Latest news in Governance/legislation

Pension crisis centre stage

What seemed a bump in road in 2002 has now become a frighteningly deep hole for plan sponsors. At the same time, it is shedding…

Flaherty asks crown corporations to review executive comp

Facing criticism over the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s (CPPIB) compensation structure, Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has asked all government-owned companies to review their…

  • By: Jody White
  • June 3, 2009 September 13, 2019
  • 00:00

All hands on deck

Employee engagement is holding up under the pressure of the global recession, but with many workers beginning to question their leaders’ competency and direction. Employers…

  • By: Jody White
  • June 2, 2009 September 13, 2019
  • 00:00

Top 100 Pension Funds Report: Call to action

When the title of the annual report for the largest pension plan in the country begins with “Let us explain,” it’s clear that something has…

  • By: Jody White
  • June 1, 2009 September 13, 2019
  • 00:00

Over-promised, underfunded

When a particular pension or benefits topic is making waves in the media, I often hear from PR firms. If I had a dollar for…

A Question of Power

The Ontario government announced in its last budget that it would provide the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan with the legal authority to act as an…

Wanted: pension champion

The predicament that Canada’s pension system currently finds itself in has all the makings of an election issue, save for one: an individual to grab…

  • By: Jody White
  • May 29, 2009 September 13, 2019
  • 00:00

At a loss for words

The ongoing global financial crisis has been almost unprecedented in scope and scale. It looks as if we’ve missed, if only by a hair, the…

Will pension funds soon be listed on the TSX?

What are the implications of pension funds assuming third party investment management responsibilities for other funds? The current premise is that pooling of assets will…

Europe’s “Book reserve” pensions faring best

Once regarded outmoded and unsustainable, the Book reserve model of pensions has emerged the most resilient in the face of the global financial crisis, a…

  • By: Jody White
  • May 26, 2009 September 13, 2019
  • 00:00

Selecting a plan administrator and asset manager

“What is your decision-making process, or do you even have one?” asked Patricia Tiralongo, vice-president with TD Asset Management Inc. at a recent pension fundamentals…

Retirement at the tipping point

Suggesting that the past year has changed everything might strike some as an ironic understatement accompanied by pained glances at damaged portfolio balances. However, that…

  • By: Al Emid
  • May 11, 2009 September 13, 2019
  • 00:00

Courts permit the re-write of an erroneous plan term

Pension plan texts, both current and historical, are key documents governing employee and employer rights and obligations under a registered pension plan. As such, plan…

Guaranteeing private pension plans in Quebec

An Act to amend the Supplemental Pension Plans Act and other legislative provisions in order to reduce the effects of the financial crisis on plans…

Separate Solutions

In Quebec, how do pensioners and plan sponsors spell relief? R-É-G-I-E As a result of the 2008 market plunge and the ensuing recession, defined benefit…

Working it Out

Andrea Garson, vice-president of HR with Workopolis, discusses the Canadian job market and shares strategies for managing your workforce during tough times. How severely has…

Using phased retirement to manage cost and talent needs

Using phased retirement to manage cost and talent needs

In March 2009, the Federal Government enabled regulations under the Pension Benefits Standards Act (1985), or PBSA, allowing pension plan sponsors to offer phased retirement…

Built to Last

New chair of the CPPIB Robert M. Astley discusses the CPP’s long-term horizon, the board’s governance and investment policies, and the future retirement income security…

Employers Beware

MEPP sponsors with quebec members may be in for a few surprises in light of the pension funding crisis. The current pension plan funding crisis…

On Hold

The recession means that some employees and plan sponsors will need to adjust their retirement expectations. Will they just have to wait it out, or…

Match Factor

SNC-Lavalin focuses on plan participation and matching contributions to help employees reach their retirement goals, even in challenging markets. The employees at SNC-Lavalin have their…

Total Rewards 101

McGill University wants its employees to think big picture—with their retirement savings and their total compensation. Pension plan sponsors have been left reeling after the…

What’s so super about a superfund?

When I worked in manager research, I kept two logs. The first log, which I no longer actively maintain, was comprised of the old business…

CPP can weather economic storm

It’s never wise to carry all your eggs in one basket. The Canadian Retirement Income Security System seems to have grasped this truth and armed…

Ontario’s budget addresses pensions

As anticipated, the 2009 Ontario Budget, entitled “Confronting the Challenge: Building Our Economic Future,” contained several measures directed at pension reform. The Budget indicates that…