A new retirement plan design could allow more public employees in the U.S. to accrue retirement benefits regardless of their length of service, according to a report by think tank the Reason Foundation. The plan, which blends elements of defined contribution and defined benefit pension plans, focuses on providing employees with the target retirement income […]
Similar to 2022, the coming year will present both challenges and opportunities for defined benefit pension plan sponsors, with the rewards going to plan sponsors that are resilient, embrace change and are willing and able to act when opportunities arise. Several trends that will be top of mind in the year ahead are: Inflation The […]
The Canadian Institute of Actuaries is advising the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities to strengthen its proposed guideline on risks related to environmental, social and governance factors, including consideration for pension plan liabilities and climate-related disclosure. In an open letter to the CAPSA, the CIA suggested including a section on how ESG factors should […]
The Canadian Institute of Actuaries is supporting several of the Alberta government’s proposed legislative and policy updates for private sector pension laws, including the move towards a going-concern plus regime for defined benefit plans and the introduction of automatic features in defined contribution plans. In its response to the consultation draft, the CIA cited the benefits […]
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 […]
Alcoa Corp. is de-risking roughly US$1 billion in U.S. defined benefit pension obligations and assets with an annuity transfer. The group annuity contracts will be executed by two subsidiaries of Athene Holding Ltd., which will assume payments for roughly 4,400 participants in November, according to a press release. Read: Looking under the hood of jumbo […]
Higher long-term bond yields driven by rising interest rates are lowering the cost of annuity purchases for defined benefit pension plans, says Mary Kate Archibald, a principal at Eckler Ltd. Since January, the cost of an annuity purchase has decreased by between 10 and 15 per cent, as long-term bond yields increased from 1.7 to […]
Stelco Inc. is de-risking one of its defined benefit pension plans with a $1.3 billion annuity buy-in. The deal, which covers more than 7,000 United Steelworkers members and beneficiaries employed at the company’s Hamilton, Ont.-based plant, was completed in May with Brookfield Annuity Co. and Sun Life Financial Inc. Read: Stelco workers, retirees learn fate […]
The Association of Canadian Pension Management is providing feedback on the Accounting Standards Board’s proposed amendments to the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada’s handbook, including changes to sections covering defined benefit pension plan obligations and amalgamations. In an open letter responding to the board’s proposal, Ric Marrero, chief executive officer of the ACPM, said when […]
The Canadian pension risk transfer market registered about $6.6 billion in annuity sales in the second half of 2021, far exceeding the activity of any previous calendar year, according to a new report by Eckler Ltd. It found total annual sales of about $7.7 billion were generated in 2021, with more than $200 million in business […]