Canadians received a record $103 billion in benefits from life and health insurers last year, up 60 per cent from a decade earlier, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. The benefits include $53.3 billion in pension annuity payments, $38.1 billion in health benefits for prescription drugs and supplementary health […]
Canada Post Corp. employees and some retirees are receiving retroactive wage increases, as well as adjustments to their disability and life insurance and pensions, through two new collective agreements between the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and the crown corporation. The agreements between Canada Post and its rural and suburban and urban postal service workers — represented by two […]
Competitive total rewards programs are a critical component of Canadian organizations’ human resources and corporate strategy, according to a new survey by WorldatWork. The survey, which polled 150 Canadian employers in February, found 96 per cent offer drug, dental, life insurance/accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability and employee assistance programs. Additionally, 93 per cent of […]
Two group benefits firms in the Greater Toronto Area have joined forces to strengthen growth and innovation in the benefits and insurance industry. The new joint venture between Etobicoke, Ont.-based Steven Cohen Insurance Agency Inc. and North York, Ont.-based RRJ Insurance Group Ltd. took effect on Jan. 1. Plan sponsor clients will have access to […]
Canadian insurers paid out $98 billion in benefits in 2018, an increase of seven per cent over 2017, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. Similar to previous years, this was led by retirement benefits from annuities ($49 billion), health benefits for prescription drugs and extended health providers like dentists […]
The majority of small U.S. employers currently offer at least one health benefit to their employees, according to a new report by business research organization LIMRA. This is a rise of 11 percentage points compared to the last survey results in 2012. Much of these increases can be attributed to a stronger economy and record-low unemployment, noted […]
Great-West Lifeco Inc. is merging three of its insurance brands, combining Great-West Life Assurance Co. and its two subsidiaries, London Life and Canada Life. The new company, which will go by Canada Life, will consolidate an aggregate 13 million Canadian customers. “Today marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for our companies in […]
Great-West Lifeco Inc. has signed a deal to sell its U.S. annuity and individual life insurance businesses to a subsidiary of Protective Life Corp. for $1.6 billion. Paul Mahon, president and chief executive officer at Great-West Life, says the deal will let the company focus on retirement and asset management markets in the U.S. Protective Life […]
A Cape Breton call centre that abruptly shut down last month, tossing hundreds of people out of work, has hired back more than 90 per cent of its workforce, offering enhanced benefits and increasing entry-level wages. The Sydney Call Centre Inc.’s owner Anthony Marlowe said about 480 workers have returned to the operation after being […]
The pension and retirement savings was once again the growth leader in the life and health insurance industry in 2017, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. Of the $651 billion held in employer-sponsored pension plans last year, the industry was responsible for managing $152 billion, which is up from […]