With defined contribution pension plans at various stages of evolution around the world, how are plan members faring in different countries? At Benefits Canada’s Defined Contribution Plan Summit in February, Shawn Cohen, director of relationship management at MFS Investment Management Canada Ltd., and Peter Delaney, director of investment solutions at MFS Investment Management, shared the […]
When Searles Valley Minerals Inc. upgraded its pension plan offerings, the situation appeared complicated. The average age of the 761 plan participants at the Kansas-based mining company was 47, and turnover was low. With many employees anchored in their careers, lifestyles and habits, change wasn’t necessarily a priority. “Inertia can be a powerful force,” said […]
Finding ways to leverage the engagement of plan members in order to optimize their experiences, decision-making and outcomes was a recurring theme at Benefits Canada’s Defined Contribution Plan Summit this February. One way to boost outcomes is by considering the growing science of financial attention, according to Jane Henshaw, head of digital research at the […]
While improving a defined contribution pension plan may appear to be simple, ensuring employees fully understand the changes is a crucial part of the exercise, said Ian Baines, head of pensions at Britain’s Nationwide Building Society. Baines told the story of his company’s pension changes at Benefits Canada‘s 2018 Defined Contribution Plan Summit in February. […]
While managers of target-date funds have benefited from strong tailwinds in recent years, how can they manage the current environment of uncertainty? Ruthann Pritchard, an institutional portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments, cited the favourable conditions of 2017 and the healthy markets of the last nine years as examples of trends that often end abruptly before […]
Transitioning to a defined contribution plan from a defined benefit arrangement is hard enough during the best of times. But when the organization is a company like Coca-Cola Ltd., size can be an added complication. “Encouraging employees to take action is not easy,” said Martha Callum, senior director for total rewards at Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada, […]
While saving for retirement is an incredibly long journey, visualizing the entire process is a great way to get to better outcomes, according to Neil Walton, head of investment solutions at Schroder Investment Management Ltd. “Start with the end in mind,” Walton told participants at Benefits Canada’s Defined Contribution Plan Summit. “That means reviewing projected […]
Participants at Benefits Canada’s Defined Contribution Plan Summit spent two days listening to a large roster of speakers offer up solutions on everything from communication tips about plan changes to strategies for allocating members’ assets. So what were some of the key learnings? Janice Holman, defined contribution practice leader at Eckler Ltd., helped sum up some […]
Moderators: Nadia Darwish, vice-president of development, marketing and investment strategy; and Karrina Dusablon, vice-president of business development, client relationship and member experience, at Desjardins Insurance Topic: Balancing a human and digital approach to plan member experiences Augmented reality, big data, robo-advisors and artificial intelligence are playing growing roles in the digital era. By 2020, Canadians […]
Moderators: Christine van Staden, regional vice-president, group customer; and George Ng, senior account executive, group customer, at Great-West Life Assurance Co. Canada is an increasingly diverse country. Canadians live across six time zones, comprise four workplace generations (traditionalists, baby boomers, generation Xers and millennials) and include more than 200 ethnic origins. The number of speakers […]