Low interest rates and market volatility continue to frustrate intermediaries, challenging them to provide suitable investment options to end-clients, as well as underpinning investor reluctance to fully re-commit to markets and ultimately defining...

Defined Contribution is expected to play an increasingly important role in the Canadian investment management business, with DC assets expected to double over the next ten years as a proportion of all retirement assets.

Canadian institutional investors plan to increase real estate and infrastructure allocations further, likely at the expense of domestic equities.

Equity demand will be greatest for global, emerging, and small cap equities in 2014.

In corporate DC plans, the proportion of assets in target date funds has nearly tripled since 2008.

Public pension plans and endowments and foundations have been and are expected to be most active in hiring of managers.

Corporate funds clearly intend to further de-risk portfolios, predicting increases to fixed income and decreases to equities.

The largest corporate plans lead the allocation out of U.S. equities.

Over 60% of corporate pension funds have closed the primary plan to new employees in an effort to reduce future liabilities.

Shifts to specialty products are driving average fixed income fee levels upwards for the second consecutive year.