Discussions on benefits cost trends quickly turn to big-ticket items such as prescription drug and disability coverage, as these typically make up the largest portion of benefits claims and are a natural focus for managing costs. What’s not on the radar for many plan sponsors—yet growing in use and overall cost—are paramedical benefits. Buck Consultants’ […]
2010 DC Plan Summit report May 07, 2010 | Various authors Our 11th annual DC Plan Summit, Looking Back To Look Forward, offered plan sponsors a vision of the future. From pension reform to new investment and communication strategies, delegates shared informative presentations and insightful dialogue to help shape the DC industry. Session 1 – […]
Hands on May 01, 2010 | Brooke Smith Most consultants and money managers would say that the best default fund for a defined contribution (DC) pension plan is not to have one. However, this is far from reality. “Plan sponsors find that, despite trying to do their best in terms of education and increasing employee […]
More than half of all Canadian workers are employed by small and mid-size enterprises with less than 500 employees. Doug Bruce, director of research with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), estimates that just one in four small to mid-size enterprises has a retirement savings plan. Slightly more may have a health plan, but […]
It’s been another tumultuous year for the capital accumulation plan (CAP) industry: pending harmonized sales tax, government reform on pensions and, lest we forget, market volatility. But through it all, the CAP industry has held up, and for that, it deserves a hats off. “It’s been a great year for the CAP industry because we’ve […]
The pension industry has had its share of headlines this year: General Motors, Bernard Madoff and Earl Jones, Canada’s own Ponzi king, come to mind. And though some experts speculate that a market turnaround is near, Canada’s defined contribution (DC) plans have also made headlines. Last year, our Top 50 DC Plans Report found 18 […]
The defined contribution (DC) market in Canada has some growing up to do when compared with markets in the U.S. and the U.K. In fact, according to Statistics Canada, only 37% of the country’s pension plans are DC. As more employers close their defined benefit (DB) plans and offer up DC alternatives, a growth spurt […]
If data from a recent DBRS study are correct, the uproar over private sector defined benefit (DB) plans in the wake of plunging equity markets is a tempest in a teapot. In fact, solvency levels are better now than they were in 2002. The DBRS review of 70 DB plans at Canada’s largest private sector […]
Tight Squeeze August 01, 2009 | Alyssa Hodder Employers today are facing more than just the usual pension and benefits issues. Cost control isn’t optional—for many, it’s a matter of survival. Are they turning to their consultants for help or pulling back to save on costs? Hard Lessons In this unprecedented economic environment, employers face […]
Hard times can take a toll on employees’ mental health. What can employers do to help? While she can now talk about it with a touch of humour, Karen Liberman’s experience was far from funny. “Sometimes you just draw the short straw,” says Liberman, executive director of the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario. “And that […]