Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic three years ago, the global economy has faced a bumpy ride, led by the lingering public health crisis, rising geopolitical tensions and high inflation. The 2023 Defined Contribution Investment Forum, which was held on Sept. 29 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Toronto, shared thought leadership on the various […]
Larry, a hypothetical defined contribution plan member, is facing a difficult calculus as he prepares to retire. Between his personal and DC plan savings, he’s accumulated $620,000 in savings for his retirement and is also expecting roughly $1,000 a month from the Canada Pension Plan and $650 in old-age security benefits. He has to determine […]
The Saskatchewan Pension Plan is expanding its variable benefit option to all retiring plan members across Canada. The option, which was previously only available to Saskatchewan-based plan members, allows for continued investment choice and income flexibility, according to a press release, which noted members who opt for the variable benefit can consolidate funds by transferring […]
Increased volatility, stubborn inflation and erratic interest rates are making for financially uncertain times, where it can be more reassuring to seek safety in shared risk, rather than shouldering financial ambiguity alone. Celebrated for their pooled assets and shared risk, multi-employer pension plans are gaining traction. Tami Dove, director of member experience at the Co-operative […]
Canada’s life and health insurers paid out a record $114 billion in health and retirement benefits last year, up $11 billion since before the coronavirus pandemic and up 60 per cent from a decade ago, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. “During a year when many households faced higher […]
Working in the pension industry has always been aligned with Shannan Corey’s personal interests and values. Her father was an actuary so she was exposed to the pension industry from a very young age. After earning her mathematics degree at the University of Saskatchewan, she became an associate actuary, spending a few years in consulting […]
Diversifying target-date funds by incorporating illiquid assets — such as private equity, real estate and infrastructure — could result in a 0.15 per cent annual increase in return over a decade, according to a recent report by Georgetown University’s Center for Retirement Initiatives in partnership with CEM Benchmarking Inc. The report was authored by Angela Antonelli, a […]
In 2022, Xero sent out a global survey to all of its employees asking them to rank the most important components of its total rewards program, from time off to flexible working policies, salaries to employee benefits. The software company’s Canadian employees ranked health benefits as one of the most important aspects of total rewards. […]
With Canadians’ financial priorities shifting alongside a turbulent economic climate, including inflation levels not seen in decades and a never-ending rise in the cost of living, it isn’t surprising capital accumulation plan members’ commitment to retirement savings is taking a hit. Benefits Canada’s 2023 CAP Member Survey found just 41 per cent of respondents rated […]
Capital accumulation plan member outcomes continued their march upward in the second quarter of 2023, driven by increasing annuity rates and positive equity market returns, according to a new report by Eckler Ltd. The consultancy’s latest CAP income tracker found a typical male member retiring at the end of June 2023 achieved a gross income […]