Home Jody White

The rise of alternatives continues, but do pension plans know what they’re getting into?

In the current market environment, no asset class has as bright a future as alternative investments. Once regarded as hedging tools, alternatives—including hedge funds, private equity, real estate, infrastructure and commodities—are commanding an ever-growing market share and proving themselves useful in many ways. So it is not surprising to learn that pension funds are embracing […]

  • October 28, 2010 September 13, 2019
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Top 50 DC Plans Report shows some things never change

In Herman Hesse’s epic novel Siddhartha, the eponymous protagonist has a revelation one day regarding the river he has grown up beside: “…today he saw one of the river’s secrets, one that gripped his soul. He saw that the water continually flowed and flowed and yet it was always there; it was always the same […]

  • September 24, 2010 September 13, 2019
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National catastrophic drug plan urged

An advocacy group is pushing for a national catastrophic drug plan that may have ramifications for private insurance plans. The Campaign to Control Cancer—a Canadian coalition of more than 70 cancer organizations dedicated to battling the disease—has written an open letter to Minister of Health and Long-Term Care for Ontario Deb Matthews outlining the case […]

  • September 10, 2010 September 13, 2019
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Pan-Atlantic divide emerges on definition of volatility

Risk management remains a top priority for pension plan sponsors in the post-crisis environment, but definitions of risk and volatility differ depending on which side of the Atlantic an organization is based, according to a recent survey. The Pyramis Global Defined Benefit Survey of 466 corporate and public pension plans in the U.S., Canada and […]

  • September 9, 2010 September 13, 2019
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Mental health leaves proving costly to Canadian employers

Mental health issues account for more lost workdays than any other chronic condition and cost the Canadian economy $51 billion annually in lost productivity, according to a recent report. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s (CAMH) Journal of Environmental Medicine looked at data tracking the short-term disability (STD) leave of 33,913 full-time employees in […]

  • September 8, 2010 September 13, 2019
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Organizations struggle with attraction/retention

Companies around the world are coming to grips with the toll of crisis-era cost-cutting efforts on their employees and are now revisiting how they attract, retain and motivate employees. The Towers Watson Global Talent Management and Rewards Survey of more than 1,100 companies globally (including 155 from Canada) found that a majority of respondents said […]

  • September 7, 2010 September 13, 2019
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N.B. Tories announce pension task force

New Brunswick’s Conservative party says it will create a task force to deal with problems in the province’s private and public sector pension plans. Tory Opposition Leader David Alward told the Telegraph-Journal that the recession and recent mill closures are straining the province’s public sector pension system, leaving taxpayers on the hook. While he would […]

  • September 7, 2010 September 13, 2019
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U.S. leads the way on employee ROI

U.S. organizations have proven more adept than those in other nations in realizing profit from their staff in the volatile post-crisis economic environment, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report. Trends in Human Capital is based on data drawn from more than 10,000 companies in 40 countries to report the pre-tax profit produced for every pound, […]

  • August 27, 2010 September 13, 2019
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OSFI issues guidance note on DC asset transfers

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) has released a guidance note regarding amendments to section 10.2 of the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 (PBSA). The amendments in questions eliminated the requirement for the superintendent’s permission to transfer assets related to defined contribution provisions from one pension plan to another. This guidance note […]

  • August 26, 2010 September 13, 2019
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Praise, disappointment for Ontario pension reform

As Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan’s proposed pension reforms are being parsed and digested by industry participants, commentary is steadily coming in from various angles on how it will affect plan sponsors with members in the province. Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP’s blog supports the arguments from Benefits Canada’s coverage on Wednesday, Aug. 25 that […]

  • August 26, 2010 September 13, 2019
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