As the labour market tightens and competition for talent reaches new heights, companies are revisiting their benefits in order to attract and retain quality employees, according to a survey. A poll of over 2,100 payroll professionals by the Canadian Payroll Association (CPA) ranked the frequency of all 39 categories of taxable employee benefits offered in […]
Fragmentation of pension regulations, inconsistent governance procedures and uncertainty regarding legal risk exposures are causing problems for more than two-thirds of Canadian plan sponsors, according to a survey. According to the Survey of Pension Plans in Canada, commissioned by Aon Consulting and the Canadian Financial Executives Research Foundation (CFERF) (the research institute of FEI Canada), […]
The total assets of the world’s largest 300 pension funds grew by over 14% in 2007 to around US$12 trillion, according to a survey. Research by Watson Wyatt, in conjunction with Pensions & Investments newspaper, suggests that asset growth occurred in most major countries and the size of the pool of assets has more than […]
Georgian College is launching a new course on pensions and benefits this fall—the first of its kind in Canada. Brian Tamblyn, president and chief executive officer, discusses the circumstances surrounding the development of the course and its potential benefits. How did this course come about? David Blevins, president of Blevins Insurance Group, approached me about […]
Ontario will soon have a new pricing scheme that will halve costs for certain generic drugs for plan members. Proponents say similar programs abroad have produced enormous savings and have resulted in better access to drugs. Observers overwhelmingly agree that the scheme is a great deal—for the Government of Ontario. Ontario’s Competitive Agreements for generic […]
The retirement industry has been slow to embrace the opportunities of the internet, until now. A new website has brought retirement planning and administration fully into the information age, with the aim of encouraging plan members to engage themselves in their future. Launched in June, Standard Life’s new VIP Room site features a “retirement dashboard” […]
After the Ontario Court of Appeal provided a brief respite from the emotional rollercoaster that is Canada’s third-party asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP) market, investors may now have a new reason to worry: Ivanhoe Mines plans to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. According to Howard Shapray, a lawyer representing Ivanhoe, the […]
A new strategy is emerging in the fight to control prescription drug costs amongst employers: getting employees involved in their own healthcare. According to a Buck Consultants report, Understanding Your Strategies for Coping with the Changing Pharmacy Benefit Landscape, employers see their workers as allies in their long-term strategies to manage drug costs. The survey […]
Defined benefit (DB) plan sponsors looking to save money by switching to defined contribution (DC) plans take note: despite commonly held beliefs, DB plans are capable of delivering retirement benefits at a lower cost than DC plans, according to a report. The National Institute on Retirement Security’s (NIRS) report, A Better Bang for the Buck: […]
As the information age pushes an increasing number of people into desk-bound jobs, sedentary workers are finding it difficult to avoid packing on extra pounds, which too often translate into extra healthcare costs for plan sponsors. An office equipment manufacturer and a Mayo Clinic doctor have come up with a solution to battle expanding waistlines: […]