Discouraged with the state of the current economy, more and more younger workers are abandoning saving for retirement and focusing on ‘soft saving.’ Soft saving is when employees, many of whom started their careers later than previous generations, decide to take a more laid-back approach to saving for the future, rather than adopt the FIRE concept — […]
Hydro Ottawa Ltd. is marking Financial Literacy Month by promoting tools and resources for employees grappling with the rising cost of living, says Donna Burnett Vachon, the company’s director of change and organization development. “We see [the impact of the rising cost of living] every day from people who have increasing rental costs to even just […]
About a third (32 per cent) of defined contribution pension plan sponsors that currently don’t use a financial wellness program say it’s because they don’t expect employees to take advantage of it, according to a new survey by Cerulli Associates. However, the survey also found financial wellness programs have grown to become a key component of […]
During Financial Literacy Month, the Royal Bank of Canada is supporting employees’ financial wellness through a new website that provides financial education and support. The My Money Matters website contains more than 1,000 articles on financial well-being and was designed to de-stigmatize conversations about money, says Elvis Wong, the bank’s director of financial well-being. “We […]
Defined contribution pension plan members are currently in a different place, especially the younger generations, who are likely feeling as though their financial priorities don’t line up with workplace pensions the way they did for previous generations. “What I’m getting at here is the idea that retirement saving isn’t the undeniable consensus top priority it […]
The Ontario Ministry of Finance’s proposed guidance for multi-employer target-benefit pension plans undermines incentives for employers to contribute towards their employees’ retirement savings, including cost certainty, with unduly burdensome regulatory framework, according to the Association of Canadian Pension Management. In an open letter, the ACPM expressed its hesitation about proposed rules restraining trustees’ ability to prudently […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario’s proposed guidance on pension plan administrator roles and responsibilities requires more clarity and consistency, according to the Association of Canadian Pension Management. In an open letter, the ACPM recommended greater clarity regarding the distinction between statutory guidance and general commentary, particularly in the sections on records retention and […]
The Ontario government’s new funding framework for target-benefit plans that will provide more flexibility for plan administrators and boards, says Domenic Barbiero, principal at Eckler Ltd. The proposed framework requires trustees to establish a number of policies, including funding, benefits, communications and overall governance. “This proposal is the second iteration of a proposal from the […]
An arbitrator has ruled that a pension grievance filed seven years beyond a collective agreement’s time limit could proceed because of the employer’s “culture of acquiescence” regarding enforcement of the limit. “The message to employers is that if they get in the habit of letting time limits slide, their lack of adherence can come back […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is seeking feedback on proposed updates to its guidance on pension plan administrator roles and responsibilities. The updates include new sections on managing and retaining records, responding to complaints and inquiries and communicating information to plan members in an accurate and timely manner. Jordan Fremont, a partner at […]