With companies finding themselves strapped for cash in the wake of the coronavirus, are plan sponsors scaling back on the company match in capital accumulation plans? Looking at the bigger picture in the U.S., companies are more focused on keeping their businesses running than on their defined contribution plans, says Peg Knox, chief operating officer […]
The majority (70 per cent) of U.S. employees said their top financial concern is saving enough money for retirement, according to a new survey by StanCorp Financial Group Inc. The survey, which polled 1,000 full-time U.S. employees between the ages of 21 and 69, also found 57 per cent said they’re also concerned about monthly […]
An important case around an employer’s ability to change its practice in granting consent benefits under a pension plan is winding its way through the courts. The case, Hall et al v Canadian National Railway, involves a dispute by a group of former employees of the Canadian National Railway Co. who resigned, prior to age 55, between the years […]
It’s no surprise that FreshBooks takes its employees’ financial literacy seriously. The Toronto-based accounting software firm regularly holds lunch-and-learn workshops and hosts subject manner experts on a wide range of financial wellness topics, including investing basics and ethical investing, mortgages, building up savings and several aspects of tax preparation during tax season. It also offers […]
As social media becomes increasingly pervasive, employers should consider adding the tool to their communications arsenal. Indeed, David McArthur, principal and creative director at Morello Communications Inc., says it’s too big a phenomenon for plan sponsors to ignore. “It’s something we’re certainly seeing a lot more of,” notes Cameron McNeill, senior vice-president and Canadian business […]
Many Canadians are interested in learning more about how to manage their money as they make the transition to retirement, according to a new survey by Mackenzie Investments. About half (47 per cent) of baby boomers said they want to know more about how to make the transition to retirement. This age group is slightly more […]
With the introduction of Bill 132 in the Ontario legislature last week, pension plan sponsors should be aware of a number of amendments coming to the Pension Benefits Act. If passed, the changes will affect sections of the act that cover electronic communications, missing plan members and the conversion of single-employer pensions into a jointly […]
Defined contribution plan sponsors are facing challenges that will shape the nature of their legal obligations to employees. Member communication is a key challenge, said Jon Marin, an associate in pension and benefits at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, during Benefits Canada’s 2019 Defined Contribution Investment Forum in Toronto on Sept. 27. “In the vast […]
When it comes to engaging employees on matters of financial and personal wellness, it’s increasingly clear one size no longer fits all. In a roundtable in Toronto on Oct. 17, the 2019 Workplace Benefits Awards finalists focused their discussion on how to make sure their various programs and communication efforts were resonating with the multiple generations and […]
The merger of Torstar Corp.’s defined benefit pension plans into the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology pension plan’s DBPlus has crossed the first hurdle with the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. The FRSA has issued notices of an intended decision for the merger. By issuing these notices, it’s indicating an intention to consent to the plan mergers […]