While Canada’s financial industry has been successful in helping people accumulate savings during their working lives, the decumulation phase is a lot more complicated. One challenge, in particular, facing capital accumulation plan sponsors and members is an ageing population, said Fraser Stark (pictured, right), president of the longevity retirement platform at Purpose Investments Inc., during […]
Among all the legal issues facing DC plan sponsors and administrators, questions around contribution errors is top of mind. “The industry has been speaking with [the Department of] Finance Canada on the tax side to see what can be done to help support us in fixing these errors,” said Susan Nickerson (pictured, left), a partner […]
The Canadian Investment Review is pleased to announce the finalists for the second annual Pension Leadership Awards. This year, the awards welcomed more than 20 applications highlighting the actions of leading figures and organizations within the pension sector. In the preliminary judging phase, three finalists were chosen for each award category. Read: Announcing the winners of […]
If I’ve learned one thing about the Canadian pension industry over the past six years, it’s that change comes at a snail’s pace. When I joined Benefits Canada in 2015, my Canadian pension knowledge was a blank slate, so I spent several weeks speaking to pension experts. The key message that came across was this: […]
A majority of Canadian employers believe providing workplace retirement savings plans can improve employee attraction and retention, according to a survey by Maru Group Ltd. on behalf of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. The survey, which polled 800 Canadian employers, found 88 per cent of those that offer a defined benefit pension plan said […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is encouraging defined contribution pension plan sponsors and administrators to evaluate the use of automatic features within the context of their plans. New guidance posted to the FSRA’s website affirms that the Pension Benefits Act and its regulations don’t prohibit the use of automatic features in defined contribution pension […]
Canadian insurers paid out more than $97 billion in benefits from life and health insurance products in 2020, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. The period, which included the first nine months of the coronavirus pandemic, included $420 million paid out for psychology-related claims to support mental health, up 24 […]
Governance-related resolutions are receiving more overall votes from defined contribution pension plan members, but environmental issues are more engaging on a vote-per-measure basis, according to a new survey by two U.K.-based organizations. The study, by asset management firm Legal and General Investment Management Ltd. and fintech company Tumelo, found measures related to all levels of […]
Last year, Benefits Canada hosted its 2020 CAP Member Survey webinar just a few weeks after the World Health Organization declared the global coronavirus pandemic. It was early days and, as uncertain as we all felt, I don’t think anyone expected we’d still be working from home and struggling through the crisis almost a year […]
The past year and a half has been characterized by marked change. The move to remote work, industry layoffs and the desire for more robust support left plan sponsors and consultants rapidly altering the ways they work together. Certain trends, such as virtual care, mental-health support, changing retirement needs and industry consolidation have slowly been […]