The Caisse de d茅pot et placement du Qu茅bec is taking a 20% stake in the Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk, England. It is the UK鈥檚 first new nuclear power plant since the 1990s, and Professor Sebastien Betermier credits the government there with creating the favourable circumstances for private investors like the Caisse to take part in infrastructure development. 鈥淚n this particular project, I believe the U.K.
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Published on: 7 Aug 2025
Private market developers face an 鈥渋nvestment catch-22鈥� in getting infrastructure projects off the ground, Professor Sebastien Betermier wrote in a recent report for the C.D. Howe Institute. Private investors view new infrastructure markets as complex, unfamiliar, and high risk. But the infrastructure bank model can create value as a cost-efficient policy tool in the government ecosystem, Betermier concluded.
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Published on: 7 Aug 2025
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.
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Published on: 10 Jul 2025
A well-designed pension system brings enormous social and economic values to its members and to society as a whole. Unfortunately, Canada鈥檚 doesn鈥檛 stand out. A 2024 report from Mercer ranks it just 18 out of 48 countries. In thefutureeconomy.ca, Prof. Sebastien Betermier proposes three measures that could help improve it by:
路 Ensuring there are stronger guardrails to keep pension funds operationally independent
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Published on: 2 Jul 2025
In Canada, investment in infrastructure has lagged, but infrastructure banks are one way to provide financing for large-scale infrastructure projects that could take decades to pay off. 鈥淐anada needs new infrastructure 鈥� housing, energy, ports 鈥� it鈥檚 all critical to our future,鈥� says Prof. Sebastien Betermier. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 a catch-22: developers can鈥檛 move forward without financing, and investors are wary of early-stage risk.
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Published on: 28 May 2025
Ever since Donald Trump鈥檚 鈥楲iberation Day鈥� tariff announcement, stock markets have been volatile. The tariffs impact thousands of companies, and with the exact scale and scope of tariffs changing almost daily, the extent to which they will be affected is uncertain. 鈥淚t makes it difficult for companies to investments,鈥� Prof. Sebastien Betermier told TVA Nouvelles. 鈥淎nd as long as they don鈥檛 know what will happen over the long term, it will remain difficult.鈥�
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Published on: 2 May 2025
Canada鈥檚 big pension funds are the envy of fund managers in other countries. They鈥檙e something that the UK鈥檚 defined contribution plance could aspire to, writes Padraig Floyd in Pensions Expert. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e all public, but they鈥檙e run like private sector corporations,鈥� said Prof. Sebastien Betermier. "They have a governance system and delegation framework which is such that they're able to pay market salaries, so they can attract the best people.
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Published on: 27 Mar 2025
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Published on: 27 Mar 2025
The Trump administration鈥檚 tariffs have catalyzed a cross-country movement to buy Canadian products. But will that movement affect the how Canada鈥檚 big pension funds manage their portfolios? The eight largest pension plans in Canada hold more than $2 trillion in assets, but only about a quarter of those assets are Canadian. Some Canadian politicians and business leaders have called for our pension plans to invest more of their money at home, but government involvement in pension fund management can get in the way of these funds primary objective鈥攖o deliver returns for pension plan members.
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Published on: 27 Mar 2025
As calls to bolster Canada鈥檚 economy intensify, the debate over pension fund strategies has gained national attention. In a Financial Post article, Professor Betermier highlights concerns over political interference in pension management and the potential long-term impact on investment strategies. He underscores the importance of maintaining pension funds鈥� independence to ensure strong, sustainable returns for retirees.
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Published on: 26 Mar 2025
With increasing market volatility, Professor Sebastien Betermier shares his advice on how Quebec investors can weather economic uncertainty. In an interview with the Motnreal Gazette, he emphasizes the importance of staying disciplined, avoiding panic and hasty decisions, and consulting a financial planner before making changes. Betermier highlights the risk of overreacting to short-term fluctuations in the market and advises to focus on long-term investment goals.
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Published on: 26 Mar 2025
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. 鈥淲ho thinks about retirement at the age of twenty?鈥� said 91黑料网 Desautels Professor of Finance Sebastien Betermier in an interview with CBC Radio鈥檚 Cost of Living program.
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Published on: 13 Feb 2025
Canada鈥檚 Maple 8 pension funds are globally respected for strong returns and independence from government influence. However, recent political moves threaten this model. The federal government has encouraged more domestic investment, while Alberta鈥檚 government fired AIMCo鈥檚 board, raising fears of political interference. 鈥淲hen you start investing based on political objectives, you risk compromising returns,鈥� warns Associate Professor of Finance Sebastien Betermier.
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Published on: 6 Feb 2025
Despite BlackRock鈥檚 exit from the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), climate action remains a key priority for financial institutions, says Sebastien Betermier, Associate Professor of Finance. He notes that asset managers are shifting their strategies to focus on helping firms transition to net zero rather than maintaining strictly net-zero portfolios. While GFANZ is adapting to these needs, Betermier warns that moving away from alliances could weaken collective action.
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Published on: 6 Feb 2025
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.
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Published on: 29 Jan 2025
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