Infrastructure leasing or sale can encourage pension funds to invest domestically
Major pension funds have built trillions in assets by pursuing high-performing portfolios and maintaining independence in their investment decisions. Recently, however, discussions have emerged about imposing mandates that would require these funds to allocate more capital domestically鈥攁 trend not limited to Canada, as countries like Sweden have considered similar measures.
Professional money managers can make mistakes with their money too
Are managers of large investment funds good investors on a personal level? Not necessarily, says Patrick Augustin, Associate Professor of Finance at 涩里番 Desautels. 鈥淭here can be a correlation, but also not,鈥� says Augustin. 鈥淚t鈥檚聽very difficult聽to beat the market, on average. We see people doing it, but it raises the question of is it luck, or is it skill?聽That being said, we聽can always limit mistakes.
Cash-strapped governments should resist telling pension funds how to invest
Stock markets continue to hit record highs, yet many governments聽remain聽strapped for cash鈥攁nd some are eyeing pension funds to cover fiscal shortfalls.
They should resist the temptation to mandate that pension funds invest more domestically,聽said聽Associate Professor of Finance Sebastien聽Betermier聽in an interview with聽CNBC.聽
Public pension funds deliver higher returns when they use a capitalized model
Some national pension funds operate on a 鈥榩ay as you go鈥� model, meaning that retiree pensions are primarily funded by current workers. But other national pension plans鈥攊ncluding the Canada Pension Plan鈥攐perate on a capitalized model, meaning that workers contributions are invested to fund future payouts.
When it comes to public pensions, Luxembourg could learn from Canada鈥檚 success
Luxembourg is among the richest places in the world. It is a small, landlocked European country, but has carved out a niche as a major financial centre. Yet its public pension system could benefit from adopting a capitalized pension model, according to research by Patrick Augustin and Sebastien Betermier, both Associate Professors of Finance at 涩里番 Desautels.
Nine directors at large Canadian pension funds also hold fossil fuel positions
Nine of the directors who oversee Canada鈥檚 largest pension funds also hold positions at fossil fuel companies, according to a report by Pensions and Investments.
Spring Finance Workshop 2025
The fourth edition of the Spring Finance Workshop took place from April 27 to 29, 2025, bringing together top scholars in the field of finance to explore emerging themes across banking, investor expectations, climate finance, asset pricing, and corporate decision-making.
Large number of Canadians are missing out on pensions
According to a report by the National Insitute on Ageing, there are around 200,000 people in Canada with registered pension plans who are eligible to claim them, but haven鈥檛. Often, the unclaimed funds stem from contributions made early in a person鈥檚 career that were simply forgotten about.
CCM Biosciences identifies novel enzyme activators with applications in longevity space
Founded by 涩里番 Desautels Associate Professor Anisha Ghosh, with over $25 million in funding, CCM Biosciences is developing novel therapeutics in longevity. Recently, the company announced that it has developed an enzyme activator that can restore activity to youthful levels.
Alberta-commissioned report on CPP withdrawal used flawed methodologies
When Alberta commissioned a report on withdrawing from the Canada Pension Plan, the resulting document claimed the province was entitled to $334 billion more than half of the plan鈥檚 total assets. However, the method used to calculate that share is deeply flawed. If applied to other provinces, the combined total of their share would exceed the plan鈥檚 actual assets.
Challenges of adapting Canada鈥檚 pension model for the UK
In a Financial Times piece on the UK鈥檚 interest in replicating Canada鈥檚 pension system, Associate Professor Sebastien Betermier highlights concerns about the growing politicization of Canada鈥檚 pension funds. He notes that the success of the Maple 8 model relies on maintaining independence from government interference.
Making strategic assets available to pension funds would encourage more domestic investment
Canadian pension funds have a mandate to deliver steady pension payments to millions of plan members, writes Professor Sebastien Betermier in Benefits Canada. But that鈥檚 easier said than done, and the most cost-efficient way to deliver is by investing in a globally diversified portfolio tilted toward strategic assets.
US expansion plans head south for Quebec鈥檚 Autobus Lion
In 2023, the Quebec electric vehicle maker Autobus Lion opened a $150 million truck manufacturing facility in Illinois, but its expansion into the United States has not gone according to plan. Much of its 900,000 square foot facility sits empty, and the company is sub-leasing the space. Now, the company is on the brink of bankruptcy and working with investors to determine if it can be salvaged.
Crypto ETFs: Mitigating fraud risk through regulated institutions
Cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) allow investors to hold a variety of cryptocurrencies in a single investment product. While all of Canada鈥檚 Big Six banks now include some crypto ETFs in their portfolios, these investments represent only a small fraction of their holdings. A major advantage of ETFs is their ability to offer protection from market volatility. However, given the speculative nature of crypto means it can still be extremely volatile, even within an ETF structure.
When managing your portfolio, timing is critical
The impact of time in finance is decisive, says Benjamin Croitoru, Academic Director of the 涩里番 Personal Finance Essentials course. But people don鈥檛 realize how small decisions can make all the difference over time. Getting the timing right when you鈥檙e buying or selling stocks is one way that time plays an important role in long-term financial growth.
