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UPP keeping plan members engaged, informed with new web portal

The University Pension Plan is launching a new web portal to prioritize plan member engagement throughout the year. “Transparency is an important value to our…

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OMERS pension benefits accounted for 9.3% of Ontario retirement income in 2023: report

Retirement benefits paid out by the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System accounted for 9.3 per cent of retirement income in Ontario in 2023, according to…

  • By: Blake Wolfe
  • February 15, 2024 February 14, 2024
  • 09:00

FSRA’s Pension Awareness Day helping engage, educate employees on benefits of workplace pension plans

For its second annual Pension Awareness Day on Feb. 15, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is holding information sessions for its employees to…

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Expert panel: Risk management, target-benefit framework among themes shaping pension industry in 2024

While it’s impossible to predict exactly how pension case law will evolve in future, one can offer an educated guess at some legislative developments and…

Top 5 HR, benefits, pension and investment stories of the week

A story on mental-health themes and challenges for 2024 was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension…

  • By: Staff
  • January 12, 2024 January 11, 2024
  • 09:00
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Employers increasingly aware of lifetime pension pools, but more work to be done: report

While there’s more work to be done before lifetime pension pools are widely implemented in North America, employers are increasingly aware of concepts such as…

AI holds uncapped potential for pension plan sponsors’ administration, communications: expert

While pension plan sponsors are still in the early days of exploring how artificial intelligence solutions could help automate maintenance tasks, they’re exploring the various…

How employers can shift younger workers’ ‘soft saving’ mentality to focus on retirement planning

Discouraged with the state of the current economy, more and more younger workers are abandoning saving for retirement and focusing on ‘soft saving.’ Soft saving…

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Federal public sector pension indexation rate set at 4.8% for 2024

The pension indexation rate for federal public sector pensions will be 4.8 per cent in 2024, according to the National Association of Federal Retirees. The…

  • By: Staff
  • November 30, 2023 November 30, 2023
  • 11:00

Third of DC plan sponsors don’t expect employees to use financial wellness programs: survey

About a third (32 per cent) of defined contribution pension plan sponsors that currently don’t use a financial wellness program say it’s because they don’t expect…

  • By: Staff
  • November 16, 2023 November 15, 2023
  • 09:00
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RBC educating employees, reducing stigma around money matters through financial wellness hub

During Financial Literacy Month, the Royal Bank of Canada is supporting employees’ financial wellness through a new website that provides financial education and support. The…

2023 DC Investment Forum: Silver linings for retirement savings, investment trends and younger generations

Defined contribution pension plan members are currently in a different place, especially the younger generations, who are likely feeling as though their financial priorities don’t…

Ontario’s guidance for target-benefit MEPPs undermines incentives for plan sponsors: ACPM

The Ontario Ministry of Finance’s proposed guidance for multi-employer target-benefit pension plans undermines incentives for employers to contribute towards their employees’ retirement savings, including cost certainty,…

  • By: Staff
  • October 30, 2023 November 2, 2023
  • 09:00
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FSRA pension plan administration guidance requires clarity, consistency, says ACPM

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario’s proposed guidance on pension plan administrator roles and responsibilities requires more clarity and consistency, according to the Association…

  • By: Staff
  • October 12, 2023 October 11, 2023
  • 09:00
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New target-benefit funding framework in Ontario to provide more flexibility for administrators, boards: expert

The Ontario government’s new funding framework for target-benefit plans will provide more flexibility for plan administrators and boards, says Domenic Barbiero, principal at Eckler Ltd.…

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Newfoundland and Labrador arbitrator rules pension grievance can proceed despite late filing, citing ‘culture of acquiescence’

An arbitrator has ruled that a pension grievance filed seven years beyond a collective agreement’s time limit could proceed because of the employer’s “culture of…

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Updates to FSRA pension administration guidance will strengthen language around legal risks: expert

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is seeking feedback on proposed updates to its guidance on pension plan administrator roles and responsibilities. The updates…

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37% of U.S. employers say attraction, retention is No. 1 reason to offer non-qualified retirement plans: survey

More than a third (37 per cent) of U.S. employers that offer a non-qualified retirement plan say attraction and retention of key talent is their…

  • By: Staff
  • August 17, 2023 August 16, 2023
  • 09:00

Editorial: Deciphering the data

I’m sitting down to write this on the hottest day so far in 2023. Environment Canada has issued a multi-day heat warning in my region…

ChatGPT a game-changer for benefits communication but risks remain with full automation: expert

While ChatGPT is helping benefits communications become more efficient, detailed and reliable, the risks may outweigh the rewards when it comes to full automation, says…

2023 CAP Member Survey: How CAPs are evolving to address changing financial priorities

With Canadians’ financial priorities shifting alongside a turbulent economic climate, including inflation levels not seen in decades and a never-ending rise in the cost of…

Is the single-employer DB pension plan dead or merely modernizing for the future?

Predictions of the demise of defined benefit pension plans are premature. The reality is DB is still alive and well in the public sector, with…

Coverage of the 2023 Benefits & Pension Summit

The annual Benefits & Pension Summit, which was hosted virtually on June 1, is the only Benefits Canada event that brings together health benefits and capital accumulation…

2023 BPS coverage: Preparing CAP members for retirement in a challenging economic environment

High inflation and interest rates are having a real impact on people’s finances, according to Benefits Canada‘s 2023 CAP Member Survey, which found 76 per…