While the coronavirus pandemic certainly doesn’t change pension plan sponsors’ fundamental fiduciary duty to their plan members, the crisis is creating circumstances that will test how that responsibility manifests. Fiduciary duty arises when one party has a certain vulnerability in respect to another party, said Kenneth Burns, partner at Lawson Lundell LLP, in a webinar roundtable hosted by the […]
A retiree whose retirement savings are primarily in a registered savings plan, such as a life income fund or registered retirement income fund, already faces a number of risks and challenges during their retirement years. But a significant financial market correction highlights one of these challenges — how much income should be withdrawn from the […]
The Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology pension plan has added two more employers to its DBplus offering. Skills Canada Ontario and Fraser Group are the latest organizations to join the pension, bringing the number of employers in the plan to 33 since its launch 18 months ago. Employers joining DBplus can select a fixed contribution […]
The Pension Investment Association of Canada is raising concerns about the impact of the impending merger between Aon and Willis Towers Watson on pension plans and funds in Canada. In a letter to the Competition Bureau, Simon Fréchet, the association’s chair, said the PIAC’s members use actuarial consulting services to support the effective fiduciary management […]
The union representing 400 Dominion Diamond Mines employees is attempting to guarantee that the company honours its multi-million dollar pension shortfall as it goes through a court-ordered creditor protection process. If the shortfall isn’t prioritized, the Union of Northern Workers said it’s concerned that active members and pensioners would all face reduced pensions. “How much […]
The Canada Revenue Agency is waiving the one per cent minimum required employer contribution on defined contribution pension plans for the remainder of 2020. Registered DC plan sponsors are required to contribute at least one per cent of all active members’ pensionable earnings each year. But in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the Minister of National […]
Does your organization’s benefits or pension plan communications deserve recognition? Are you leading the way when it comes to supporting your employees’ mental health? Is your company’s financial wellness program award-worthy? Benefits Canada’s annual Workplace Benefits Awards is officially open for nominations. Submit your entries here. As in previous years, the 2020 awards will continue to honour the achievements of […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario has confirmed it will permit a suspension of employer contributions to defined contribution pension plans on a temporary basis. However, any change to either employer or employee contributions can only be on a go-forward basis and must be supported by an amendment to the plan text, said the […]
Provincial and federal regulators are beginning to roll out relief measures for defined benefit pension plan sponsors, ranging from administrative filing extensions to freezes on commuted-value transfers. At the federal level, the government announced Thursday it will be halting solvency special payments for federally regulated DB plans until the end of 2020 to ensure plan […]
During an educational two days in Montreal, the 2020 DC Plan Summit, on Feb. 5-7, featured a range of sessions diving into today’s top issues for plan sponsors, including financial education and wellness, post-retirement solutions, sustainability, plan design and technology. Is your pension communication message getting through? A look at the different paths to ESG […]