Six in 10 (60 per cent) global institutional investors say interest rate changes were the No. 1 factor behind portfolio adjustments in 2024, according to a new report by the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds. The report, which was based on the activities of long-term institutional investors representing more than $46 trillion in assets […]
The Canadian Sustainability Standards Board is appointing Wendy Berman as chair, effective May 5. Berman is a former vice-chair of the Ontario Securities Commission and, most recently, she was a partner and head of the national securities litigation group at McCarthy Tétrault LLP. She succeeds Bruce Marchand, who served as interim chair at the CSSB. […]
Public equities account for, on average, 42 per cent of asset owners’ portfolios, according to a new report by Northern Trust Corp. The report, based on a survey of 180 global asset owners with investment portfolios ranging between US$1 billion and US$500 billion, found stocks were followed by fixed income (27 per cent) and private […]
The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously decided in favour of former Cornell University employees who accused the university of violating the Employee Retirement Income Security Act in its handling of fees related to its 403(b) retirement plans. According to the lawsuit, which was originally filed in 2016, former employees who were enrolled in two of […]
An article on how flexible retirement savings plans can help employees retire early was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Flexible savings plans, employer matching allowing employees to retire earlier than planned: survey 2. Are Canadian […]
The median solvency ratio for Ontario defined benefit pension plans remained stable at 122 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to a new report by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. It noted throughout 2024, the median solvency funded status remained above 120 per cent, the highest percentage since the FSRA […]
The Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology pension plan is reporting a 15.2 per cent net return at the end of 2024. The investment organization’s total assets under management increased to $23.3 billion in 2024, compared to $20.1 billion in 2023. Read: CAAT returns 9.5% for 2023, led by global, emerging market equities In a […]
Almost half (46 per cent) of multinational companies say they’re prioritizing the use of employee-facing technology to support benefits management, including the use of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies to improve benefits navigation and decision-making, according to a new survey by WTW. The survey, which polled more than 260 employers, found more than half […]
The average solvency ratio of Canadian pension plans declined three per cent as at March 31, 2025, according to a new report by Normandin Beaudry. At the end of the first quarter of 2025, the average solvency ratio reached 111 per cent. The decrease was attributed to a combination of increased liabilities and investment performance, […]
The Alberta Investment Management Corp. is preventing its staff from travelling to the U.S. for non-essential business trips, according to a report by Bloomberg. The report noted AIMCo employees can still travel to the U.S. for board and investor meetings but conferences or speaking events aren’t allowed anymore. When asked by Benefits Canada to confirm […]