Home Breadcrumb caret Economy Breadcrumb caret Economic Indicators Pension assets have doubled since 2010 StatsCan data shows pension assets hit $2 trillion in Q2 By Staff | December 12, 2019 | Last updated on December 12, 2019 1 min read © Gunnar Pippel / 123RF Stock Photo Pension fund assets topped $2 trillion in the second quarter of 2019 — which represents a doubling over the past nine years — according to data from Statistics Canada. The national statistical agency reported that the market value of assets held by Canadian pension funds grew 2.0% in the second quarter to finish at over $2 trillion. On a year-over-year basis, assets were up 4.9%. Pension assets have now doubled since they first hit the $1-trillion mark in 2010. Equity returns powered the second-quarter gains, as equities gained 3.1%, StatsCan reports. Bonds were up 1.5%, mortgages rose 3.7%, and real estate investments edged up 0.7% in the quarter. Conversely, short-term investments dropped 9.0% in the quarter. StatsCan also reports that overall pension revenue declined 3.2% in the quarter due to a 26.1% drop in profits from securities sales. Yet plan contributions increased 14.6% in the second quarter, and investment income rose 12.2%. Pension fund expenditures rose 2.1% in the quarter, which, combined with the drop in revenue, resulted in net income declining 7.7% from the previous quarter. Staff The staff of Advisor.ca have been covering news for financial advisors since 1998. Save Stroke 1 Print Group 8 Share LI logo