Latest news in Governance/legislation

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Ontario pension accounting dispute shows difference of $1.5B in province’s deficit

An accounting difference involving the Ontario Public Service Employees Union Pension Plan and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan has the government at odds with the…

Tax rules on pension plans and investment entities ‘extraordinarily complex:’ ACPM

Tax rules on pension plans and investment entities ‘extraordinarily complex:’ ACPM

As the federal Department of Finance consults on proposed amendments to Canada’s Income Tax Act, the Association of Canadian Pension Management has responded with a…

  • By: Staff
  • October 4, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:20
Editorial: OAS reversal popular but not the right move

Editorial: OAS reversal popular but not the right move

Cancelling the increase to the age of eligibility for old-age security was certainly a popular move. The change, which quickly followed the Liberals’ election in…

Court decisions reinforce need for benefits communications policy

Court decisions reinforce need for benefits communications policy

In a previous post, I extolled the virtues of a benefits communications policy for those who communicate pensions and benefits to employees. Two recent court…

  • October 3, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:07
‘Fourth-pillar’ assets improve outlook for Canadian retirement readiness

‘Fourth-pillar’ assets improve outlook for Canadian retirement readiness

When considering claims that Canadians lack adequate savings for retirement, it’s crucial to ask whether “fourth-pillar” assets have been fully considered in reaching this conclusion,…

  • By: Staff
  • October 3, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:06
CPP fund to grow by $191B over next decade: report

CPP fund to grow by $191B over next decade: report

The existing Canada Pension Plan is on sustainable financial footing at its current contribution rate and its assets are projected to grow from $285 at…

  • By: Staff
  • September 28, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 10:33
30% investment rule creates ‘unnecessary costs’ and ‘lost opportunities:’ ACPM

30% investment rule creates ‘unnecessary costs’ and ‘lost opportunities:’ ACPM

In its response to a consultation launched in June, the Association of Canadian Pension Management says the federal government’s “30-per-cent rule” needlessly inhibits pension plan…

  • By: Staff
  • September 21, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:15
Canadians may have to work ‘a little longer than planned’: Poloz

Canadians may have to work ‘a little longer than planned’: Poloz

The Bank of Canada’s governor says today’s era of stubbornly low interest rates means it’s time to revisit retirement planning and temper business investment expectations.…

Have your say: Should governments speed up action on PRPPs?

Have your say: Should governments speed up action on PRPPs?

It has been four years since the federal government passed legislation to enable pooled registered pension plans as a vehicle to boost retirement savings. In…

  • By: Staff
  • September 20, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:00
MPs on finance committee set to probe effects of CPP changes

MPs on finance committee set to probe effects of CPP changes

The federal government’s bid to expand the Canada Pension Plan is being put under the microscope, including an examination of the impact it could have…

B.C. CPP consultations raise ‘red flags’ as approval deadline looms

B.C. CPP consultations raise ‘red flags’ as approval deadline looms

British Columbia is providing few details on the status of its consultations on the Canada Pension Plan despite a looming deadline of the end of…

Release of pension info the focus of court battle between rival unions

Release of pension info the focus of court battle between rival unions

A case centred on the ability to access actuarial documents filed with the Ontario pension regulator may soon be heading to the Ontario Court of…

  • By: Jann Lee
  • September 8, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 08:50
Have your say: Should the feds reinstate lifelong pensions for disabled military veterans?

Have your say: Should the feds reinstate lifelong pensions for disabled military veterans?

A legal battle between six disabled veterans and the federal government could finally come to a close this fall. The case, which was launched in…

  • By: Staff
  • September 7, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:20
A stalemate on pensions leaves workers in the lurch

A stalemate on pensions leaves workers in the lurch

After a long, tense summer in which lockouts and strike action were threatened, Canada Post finally came to an agreement with the Canadian Union of…

Top 50 DC Plans Report: A look at the latest governance trends

Top 50 DC Plans Report: A look at the latest governance trends

With the provision of defined benefit pensions on the decline and the subsequent growth in defined contribution plans, Canada’s retirement savings landscape is in a…

PRPPs continue to languish as provinces vary in enthusiasm for new option

PRPPs continue to languish as provinces vary in enthusiasm for new option

Throughout 2012, Ted Menzies, then the federal minister of state for finance tasked with the development of pooled registered pension plans, consistently proclaimed they were…

OAS eligibility reversal called ‘unsustainable,’ out of sync with other countries

A report released by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions this month projects that the federal government’s plan to cancel the increase in the…

CPP changes do little to ensure appropriate income for future retirees

CPP changes do little to ensure appropriate income for future retirees

For all it’s worth, I have already given the recent Canada Pension Plan enhancement a passing grade. As I noted in our firm’s July report…

Pension solvency funding a growing challenge as B.C. deficits mount

Pension solvency funding a growing challenge as B.C. deficits mount

British Columbia’s defined benefit pension plans continue to face funding challenges as solvency deficits mount, according to a report released last week by the Financial…

  • By: Jann Lee
  • August 23, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:00
OAS and GIS changes to raise program costs by $11.6B in 2030: report

OAS and GIS changes to raise program costs by $11.6B in 2030: report

Cancelling the increase in the age of eligibility for old-age security benefits would raise total program expenditures by $10.4 billion by 2030, according to a…

  • By: Staff
  • August 22, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 10:58
Ontario Teachers’ loses appeal of $1M wrongful dismissal ruling

Ontario Teachers’ loses appeal of $1M wrongful dismissal ruling

The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board has lost its appeal of a decision ordering it to pay more than $1 million to a former senior investment employee. The…

  • By: Jann Lee
  • August 18, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:22
FICOM appoints interim superintendent of pensions

FICOM appoints interim superintendent of pensions

The Financial Institutions Commission of British Columbia has appointed Michael Peters as acting superintendent of pensions as part of an interim leadership team. The regulatory…

  • By: Staff
  • August 17, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:05
B.C. government doing little to solicit feedback on CPP enhancement

B.C. government doing little to solicit feedback on CPP enhancement

The Canada Pension Plan enhancement deal that federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau reached with his provincial counterparts in June has hit a bump in the…

  • By: Greg Hurst
  • August 11, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:30
Co-op Atlantic pensioners to share $7.25M as windup moves forward

Co-op Atlantic pensioners to share $7.25M as windup moves forward

More than 1,000 employee and retiree members of Co-op Atlantic’s defined benefit pension plan are to share $7.25 million following a New Brunswick judge’s approval…

Saskatchewan proposes elimination of solvency funding for certain pension plans

Saskatchewan proposes elimination of solvency funding for certain pension plans

Saskatchewan’s pension regulator has set out proposals that include eliminating solvency funding for the province’s negotiated cost pension plans. Currently, all negotiated cost plans must…

  • By: Staff
  • August 9, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:28