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 […]
In its 2023 budget on Tuesday, the federal government proposed roughly $13 billion over the next five years and $4.4 billion ongoing to fully implement the national dental-care program. The plan — to be administered by Health Canada, with support from a third-party benefits administrator — will provide dental coverage for uninsured Canadians with annual […]
The Pension Investment Association of Canada is praising the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities for addressing the regulatory inconsistencies facing Canada’s defined contribution pension plan sponsors in its draft strategic plan for 2023-2026. “We commend CAPSA for its achievements in engaging with stakeholders to consider evolving regulatory risks and [capital accumulation plan] guideline development,” […]
The Association of Canadian Pension Management is encouraging the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities to prioritize decumulation in its draft 2023-2026 strategic plan. In an open letter to the CAPSA, the ACPM recommended the strategic plan address all potential decumulation income sources beyond defined contribution pension assets, noting that, while a focus on these […]
The Pension and Investment Association of Canada is calling on the federal government to establish a going-concern plus regime as a long-term minimum funding requirement for federally regulated defined benefit pension plans. In its pre-budget submission to Finance Canada, the PIAC said it believes the Canadian government should set a uniform funding requirement for all provinces […]
Finance’s toughest problem just got a whole lot trickier, thanks to the quandary of inflation. Legendary economist William F. Sharpe sealed his place in history when he collected the 1990 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on investment decision-making, but in defined contribution pension circles, the emeritus professor at Stanford University is […]