The Saskatchewan government is introducing amendments to its pension legislation that provide additional flexibility for plan sponsors and introduce new decumulation options for members of defined contribution plans. The bill, which passed first reading in provincial parliament last week, includes provisions for DC plan sponsors to offer advanced life deferred annuities and variable payment lifetime […]
A bill intended to provide defined benefit pension plan members with super-priority in the event of a plan sponsor’s insolvency passed in the House of Commons last week, furthering division among stakeholders on whether the legislation will cause more harm than good in the long term. The Association of Canadian Pension Management, the Canadian Chamber of […]
The Canadian Institute of Actuaries is supporting several of the Alberta government’s proposed legislative and policy updates for private sector pension laws, including the move towards a going-concern plus regime for defined benefit plans and the introduction of automatic features in defined contribution plans. In its response to the consultation draft, the CIA cited the benefits […]
Defined benefit pension plan sponsors in the U.S. are facing increasing costs when de-risking through annuity buyouts, according to a new report by consulting firm Milliman Inc. It found the estimated cost to transfer risk to an insurer increased in September to 100.1 per cent of a plan’s total liabilities, up from 96.9 per cent […]
Capital accumulation plan sponsors need to focus on providing lifetime retirement income for plan members amid the growth of decumulation solutions such as advanced life deferred annuities and variable payment lifetime annuities, according to a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute. It noted DC plan members currently have three main options to draw down […]
The vast majority (95 per cent) of defined benefit pension plan sponsors say higher inflation is impacting their decision to de-risk, with half (50 per cent) saying it’s very impactful, according to a new survey by MetLife Inc. The survey, which polled more than 250 DB pension plan sponsors with at least $100 million or more […]
Canadian life and health insurers processed nearly $600 million in claims related to mental health in 2021, up 45 per cent since 2020 and 75 per cent since 2019, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. “2021 was a year of recovery and insurers have been proud partners helping employers […]
After a tough couple of years, Canadians continue to face several challenges against an increasingly turbulent economic landscape. While most coronavirus restrictions were lifted in late spring 2022, the seventh wave of the pandemic arrived in July alongside rising inflation, which is compounding prices from the gas pump to the grocery store. Though the 2022 […]
International Business Machines Corp. is entering a US$16 billion pension risk transfer. The annuity transaction will see 40 per cent of IBM’s defined benefit pension plan’s liabilities transferred. The Prudential Insurance Co. of America and Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. will each insure half of the payments for 100,000 IBM plan participants and beneficiaries. Prudential will […]
Proposed amendments to U.K. pension regulations could lead to the extinction of smaller defined benefit plans within 15 years, according to Charles Cowling, chief actuary at Mercer. “The potential impact of these new regulations would be significant and dramatic,” he said in a press release. “The draft proposals would force the sale of £500 billion […]