After a tough couple of years, Canadians continue to face several challenges against an increasingly turbulent economic landscape. While most coronavirus restrictions were lifted in late spring 2022, the seventh wave of the pandemic arrived in July alongside rising inflation, which is compounding prices from the gas pump to the grocery store. Though the 2022 […]
Canada ranks No. 15 among developed nations for retiree well-being, down from No. 10 in 2021, according to Natixis Investment Managers’ annual global retirement index. The index, which provides an overview of the relative well-being and financial security of retirees in 44 countries across four indices, ranked Canada No. 11 in health, No. 12 in […]
In 2019, Nick Smith graduated with $50,000 worth of debt — $30,000 in student loans and $20,000 with a student line of credit. Low-paying jobs and a high cost of living made it hard for Smith to make a dent on his debt until he got hired as a mechanical technologist in Halifax at Dillon Consulting […]
Despite President Joe Biden’s new student loan forgiveness program, nearly two-thirds (60 per cent) of U.S. employers that currently offer a student loan repayment program won’t be changing their policy, according to a survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The survey, which polled more than 300 U.S. employers, found the majority (74 […]
Large employers in the U.K. are taking action to help employees in the face of the continuing cost-of-living challenges, according to a new survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The top ways employers are intervening to help with rising inflation include focused pay increases for essential workers (53 per cent), additional pay reviews (51 per cent) and one-off […]
The uniting theme at the 2022 Defined Contribution Plan Summit was financial wellness, a chief concern for any employer that offers a pension plan to its workforce. In particular, with inflation reaching its highest level in four decades and people facing several competing financial priorities, including simple day-to-day expenses, plan sponsors are bringing flexibility to […]
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, five major stressors are impacting Canadians’ overall well-being, with four of these related to finances: the knowledge gap, financial stress at home and work, retirement and basic needs, said Margaret Adaniel, head of retirement marketing at Manulife Investment Management, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2022 DC Plan […]
During a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2022 DC Plan Summit, Simon Cabral, Scotiabank’s director of global defined contribution plans, shared how the organization ties employees’ financial wellness into their broader well-being. A few years ago, the bank rebranded its benefits offering, linking its benefits, retirement savings and employee share ownership plans. The new strategy includes […]
In a panel discussion during Benefits Canada‘s 2022 DC Plan Summit, three defined contribution pension plan sponsors shared how their plans are evolving to ensure retirement savings are flexible, maximize employee engagement and cater to members’ divergent financial needs. During the coronavirus pandemic, Niagara Casinos laid off 96 per cent of employees and its casinos […]
Providing tools to help defined contribution pension plan members make solid financial decisions rather than making the decisions for them was the impetus for Canadian Forest Products Inc.’s multi-year financial wellness program, according to Lisa Weber, the company’s pension and benefits advisor, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2022 DC Plan Summit. Since Canfor closed […]