The federal Conservative Party is promising to make employment insurance maternity and parental benefits tax-free. The party is proposing a 15 per cent tax credit for any income earned under the two EI programs. “Parents should be able to put their energy toward those critical first few months, and not have to worry so much […]
The federal government is reforming the tribunal that handles appeals related to employment insurance, Canadian Pension Plan and old-age security payments. Currently, Canadians who disagree with decisions by Employment and Social Development Canada or the Canada Employment Insurance Commission relating to these payments, as well as CPP disability benefits, can appeal to the tribunal’s general division. […]
With Canadians living longer, the country’s pension landscape continuing to evolve and more private sector companies struggling to fund their defined benefit plans, governments across the country are reconsidering their regulations around pension solvency funding requirements. From coast to coast, here’s an update on the latest consultations and amendments. British Columbia In October 2018, the […]
While North American employers agree it’s important to provide health benefits to employees, many say their workers don’t know enough about what they offer, according to a new survey by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services. The survey, sponsored by digital benefits platform League Inc., polled 238 company executives. The majority (90 per cent) said they think health benefits are a way […]
Canadians looking to replace their working income with benefits from capital accumulations plans and the government are facing a grim reality. Indeed, pre-retirement income replacement from those two sources sits at 55 per cent for Canadian women and 57 per cent for men, according to Eckler Ltd. income tracker. Worsening the situation, returns from equity and […]
A new report looking at four U.S. states that moved new employees from defined benefit to defined contribution or cash balance pension plans found the changes resulted in higher taxpayer costs and no meaningful improvements to the plans’ funding and liabilities. The report, by the National Institute on Retirement Security, looked at Alaska, Kentucky, Michigan and West Virginia — […]
Older workers whose reasoning abilities no longer permit them to meet the demands of their jobs are more likely to develop chronic health conditions and retire early, according to new research by the American Psychological Association. In the study, published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, the authors used a subset of data from the longitudinal […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is investing US$500 million in Laboratorios Sanfer, an independent Mexican pharmaceutical company. The company, which currently maintains a presence in 25 countries, has been focusing on growth through acquisitions for the past two decades, according to a press release. The investment from the Caisse will enable further […]
Winnipeg city administrators are going forward with plans to eliminate police overtime from pensionable income and require that police officers work longer before receiving their pension benefits, according to an email sent to city councillors. According to the CBC, a letter was sent to both the Winnipeg Police Association and the Winnipeg Police Senior Officers’ Association from Mike Ruta, […]
Digital benefits platform League Inc. is partnering with the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence to improve the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in health care. Through the partnership, League will work with the Vector Institute on using AI, machine learning and other predictive techniques to create personalized health recommendations and plans tailored for […]