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2024 DC Investment Forum: Financial advice ‘paramount’ to DC plan members’ success as they save for, enter retirement

Canadian defined contribution plan members’ knowledge of target-date funds is lacking and it may point to a larger issue: the stakes set for member investment knowledge may be too high, hindering engagement efforts, according to a survey by MFS Investment Management. The survey of around 1,000 Canadian DC plan members, including 700 active members and 300 […]

  • November 6, 2024 November 4, 2024
  • 07:55

2024 DC Investment Forum: New decumulation product combining income predictability with capital availability

Pension plan members’ primary concerns about their golden years are whether they’ve saved enough money to live their dream retirement, whether those funds will last and whether they’ll be able to leave a legacy for their family. But numerous surveys of Canadians indicate many don’t feel financially literate enough to address those concerns, according to […]

  • November 6, 2024 October 31, 2024
  • 07:54

2024 DC Investment Forum: Addressing inflation risk through DC plan members’ working lives

The rapid rise in the cost of living in 2022 and into 2023 underscored the need for target-date funds to not just protect against standard inflation, but inflation shocks as well. The problem that presents is the more inflation protection that’s added into a portfolio, the lower the returns, said Nick Nefouse, managing director, global […]

  • November 6, 2024 October 30, 2024
  • 07:52

Work still to be done to address mental-health risks in the workplace: 2024 BCHS report launch

Benefits plan sponsors’ efforts to reduce stigma around mental-health challenges and encourage employees to bring their whole selves to work are bearing fruit, said benefits and wellness experts during Benefits Canada’s launch event for the 2024 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. The survey found three-quarters of plan members and 87 per cent of plan sponsors agreed […]

  • September 25, 2024 September 23, 2024
  • 09:00

How BDO’s Do What You Love program is helping employees pursue their passions

BDO Canada LLP employees who are considering taking a pottery course, planning a family vacation or even booking a caterer for their wedding can get a little financial assistance from the company’s newest benefit. The consultancy’s Do What You Love program, which launched in 2022, provides plan members with a set annual reimbursement amount for […]

  • August 9, 2024 August 19, 2024
  • 08:58

2024 Mental Health Summit: How plan sponsors can support grieving employees

People going through the loss of a loved one often worry they’re not grieving in the right way if their experience differs from their and others’ expectations of what grief looks like, said Deborah McLeod, clinical director at Carepath Inc., during Benefits Canada’s 2024 Mental Health Summit in June. Grief is a highly individualized process […]

  • July 16, 2024 July 11, 2024
  • 07:56

2024 Mental Health Summit: What’s contributing to declining percentage of LTD claims?

A decline in the number of long-term disability claims over the past three years may be the result of some employees prioritizing their financial health over physical and mental wellness, said William Lindsay, senior disability management advisor for Desjardins Insurance’s disability management and prevention team, during Benefits Canada’s 2024 Mental Health Summit in June. The […]

  • July 16, 2024 July 11, 2024
  • 07:55

2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit: A look at post-pandemic paramedical, drug claims

There has seen a “huge increase” in mental-health practitioner claims following the coronavirus pandemic, said Sylvana Leclerc, organizational health consultant for integrated health solutions at Sun Life Financial Inc., during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. Citing findings from the insurer’s annual Health by Design report, she said in 2022, […]

  • July 8, 2024 July 3, 2024
  • 07:58

2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit: What should plan sponsors know about covering obesity drugs?

With obesity now understood to be a chronic health condition, it’s time for plan sponsors to revisit their approach to weight loss medications, said Philippe Laplante, principal for pension and benefits at Eckler Ltd., during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. The conversation about extending coverage to new, high-cost anti-obesity […]

  • July 8, 2024 July 3, 2024
  • 07:57

2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit: How plan sponsors can boost vaccine uptake among employees

Employers can play a meaningful role in improving vaccine uptake, said Ajit Johal, a community pharmacist, clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia and founder of vaccine education non-profit organization immunize.io, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. A recent partnership between the Richmond School District in British […]

  • July 8, 2024 July 3, 2024
  • 07:56