remember and enjoyed those novels, they felt empowered by their…
When it comes to living through any stressful and uncertain time, routine is one of the unsung heroes. In a situation like the current coronavirus…
Retirement is a time in every employee’s life that evokes a number of emotions: anticipation, excitement, fear, stress, anxiety and relief, among others. The positive…
The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic is currently slamming into regions across Canada, once again testing employers’ resilience in the face of mounting challenges.…
There’s no question that COVID-19 has disrupted usual work-life routines. The need to work from home, self-isolate and quarantine can have significant impacts on the…
Looking ahead to 2020, all indicators point to technology playing a greater role in human resources practices given the rapid advances in artificial intelligence and emerging virtual…
No matter the size of a business, nothing affects the bottom line more than declining employee productivity. Employees can be the best and brightest parts of an organization, but…
Despite this year’s extreme volatility, the past ten years have been an extraordinary time to be an equity investor. This can be seen by looking…
Global shares, represented by the MSCI world index, ended 2019 at an all-time high. Their robust 9.5 per cent per annum return during the 2010s…
Defined benefit pension plan sponsors who are interested in better pension risk management for their retirees have two main strategies to consider: They can either…
At the time of my last column in May, many pension plan sponsors were catching their breath after watching funding levels take a roller coaster…
It’s hard to believe that just recently, people weren’t cutting their own hair or binge-watching Tiger King. At the beginning of the year, defined benefit…
Pension plans are protecting themselves from market ups and downs by matching assets to liabilities
For years, a major public sector pension governance time bomb has been hidden in plain sight. But it may be too late to alert the bomb squad;…
A report published by the Canadian Public Pension Leadership Council in February 2019 offers compelling evidence about the broad benefits of workplace pension plans. The report,…
While retirement income security is top of mind for many Canadians, British Columbia’s public sector pension plans are noteworthy models that can be emulated by sponsors…
For more than 30 years, Canada’s public sector pension organizations have distinguished themselves by delivering secure, sustainable defined benefit pensions and, in the process, have earned…
As coronavirus cases rise across the country and some return-to-work plans become return-to-home plans, many employers are wondering how to help their employees adapt once again…
The coronavirus pandemic has been disruptive for all and sadly, devastating and difficult for many. In the pandemic’s early days, we saw a great deal…
The beginning of a new year is a great time for employers to reflect on their benefits plans and take steps to get in ahead of potential challenges.…
Most organizations support charities in their communities through a variety of means — donations supporting specific initiatives, sponsorships, by purchasing tables for events or donating…