The federal government is proposing amendments to pension regulations aimed at increasing flexibility for plan members and improving retirement security. The proposed changes would allow members of federally regulated defined contribution pension plans who receive variable benefits to unlock up to 50 per cent of their pension funds within the plan. This would align their options […]
The funded status of a typical defined benefit pension plan increased on a solvency basis but decreased on an accounting basis in January, according to a new report by Telus Health. The monthly pension index found the typical DB plan increased from 100 per cent on Jan. 1 to 101.7 per cent on Jan. 31 […]
The Canadian pension risk transfer market reached roughly $6.8 billion in 2025, down from a record $11 billion in 2024, according to a new report by Sun Life Financial Inc. The report found these transactions consisted of risk transfers valued at less than $800 million, noting 115 defined benefit plan sponsors purchased group annuities in […]
Bell Canada’s defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans are both overseen by the same pension committee. The meeting cadences differ, but the committee leans on its DB knowledge to make sure it’s addressing similar risks in the DC plan, says Robert Marchessault, the organization’s director of pensions and benefits. For the DB plan, which […]
While the Canadian pension de-risking market decreased in 2025, many plan sponsors that opted to not shed liabilities last year have simply delayed these plans amid evolving economic conditions, says Mathieu Tessier, vice-president of client relationships and innovation for defined benefit solutions at Sun Life Financial Inc. “The geopolitical and economic situation of the last […]
After a record-setting 2024, the Canadian group annuity purchase market experienced a moderate slowdown in 2025, according to a new report by Normandin Beaudry. It found transaction volume reached nearly $6.9 billion, a decline of nearly 40 per cent compared with the $11 billion recorded last year and roughly 10 per cent below the average […]
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 […]