For most employers, proactive thinking on employment law issues means putting proper procedures in place to handle issues like discrimination, harassment claims, or a potential…
Recovering equity markets and rising interest rates combined to nudge the overall health of pension plans upward this past quarter, according to Mercer. The Mercer…
When it comes to sales tax harmonization, which will become effective in Ontario and British Columbia in July 2010, government announcements to date have focused…
The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) conducted its first live on-site survey of plan sponsors attending the 42nd Annual Canadian Employee Benefits Conference…
Last year started with great uncertainty for pension plans, following a disastrous 2008, which was made worse by a mediocre 2007. The S&P TSX Composite…
The Benefits Canada Editorial Advisory Board met recently to discuss the current pension and benefits landscape and to share perspectives on future trends. The conversation…
Christmas arrived early for plan sponsors and members as the Government of Ontario introduced legislation on Dec. 9, 2009, to amend the Ontario Pension Benefits…
As defined contribution (DC) pension plans gain international traction in today’s weakened economy, the issue of meaningful fee disclosure has garnered significant attention. Unlike the…
1. HST a dark horse for plan sponsors Ontario’s Harmonized Sales Tax will be implemented a year from now. What it means for plan sponsors…
While the majority of retail asset backed commercial paper investors got 100% of their principal investment back, many believe the firms that sold ABCP have…
On the eve of the federal-provincial finance ministers meeting in Whitehorse, a curious disconnect is emerging in Canada. A chorus of prominent voices has been…
Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff is backing the idea of a supplementary government pension plan, saying Canadians are not saving enough for retirement. “We are calling…
On Nov. 27, 2009, the Supreme Court of Canada handed down a decision in Plourde v. Wal-Mart Canada Corp., which upheld a long-standing principle of…
For most early retirees, free time is something had in spades. But Don Walcot, involved with numerous pension- and investment-related committees, is as busy now—if…
The workforce at SNC-Lavalin is not your typical group of employees. Highly skilled (most are engineers) and mobile (continuously moving from one project to another…
Getting plan members to think about their pension plans well before they are on the brink of retirement—and helping them to understand the true value…
Including alternative investments or global equities in a pension portfolio is becoming increasingly common, but that wasn’t always the case—and Carl Otto, chair emeritus of…
On Nov. 5, 2009, key individuals in the pension community gathered at the Fairmont Royal York hotel in Toronto for a gala event to celebrate…
Retirement plan sponsors and members in Atlantic Canada, like their counterparts elsewhere in the country, spent 2009 sifting through the aftermath of the economic storm.…
Public companies will be required to transition to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for fiscal reporting periods starting in 2011. They will need to comply…
Amherst (Town) v. Nova Scotia (Superintendent of Pensions) (Amherst) is the first case to address the issue of who is considered an “employer” for the…
Many Canadian pension plan sponsors will recall the late 80s and early 90s as a time of significant change. Over a span of about six…
The role of small businesses in increasing pension coverage for Canadian workers and pension reform were the main topic of discussion at the 2009 Canadian…
The efforts of many Canadian plan sponsors are being devoted to risk exposure, employee communication and education around retirement income adequacy, a recent survey reveals.…
A revised version of the Regulation to Amend the Regulation Respecting Supplemental Pension Plans has been released by the Gazette officielle du Québec, according to…