While renovation shows on television tend to take a sledgehammer to every surface in a house for dramatic effect, there’s another way. Defined contribution pension plans don’t need to be completely gutted to stay current. Something akin to painting an accent wall, like tweaking contribution rates, can be just as impactful and way more cost-effective. […]
The old adage “good things come to those who wait” is especially true of Canada and Quebec Pension Plan benefits. A $1,000 monthly CPP/QPP benefit in today’s dollars at age 60 increases to $1,112.50 if the individual delays until age 61 and to $2,218.75 if they wait until age 70, equivalent to more than $100,000 […]
On the eve of her retirement after more than 30 years in the pension industry, the SPP’s former executive director talks women in pensions, decumulation and learning to play the ukelele. Q. How did you get into the pension industry? A. This was a bit of luck on my part. The Saskatchewan Pension Plan was […]
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 […]
For the past 15 years, Benefits Canada’s CAP Member Survey has taken the pulse of capital accumulation plan members’ retirement readiness, their knowledge, confidence and satisfaction in their employer-provided CAPs and how their financial wellness is affecting their physical and mental health. Tracking sentiments through the 2008/09 financial crisis, its subsequent recession and recovery and […]
The Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities is developing a framework for defined contribution pension plans to offer variable payment life annuities. In developing the framework, the CAPSA said it will address topics such as plan design and conversion options, as well as member disclosure, spousal consent, plan termination, investment rules and regulatory oversight for […]
Purpose Investments Inc. is introducing a new longevity pension fund, which invests 50 per cent in equities and 50 per cent in fixed income. It can be incorporated into a defined contribution plan to provide plan members with an in-plan decumulation option, says Pat Leo, vice-president of retirement solutions at Purpose Investments, noting investors can redeem […]
While decumulation is a critical aspect of retirement, in my opinion, it doesn’t attract enough attention. Decumulation is the process of drawing down a capital accumulation plan’s pension assets to generate income, which many employees who are part of a CAP may not fully understand. CAP and defined benefit accounts have similar objectives: accumulation of […]
Many defined contribution pension plans contain a built-in contradiction. During accumulation, they offer an array of investment choices — sometimes too many. In decumulation, by contrast, the choices are very limited — perhaps to a conservative balanced fund and an annuity. Many plan sponsors don’t pay enough attention to decumulation because they’re focused on removing […]
Pension investments are a key component of ensuring secure benefits for plan members upon their retirement. To celebrate the plan sponsors and pension investors who work hard to ensure strong investment outcomes, the first-ever Pension Leadership Awards recognized winners across several categories. Congratulations to all the winners. You can view highlights about the winners below: […]