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 variable payment life annuities, says Barbara Sanders, an associate professor at Simon Fraser University. “It seems that it’s being discussed fairly often. When in industry meetings, it’s certainly a very […]
With more than 40,000 employees across the country, Amazon Canada is a microcosm of the wider national workforce. Comprising five generations, the online retailer’s workers represent a wide spectrum of savings goals and related challenges. And to support these goals, it has developed a diverse array of options to meet staff at every stage of […]
While the majority (87 per cent) of defined contribution pension plan sponsors feel their members are somewhat or very prepared for retirement, only 63 per cent of members feel the same way, according to a new survey by Voya Investment Management. The survey, which polled 305 U.S. DC plan sponsors, 205 plan specialists and 500 […]
While the term decumulation may sound very technical and often leads to confusion among pension plan members, it’s actually quite simple — effectively, it’s the opposite of accumulation. These two terms make up the typical retirement savings journey — the accumulation phase is the working years when capital accumulation plan members put away their nest […]
Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic three years ago, the global economy has faced a bumpy ride, led by the lingering public health crisis, rising geopolitical tensions and high inflation. The 2023 Defined Contribution Investment Forum, which was held on Sept. 29 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Toronto, shared thought leadership on the various […]
Larry, a hypothetical defined contribution plan member, is facing a difficult calculus as he prepares to retire. Between his personal and DC plan savings, he’s accumulated $620,000 in savings for his retirement and is also expecting roughly $1,000 a month from the Canada Pension Plan and $650 in old-age security benefits. He has to determine […]
The Saskatchewan Pension Plan is expanding its variable benefit option to all retiring plan members across Canada. The option, which was previously only available to Saskatchewan-based plan members, allows for continued investment choice and income flexibility, according to a press release, which noted members who opt for the variable benefit can consolidate funds by transferring […]
Increased volatility, stubborn inflation and erratic interest rates are making for financially uncertain times, where it can be more reassuring to seek safety in shared risk, rather than shouldering financial ambiguity alone. Celebrated for their pooled assets and shared risk, multi-employer pension plans are gaining traction. Tami Dove, director of member experience at the Co-operative […]
Canada’s life and health insurers paid out a record $114 billion in health and retirement benefits last year, up $11 billion since before the coronavirus pandemic and up 60 per cent from a decade ago, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. “During a year when many households faced higher […]
Working in the pension industry has always been aligned with Shannan Corey’s personal interests and values. Her father was an actuary so she was exposed to the pension industry from a very young age. After earning her mathematics degree at the University of Saskatchewan, she became an associate actuary, spending a few years in consulting […]