Archives May 2008

May 2008

Governance/legislation

The new measures introduced in Bill 30 mean that Quebec plan sponsors will need to prepare for upcoming changes in pension plan funding and administration.…

DC plan sponsors should enjoy the simplicity, but manage the risks. The late 1990s witnessed an exodus by employers from traditional defined benefit (DB) pension…

Pension surplus: whose money is it anyway? The pension plan surplus ownership debate began with the Dominion Stores case in 1986—a debate that is alive…

More than a year after the implementation of Bill 30, Quebec’s plan sponsors and pension comm ittees remain in a state of tranquility. But it…

Capital accumulation plans

Just how popular will the new Tax-Free Savings Account become in the future? Now that the deadline to make contributions to registered retirement savings plans…

A spin on the traditional target date fund offers greater flexibility and simplified governance for CAP sponsors. When it comes to investing, people are always…

Benefits Canada News

A new report by Britain’s national director of health and work recommends putting the “ability” back in “disability”. “Are you suffocated by work? Do you…

  A nationwide survey of insurers and Blue Cross agencies suggests that Canadian private healthcare plans continue to face steep cost increases in 2008. The…

As pension funds demand a wider range of investment solutions, money managers are looking for ways to branch out and expand their current offerings. Deals…

Benefits Canada recently spoke to the deputy governor of the Bank of Canada, David Longworth, about what’s being done to stabilize tumultuous financial markets and…

Health benefits

A review of recent developments in group benefits, and what plan sponsors in Quebec are doing to reduce costs, improve benefits delivery and link cost…

Getting the most from the benefits plan premium helps plan sponsors manage increasing healthcare costs. Every business, regardless of its size, needs a competitive group…

When it comes to funding retiree healthcare benefits, will employees be left with only crumbs? Staying with a company 20-plus years until retirement is rare…

A total rewards approach helps employers optimize their HR programs. Traditionally, total rewards has been defined as the financial component of the employment relationship—in essence,…

Defined benefit pensions

In this year’s report on Quebec, we asked Quebec-based industry experts to summarize the recent legislative and regulatory developments, as well as possible trends on…