With the availability of more than 318,000 digital apps, and the development of more than 80,000 new ones each year, it’s a wonder Canada’s workplace health benefits plans haven’t moved more quickly to digital. This is likely due to the country’s siloed health-care system, with each province and jurisdiction taking its own approach. Streamlining the […]
Simplifying DC plan enrolment should begin by eliminating the “tyranny of choice,” making it easier for plan members to just get started, according to Tom Reid, senior vice-president of group retirement services at Sun Life Financial. “We’re not saying choice is bad, but at certain moments choice is really not the most welcome thing and […]
More than three-quarters (79 per cent) of executives said they expect contingent and freelance workers to substantially replace full-time employees in the coming years, according to Mercer’s latest survey on global talent trends. While predictions vary by industry, the survey found the financial services industry is expected to have a workforce that’s 80 per cent freelance in […]
The industrial revolution has shaped the world, demonstrated by three dimensions: communications, energy and transportation, according to one futurist. However, the lifeblood of a new industrial revolution will be data, says Nikolas Badminton, futurist speaker, researcher and chief executive officer of Exponential Minds, noting all industries will be touched by the momentum this has created. “The signals of […]
Over the past several years, companies have focused on cost-cutting, but the scope to do this has been declining. At the same time, productivity growth is low and global competition has intensified. But companies still need to improve margins. “All this points toward the corporate world looking more to innovation as the only way left […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is making investments totalling $127 million to two new funds formed by iNovia Capital, a Quebec venture capital firm. Initially, the Caisse will invest $100 million towards the fund targeting growing technology companies, while the remaining $27 million will be set aside for iNovia Capital’s startup fund. Read: […]
From banks to insurers to the federal government, retirement calculators are a regular feature of the financial planning landscape. At their most basic, they use data, such as age, income and current assets, to provide recommendations for how an individual can aim to meet their retirement goals. But can these tools truly provide a reliable […]
Two-thirds (62 per cent) of global employees said they’d exchange their work-related data for more customized benefits, rewards and compensation, according to a new survey by Accenture. The global survey, which polled 1,400 corporate executives and 10,000 employees across 13 industries, also found 92 per cent of employees are open to their employers collecting data […]
iA Financial Group is introducing a virtual assistant to help personalize group benefits and pension plan member experience. The virtual assistant can be accessed using Google Assistant on a cell phone, tablet or via Google Home. It can calculate how much a group registered retirement savings plan member should contribute or estimate the amount saved when they retire, […]
OMERS Ventures, the venture capital arm of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, is expanding into the U.S. with an office in Silicon Valley, California. The firm is hiring Michael Yang, an experienced venture capital investor who’s especially familiar with investing in startup e-commerce and emerging technologies. “We are thrilled to expand our physical footprint with dedicated resources to deploy additional capital […]