Under the banner of "Sound Plan Management," this year's Defined Contribution (DC) Plan Summit delegates explored two major issues--market volatility and DC plan regulation. Sixty-four of the industry's leading thinkers travelled to the Rimrock Resort Hotel in Banff, Alta. for the third edition of the annual DC Plan Summit, presented by benefits canada.

Day one's focus on market volatility examined the performance of Canada's DC plans between 1999 and 2001. Our look at that historic period revealed much about the behaviour of DC plan members, the nature of DC plan sponsorship and, more broadly, the future of these plans in Canada. Delegates heard about innovative plan design solutions and plan members who appear to have learned the lessons of retirement savings from their plan sponsors. There is reason for optimism.

Day two began with a presentation by Sherallyn Miller and Paul Dempsey of the Joint Forum of Financial Market Regulators. Their update on the Joint Forum's work on DC plan regulation was well received, as was their participation throughout the day.

The two played a valuable role in the day's discussions which left many at the event feeling that solid progress had been made in the development of progressive DC plan regulation.

Miller and Dempsey drafted a series of 11 questions for discussion. That provided this year's delegates with direct input into the Joint Forum's work. You can find a list of the questions, and our group's responses, online at www.benefitscanada.com/content/legacy/Content/03-02/dcplanregulation.html.

This year's DC Plan Summit speakers have prepared one-page summaries of their presentations, which make up this package of coverage. They run in the order they were delivered. --Kevin Press