Allowing increased retirement savings pooling and portability can help improve efficiency, as well as pension plan member retention and continuity, according to a policy recommendation letter from the Association of Canadian Pension Management. In a letter to the federal government, the ACPM suggested a model that enables and supports retirement arrangements organized around industry sectors, […]
The combination of several innovations in defined contribution pension plan design can dramatically improve retirement readiness across income levels, according to a new report by Mercer. Its annual retirement readiness barometer analyzed the impact of two key innovations — variable payment life annuities and exposure to alternative investments like private markets — alongside plan flexibility […]
Retirement income outcomes for capital accumulation plan members dipped in the first quarter of 2026, amid market volatility and ongoing geopolitical tensions, according to a new report by Eckler Ltd. The consultancy’s latest CAP income tracker found a typical male CAP member retiring at the end of March 2026 achieved a gross income replacement ratio […]
British Columbia’s provincial government is updating its pension standards to support retirement income security and flexibility, including the introduction of automatic escalation for defined contribution pension plan members. Effective Oct. 30, 2026, auto-escalation will be introduced to B.C.-based DC plans and members will have the option to opt out of the feature. Auto-escalation helps address […]
The Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities’ 2026–2029 strategic plan is focusing on regulatory harmonization, pension supervision and stakeholder engagement. The strategic plan comes as pension plan sponsors and members continue to navigate economic and geopolitical uncertainty, including inflation, higher interest rates and market volatility, alongside ongoing concerns around retirement readiness. Read:2026 DC Plan Summit: […]
During a recent transition between record keepers, KPMG in Canada focused on keeping communications with employees human and simple, including what to say, when to say it and how to measure confidence. “It wasn’t just a record-keeper change,” said Christine McCloskey-Bruno (pictured right), senior total rewards manager, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2026 Defined […]
By slotting alternative assets into portfolio offerings, Saskatchewan’s Public Employees Pension Plan is incorporating an element of the defined benefit pension plan model, according to Gary Hutch, chief investment officer and executive vice-president of investments at Plannera Pensions & Benefits, which administers the plan. “We believe that including all of these alternatives provides more of […]
In its 2026 budget on Thursday, the Ontario government proposed doubling the pension benefits guarantee fund’s monthly guarantee limit from $1,500 to $3,000 for all eligible plan beneficiaries, the largest increase since the PBGF was created in 1980. It cited a recent review of the PBGF that found the fund had $1.3 billion in net […]
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 […]
Employers can reinforce the value of their workplace retirement plans by communicating to plan members about the importance of having money later versus money now, according to a new report by the National Institute on Ageing at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Pension Centre of Excellence. The report analyzed responses from an NIA survey of 6,000 Canadians […]