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, […]
An article on Skip’s enhanced fertility and mental-health coverage 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. Skip delivering enhanced fertility, mental-health coverage 2. Caisse acquiring minority stake in private credit platform, Ontario Teachers’ joins funding round […]
Laurentian Bank of Canada is buying group annuity contracts to cover the responsibility for pension benefits owed to about 400 retirees, beneficiaries and deferred pension members. The bank says the deal with Canadian insurer Assuris transfers about $60 million in obligations and related assets in connection with its three registered defined benefit pension plans. Read: Fraser […]
When Grand River Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital merged in April 2025, leaders weren’t just bringing together two sites and two cultures, they also had to merge two very different pension arrangements. For years, Grand River had run its own defined benefit plan worth more than $650 million, while St. Mary’s employees had been […]
An article on the how capital accumulation plans are increasing their exposure to private assets 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: How does increased exposure to private assets impact CAP members’ financial health, retirement readiness? Pension […]
Canadian defined benefit pension plan sponsors have made roughly $1.4 billion in annuity purchases during the first two quarters of the year, according to a new report from Telus Health. At the halfway point of 2025, the pension risk transfer market has seen a considerable slowdown in activity following a record-breaking 2024, which resulted in […]
Risk management continues to be one of the hottest topics in the pension industry for a number of reasons, including the uncertainty caused by the current geopolitical and economic climate and the September 2024 release of the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities’ new guideline for risk management for plan administrators. While pension plan administrators […]
A decision by the Bank of Canada to hold its benchmark interest rate steady at 2.75 per cent could magnify the interest of corporate pension funds to pursue de-risking strategies, says Soami Kohly, fixed income portfolio manager at MFS Investment Management. “We’ve seen [institutional investors] that have been de-risking their portfolio — in other words, […]
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 […]