The Alberta government tabled new pension legislation Tuesday proposing a joint governance structure for three of the province’s largest pension plans —the Local Authorities Pension Plan, the Public Service Pension Plan and the Special Forces Pension Plan. “Our government believes that Albertans who have been paying into their pensions for decades should have control over their […]
The first two parts of this series explored the first 10 principles of the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities’ guidelines on pension governance. As a principles-based framework, the guidelines lay out what to strive for, leaving the how up to plan administrators. The final instalment in this series looks at the 11th principle, which recommends that […]
The Ontario government is moving forward with legislation around variable benefits from defined contribution plans, facilitating mergers into jointly sponsored pension plans and enabling the electronic designation of beneficiaries in pension plans. In its 2018 economic outlook and fiscal review, released on Thursday, the province said it will move forward with the change, which was […]
The Financial Services Commission of Ontario has released its guideline for administrative penalties related to violations of the province’s Pension Benefits Act. The change was introduced at the beginning of 2018, with the superintendent given the authority to impose monetary penalties for certain violations of the act and its regulations. Unlike a fine, these penalties have […]
Using a Canada-model pension plan, employees would see $5.32 in retirement income for every dollar they contribute compared to the typical $1.70 resulting from an individual approach, according to a new report by the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. The report, The Value of a Good Pension, divides Canadian retirement options into five distinct types: an individual […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board saw a net return of 0.6 per cent for the second fiscal quarter of 2019. With a total net assets of $368.3 billion as of Sept. 30, 2018, the fund added $1.7 billion during the quarter. “While returns were relatively flat in the second quarter, our teams performed well against our […]
The Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities has released a draft revision of its guideline No. 2, which looks at electronic communication in the pension industry. The guideline was initially set out in February 2002 to help pension plan administrators and members apply new electronic commerce legislation to communications required under pension legislation. In the CAPSA’s initial consultations to develop […]
Perseverance, communication and innovation are just a few of the words used to describe Jeff Aarssen. Aarsseen, the recently retired vice-president of group customer sales at Great-West Life Assurance Co., received the award for industry leadership at Benefits Canada’s 2018 Workplace Benefits Awards in Toronto on Oct. 11. “It’s very meaningful, personally,” says Aarssen. “It means that 38 […]
Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford is pledging his support for Ontario steelworkers and their pensions in the wake of the United States’ government’s 25 per cent tariff on Canadian steel. In an announcement last week to Algoma Steel Inc. employees in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Ford said the provincial government would be helping in the form of regulatory relief from […]
Measuring happiness has a role to play in determining the success of retirement solutions and their outcomes, according to a new global survey by State Street Global Advisors. The survey focused on the individual qualitative characteristics of trust, preparedness and ownership associated with certain countries’ retirement systems, exploring how happiness can be pertinent to overall perceptions […]