Inspired by the University of British Columbia’s variable payment lifetime annuity option, the Australian Retirement Trust is taking a similar approach to decumulation, which, in turn, may hold lessons for Canadian defined contribution plan sponsors, said Brnic Van Wyk, the plan’s head of asset and liability management, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 DC […]
During a panel discussion at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Defined Contribution Plan Summit in February, three defined contribution plan sponsors shared their respective decumulation journeys and their thoughts on where the DC plan sector is in terms of effectively supporting this particular phase of plan members’ lives. At ATCO Ltd., roughly 5,500 employees are enrolled across […]
An article on the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s priorities for the coming year was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the week: 1. CLHIA focusing on improving pharmacare, rare disease drug coverage in 2024 2. Majority of Canadian employers expecting […]
In the coming year, the Association of Canadian Pension Management is looking forward to the possibility of participating in final consultations on policies and legislation determining variable payment life annuities, says Todd Saulnier, a principal at Mercer and president of the ACPM board. The 2023 federal budget proposed amendments to the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 […]
The impacts of climate change and federal super-priority legislation on Canadian pension plans are among the issues that the Canadian Institute of Actuaries is monitoring in 2024, says Simon Nelson, a principal at Eckler Ltd. and chair of the CIA’s pension practice committee. While climate change is a consideration across all of the CIA’s practice […]
The Pension Investment Association of Canada will concentrate its legislative advocacy efforts on funding reform in 2024, including for an overhaul of long-term, minimum funding regulations for federally regulated defined benefit pension plans, said David Lawson, the PIAC’s new chair. In an emailed statement to Benefits Canada, he said as DB plan sponsors continue to face […]
While there’s more work to be done before lifetime pension pools are widely implemented in North America, employers are increasingly aware of concepts such as variable payment life annuities, says Barbara Sanders, an associate professor at Simon Fraser University. “It seems that it’s being discussed fairly often. When in industry meetings, it’s certainly a very […]
Defined benefit pension plan sponsors that are considering winding up their plans or converting them to another framework following the federal government’s super-priority bill have more innovative options, according to Mitch Frazer, managing partner at Mintz LLP, during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Risk Management Conference. Although Bill C-228, which received royal assent at the end […]
Increased volatility, stubborn inflation and erratic interest rates are making for financially uncertain times, where it can be more reassuring to seek safety in shared risk, rather than shouldering financial ambiguity alone. Celebrated for their pooled assets and shared risk, multi-employer pension plans are gaining traction. Tami Dove, director of member experience at the Co-operative […]
Changes to tax rules can improve Canadians’ retirement security and make the retirement system more equitable, according to a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute. The report argued in favour of key changes to the accumulation phase, such as more equitable tax-deferred registered wealth accumulation limits, changes to the tax recognition of administrative expenses […]