British Columbia’s amended definition of provision for adverse deviation will provide additional flexibility to the province’s target-benefit pension plans, according to experts. The changes to the PfAD’s definition lowers the minimum funding requirement to 7.5 per cent and allows a supplementary percentage identified by the target-benefit plan administrator or board as appropriate to achieve the […]
An article on the potential impacts of Alberta withdrawing from the Canada Pension Plan was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Employers raising concerns over Alberta leaving CPP, but expert says move could yield benefits for workers 2. Co-operators acquiring Smart Employee Benefits […]
A new U.S. law that aims to strengthen retirement support for workers holds valuable lessons for Canada’s retirement system, says one pension consultant. The Secure 2.0 Act of 2022, which was signed into law in December, contains several provisions to enhance the U.S. retirement system and boost retirement savings, including a requirement for plan sponsors to […]
The French government’s plans to reform the national pension system have been met by widespread protest. Elisabeth Borne, France’s prime minister, unveiled plans to raise the minimum age required to claim benefits from the Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Vieillesse from 62 to 64 by 2030. In addition, the government proposed that claimants will be required to […]
While many Alberta employers say they’d be disadvantaged if the province left the Canada Pension Plan, one expert says a provincial pension plan could benefit members by reducing contributions and increasing retirement savings. Last November, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith instructed the province’s finance minister to provide recommendations on the implementation of a provincial pension plan. According […]
The Association of Canadian Pension Management’s top priority in 2023 is convincing Canada’s senate to amend or block the passage of Bill C-228, according to Ric Marrero, the association’s president and chief executive officer. “Our first priority is to keep monitoring Bill C-228, which is now in the senate. Our members think it would cause […]
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 […]
For some Canadians, the term pension may still conjure images of a secure stash of money guaranteed to ensure a comfortable lifestyle in retirement. I should know — until joining Benefits Canada in 2020, I counted myself among this group. Defined benefit pension plans — the epitome of the image described above — still exist, but […]
Amid the lingering coronavirus pandemic, vaccination policies and paid sick leave were top of mind among Benefits Canada’s readers in 2022. However, stories about new employee benefits and compensation planning, as well as pension and retirement matters, also caught readers’ eyes. Here are Benefits Canada’s 10 most popular stories of the year: 1. Feds consider definition of ‘fully […]
The Financial Services Tribunal of Ontario has awarded an employer with a $320,000 pension surplus, despite the plan’s trust agreements’ silence as to surplus entitlement. “The requirements for an employer to receive 100 per cent of surplus are strict, but the tribunal took a practical [approach] as opposed to a narrow interpretive approach to the […]