Employer-provided medical benefits costs in Canada will rise seven per cent in 2022, according to a new survey by Aon. The annual global medical trend rates survey found the expected increase for Canadian employer-sponsored medical plan costs is due to a combination of higher costs for dental care, paramedical expenses and prescription drugs. It was conducted […]
The vast majority (84 per cent) of asset managers are either implementing or evaluating the sustainability of their portfolios, according to a survey by FTSE Russell. The results indicate a significant increase in the percentage of asset managers concerned about sustainability issues. In a similar survey from 2018, just 53 per cent of respondents had […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is entering the digital currency sector by joining a US$400 million investment round for a cryptocurrency earning and borrowing platform. Alberta-based WestCap Group Inc. is the other co-lead investor in the funding round for Celsius Network, a blockchain-based investment platform aimed at high-net-worth retail and institutional investors. Read: AIMCo […]
Employees are prioritizing workplace benefits plans amid an increasingly competitive job market, according to a new Ipsos survey for RBC Insurance Inc. The survey, conducted among more than 1,000 working Canadians aged 18 and older, found 68 per cent would take a job with a good benefits plan over another that pays more but doesn’t […]
Collective defined contribution pension plans could begin to replace DC plans, just as DC plans have replaced the majority of defined benefit plans in recent decades, according to a new paper from the U.S.-based Brookings Institution. CDC plans, also known as hybrid retirement plans, combine elements of DB and DC plans. They pool contributions from […]
With many employers currently planning where employees will work post-coronavirus pandemic, our story on the Royal Bank of Canada’s hybrid work model piqued the interest of Benefits Canada‘s readers, taking the top spot as the most-read story over the past seven days on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. RBC banking […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is launching a suite of financing solutions and support services designed to appeal to Quebec’s mid-market companies. Ambition ME is designed to support high-growth potential companies requiring between $5 million and $75 million financing in order to take them to their next stage of growth. The Caisse […]
Nearly half (44 per cent) of employers that offer retirement benefits said employee productivity has been better than normal over the past year, compared to 29 per cent of employers that don’t offer retirement benefits, according to a survey by Maru Group Ltd. on behalf of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. The survey, which […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is appointing Kathryn Fric (pictured) as its next chief risk officer, effective Nov. 1. Fric will report to Jo Taylor, the pension fund’s president and chief executive officer. In the role, she’ll be responsible for providing independent risk oversight of all risk-related activities, leading the establishment of a risk framework and […]
Increasing yield for long-term government bonds and a flat credit spread through the third quarter of 2021 are driving up defined benefit pension liabilities, according to a new report by Aon. In the third quarter of 2021, long-term Government of Canada bond yields increased by 14 basis points while credit spreads remained largely unchanged. According […]