KPMG in Canada is aiming to boost plan member engagement with its retirement savings programs with a host of changes, including a refreshed defined contribution plan investment lineup, a new first home savings account, financial education programming, digital tools and switching record keepers. The changes, launched in early October, stemmed from a review of the […]
In its pre-budget submission to the federal government, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association highlighted variable payment life annuities, automatic features in pension plans, pharmacare and virtual health care as areas that require attention. While the CLHIA said it supports the concept of VPLAs as a decumulation solution for defined contribution plan members, it […]
Manitoba’s Pension Benefits Act could be improved by allowing for more flexibility in transfers of locked-in funds, said the Association of Canadian Pension Management. In its response to the province’s request for feedback on proposed changes to the PBA, the ACPM said the current legislation — which allows for a one-time transfer of up to […]
As defined contribution plans mature, Canada is seeing the first wave of retirees that only have DC plans and plan sponsors are facing the challenges of this decumulation phase. Speaking during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2025 DC Plan Summit, Yashar Zarrabian, regional vice-president for Quebec at Sun Life Financial Inc., outlined three pillars to […]
The Nova Scotia government is updating the provincial Pension Benefits Act to allow the unlocking of pension benefits. Effective April 1, 2025, plan members aged 55 and older will have a one-time ability to unlock up to 50 per cent of their locked-in funds when transferring to a life income fund. Read: Quebec’s amendment to […]
Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of Americans say they worry more about running out of money than death, up from 57 per cent in 2022, according to a new survey by the Allianz Life Insurance Co. of North America. The survey, which polled more than 1,000 employees with $150,000 investable assets, found generation X was […]
During a panel discussion at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Defined Contribution Plan Summit in February, three defined contribution plan sponsors shared their respective decumulation journeys and their thoughts on where the DC plan sector is in terms of effectively supporting this particular phase of plan members’ lives. At ATCO Ltd., roughly 5,500 employees are enrolled across […]
An article on the Canada Revenue Agency’s guidance for how employers must determine the province of employment for remote workers was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the week: 1. CRA clarifying how employers must determine province of employment for remote workers 2. Quebec’s amendment […]
The Quebec government’s removal of the maximum annual amount that can be paid to people aged 55 and older with a variable benefit account tied to a defined contribution pension plan or with a life income fund is part of a broader push to provide retirees with more flexibility to draw on their locked-in retirement savings […]
While Blair Richards understands why the industry is moving away from defined benefit pension plans, he worries about what may be lost in the process. When Richards — the chief investment officer at the Halifax Port ILA/HEA pension plan — joined the institutional investor 40 years ago, DB plans were an attractive hiring and retention […]