A new report by the C.D. Howe Institute says taxpayers are on the hook for the unfunded liability of pension plans for federal employees. In the report, authors William Robson and Alexandre Laurin argue that official figures for federal pension obligations understate future costs and leave many plans seriously underfunded. “The federal government in particular presents […]
As the debate over pharmacare heats up, a new report released by the C.D. Howe Institute is suggesting expanded public coverage for dental services. “Many Canadians today, including most of the working poor and the retired, are covered neither by government programs nor by private insurance,” said Ake Blomqvist, an adjunct research professor at Carleton […]
Over the past 25 years, Canada’s retirement system has evolved significantly through new funding frameworks and federal and provincial reforms to facilitate innovation in plan design. And with Canadians living and working longer and investment returns predicted to soften, it’s no surprise the pension industry is calling for an update to the Income Tax Act […]
Since Canadians rely on a patchwork of incomes to fund their retirement, the worry by many of running out of money is a real possibility. A new report from the C.D. Howe Institute proposes a pooled risk savings program that could provide more security for retirees of advanced age. “Retirement will span beyond age 85 for more than half […]
Coverage of the 2017 Risk Management Conference
A new report is recommending the immediate increase of the trigger age for drawing down registered retirement savings, suggesting it should continue to rise with longevity. The report, published by the C.D. Howe Institute, is targeting changes to age-sensitive programs, noting the expected budget crunch for Canadian governments as the workforce ages. It says the rules that dictate when Canadians can start receiving […]
The days of working for one employer and contributing to a single pension plan for an entire career are long over. In fact, 28 per cent of Canadians surveyed by Workopolis Inc. in 2014 had already had between five and 10 jobs, and Statistics Canada figures show defined benefit membership is continuing to fall while […]
The current environment is simply too difficult for Canadians to save adequately for retirement, given increased longevity and the low yields on appropriate investments, according to a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute that suggests raising contribution limits to retirements savings plans to 30 per cent per year. “People are living longer and — […]
While the sustainability of defined benefit pension plans have long been a central talking point in the industry, they took a real hit during the 2008 financial crisis, a sting many plans feared would linger in public opinion. “DB plans were obviously affected. Actually, all retirement savings plans were impacted,” says Darryl Mabini, senior director of growth and […]
Two-thirds of households are setting aside money for retirement, taking advantage of either a registered pension plan, a registered retirement savings plan or a tax-free savings account, Statistics Canada said Wednesday as it released the latest batch of numbers from the 2016 census. Of 14 million households, 65.2 per cent made a contribution in 2015 […]