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Conference Coverage: 2024 DC Plan Summit

At the 2024 Defined Contribution Plan Summit, which was hosted in Vancouver on Feb. 27-29, attendees learned about the various challenges and solutions for DC plan sponsors across the accumulation and decumulation phases, including how to cater to different generations’ needs and innovative investment and drawdown options, through expert thought leadership and employer case studies presented by leading plan sponsors. 

The summit also explored the evolving role of artificial intelligence in supporting DC plan sponsors and plan members across several areas, including investment options, plan administration and financial advice.

Find out what you missed!

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Lisa Kramer
University of Toronto
How AI is impacting DC plan members’ financial decisions

While artificial intelligence may one day be able to remove human bias from financial decision-making, that development remains far in the future.

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Elisha Ribeiro
Canada Life

Christine van Staden
Canada Life

How DC plan sponsors can support women’s financial confidence

While women are increasingly becoming primary income earners, few women manage their own finances as they near retirement.

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John Bradley
Fidelity Investments
AI can enhance DC pension communication, employee experience

Employers can leverage artificial intelligence to enhance the employee experience, including improvements to defined contribution pension communication.

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Brnic Van Wyk
Australian Retirement Trust
A look at the Australian Retirement Trust’s approach to decumulation

Inspired by the University of British Columbia’s variable payment lifetime annuity option, the Australian Retirement Trust is taking a similar approach to decumulation, which, in turn, may hold lessons for Canadian defined contribution plan sponsors.

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Nicole Mellin
Association of Ontario Midwives Benefits Trust

Jennifer Katzsch Desjardins Insurance

Association of Ontario Midwives Benefits Trust supporting employees with financial literacy, DC plan options

Financial literacy initiatives and a wide range of capital accumulation plan options are key components in supporting the financial health of midwives.

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Marc-Antoine Morin
Manulife
Are Canadians retirement ready?

Manulife Financial Corp.’s latest financial stress survey found two-thirds (64 per cent) of employees aged 55 and younger and 50 per cent of workers aged 55 and older are seeking more financial advice from their employer.

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Andrew D. Knox
Franklin Templeton Investments
What are the options for implementing real assets in DC plans?

While real assets are largely absent among the investment options offered by Canadian defined contribution pension plans, they can offer significant long-term benefits to plan members.

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Shannan Corey
Saskatchewan Pension Plan
A look at the SPP’s evolving investment, decumulation options

From its roots as a retirement plan for Saskatchewan farmers, the Saskatchewan Pension Plan has grown over the past four decades to accommodate Canadians from all provinces and walks of life.

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Mark Iwry
non-resident senior fellow, the Brookings Institution
and former senior advisor to the U.S. secretary of the treasury for national retirement and health policy
What can Canadian DC plans learn from U.S. pension legislation?

Features such as automatic enrolment in 401(k) savings plans are helping U.S. employees become retirement ready.

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Kathrin Forrest
Capital Group
AI presents opportunities, disruptions for DC pension plan investments

The evolution of artificial intelligence is creating new challenges and investment opportunities for defined contribution pension plan members.

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Roman Kosarenko
Loblaw Companies Ltd.

Brent Perdue
ATCO Ltd.

Randi Topp
University of Victoria

How can DC plan sponsors solve the decumulation problem?

During a panel discussion, three defined contribution plan sponsors shared their respective decumulation journeys and their thoughts on where the DC plan sector is in terms of effectively supporting this particular phase of plan members’ lives.

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Brad Joudrie
Conquest Planning Inc.

Jean-Michel Lavoie
Sun Life Financial Inc.

How DC plan sponsors can take the guesswork out of retirement planning

Technology plays an increasingly important role as defined contribution pension plan sponsors seek to deploy decumulation support and retirement advice at scale.

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Sponsors

To view highlights from the 2023 DC Plan Summit, click here.

To view highlights from the 2022 DC Plan Summit, click here.

To view highlights from the 2021 DC Plan Summit, click here.