2026 DC Plan Summit: How the PEPP is adding flexibility with alternatives, decumulation option |
By slotting alternative assets into portfolio offerings, Saskatchewan’s Public Employees Pension Plan is incorporating an element of the defined benefit pension plan model, according to Gary Hutch, chief investment officer and executive vice-president of investments at Plannera Pensions & Benefits, which administers the plan.
“We believe that including all of these alternatives provides more of a floor in terms of low downside risk, but still [provides a] really attractive diversification, really attractive returns overall,” he said during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2026 Defined Contribution Plan Summit.
The pension fund includes private equity and private credit assets in its equity and fixed income portfolios, respectively, with the rest of the alternatives separated in a bucket, he said, noting the alternatives bucket also includes........