After an eventful 2025, there are several developments and trends affecting Canadian defined benefit pension plan sponsors in 2026. Focus on investment strategy Major equity markets performed well in 2025, which was a key driver for another year of improved funded positions for many DB pension plans. Although most pension plans are well funded today, […]
Canadian pension risk transfers reached an estimated transaction volume of $1.7 billion during the third quarter of 2025, according to a new report by Telus Health. The result beat the final transaction volume from the first quarter and second quarter of 2025. However, it fell short of the $2.1 billion recorded in Q3 2024, leading […]
Roughly six in 10 (60 per cent) U.S.-based defined contribution pension plan sponsors say they want to retain assets in the plan, often by limiting rollover solicitations from record keepers and offering targeted education to members, according to a new survey by the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association. The survey, which polled more than 150 […]
Canada’s life and health insurers paid out a record $143.3 billion in health and retirement benefits last year, up from $128 billion in 2023, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. “At a time when our country is facing economic uncertainty and our health-care system is under strain, life and […]
An article on how plan sponsors can handle lost pension claims was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Expert panel: How plan sponsors can handle lost pension claims 2. Feds increasing pay, retention bonuses for CAF […]
Amid geopolitical conflict and market volatility, the volume of risk transfers among Canadian defined benefit pension plan sponsors is down roughly 60 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, says Brent Simmons, senior vice-president and head of DB solutions at Sun Life Financial Inc. “The pullback that […]
Brookfield Wealth Solutions Ltd. is targeting the U.K. pension risk transfer industry with a planned US$3.17 billion acquisition of insurance firm Just Group, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The transaction would provide a 75 per cent premium based on the closing price for Just Group shares on July 30, 2025. Read: […]
The Canadian pension risk transfer market reached record-breaking demand in 2024 with $11 billion in deals at the end of the year, eclipsing the $7.8 billion combined total of annuities transactions in 2023 and 2022. Indeed, the fourth quarter of 2024 alone saw $5.2 billion of overall transactions, split between $1.5 billion in buy-ins and […]
An article on the Association of Canadian Pension Management’s call for modernized pension legislation in Alberta was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. ACPM urging Alberta government to align pension funding, administration rules with other provinces […]
Yellow Pages Ltd. is transferring $210 million in defined benefit pension liabilities through a group annuity contract with BMO Insurance. According to a press release, BMO Insurance will issue annuities covering the responsibility for pension benefits of roughly 860 retired plan members at the company. The insurance firm will start administering all benefits to these […]