An article on incoming changes to Nova Scotia’s provincial Pension Benefits Act was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Nova Scotia to allow unlocking of pension benefits 2. Alberta government fires AIMCo CEO, board, citing rising costs and poor […]
The Nova Scotia government is updating the provincial Pension Benefits Act to allow the unlocking of pension benefits. Effective April 1, 2025, plan members aged 55 and older will have a one-time ability to unlock up to 50 per cent of their locked-in funds when transferring to a life income fund. Read: Quebec’s amendment to […]
Ontario’s proposed regulatory framework for target-benefit pension plans includes requirements that are more prescriptive than other jurisdictions and could result in additional costs and reduced benefits for plan members, said the Association of Canadian Pension Management. In an open letter, the ACPM noted the inclusion of policies — such as those determining funding and benefits, […]
The Association of Canadian Pension Management is urging the Ontario government to ensure its proposed amendment to the Succession Law Reform Act doesn’t introduce unintended confusion or ambiguities that would make it challenging for pension plan sponsors, administrators and trustees to carry out their duties. In an open letter, the ACPM said the language of the […]
In its newest guidance, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is barring pension plan administrators from registering retroactive adverse amendments that could have a negative impact on plan members or beneficiaries, such as changes in contribution rates, subject to limited exceptions. “What we found coming out of the [coronavirus] pandemic, . . . there was […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario’s revised proposed guidance on retroactive adverse amendments for pension plan administrators is inconsistent with existing case law, the wording of the Pension Benefits Act and the principles of statutory interpretation, said the Association of Canadian Pension Management, in an open letter. The FSRA’s proposed guidelines aim to provide greater […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario’s proposed family rule could allow for pension benefits to be divided more fairly in the event of a marriage breakdown, says Louis Duranleau, a senior principal of pensions at Normandin Beaudry. “When there’s an agreement between the spouses to share the retiree’s pension before it’s effectively divided in […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario’s proposed guidance on pension plan administrator roles and responsibilities requires more clarity and consistency, according to the Association of Canadian Pension Management. In an open letter, the ACPM recommended greater clarity regarding the distinction between statutory guidance and general commentary, particularly in the sections on records retention and […]
The Association of Canadian Pension Management is urging the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario to apply a best practices approach for the pension sector in its information technology risk management guidance. In an open letter to the FSRA, the ACPM said a real-time reporting framework for material IT risk incidents could result in a […]
While pension plan administrators know about their plan members’ employment history and salaries, they may not expect to learn much about their personal lives, including how often they text their spouse or whether they have family dinners every night. However, in most jurisdictions, the spouse of a defined benefit plan member is entitled to a joint […]