Quebec’s finance minister presented an economic update on Tuesday that offered modest savings to taxpayers, as he painted an optimistic picture of the province’s finances heading into an election year. Eric Girard’s update includes decreases to payroll deductions for the provincial pension plan and parental insurance. The reductions, along with adjustments to how personal income […]
Improving participation and engagement in pension savings is a constant challenge for the retirement industry, but experts point to more insistent and consistent tactics around member behaviour. Derek Messacar, associate professor of applied economics, Memorial University Programs that offer tax deductions on savings in designated accounts have, for a long time now, been contested as […]
While the total number of pension plans in B.C. declined to 610 in 2024, overall membership increased by four per cent to 1.34 million members, according to a new report from the BC Financial Services Authority. The decline in the number of plans, from 613 in 2023, was attributed to plan mergers and windups. The […]
Alberta’s Local Authorities Pension Plan is lowering its 2026 contribution rates and providing members with a cost-of living adjustment due to the plan’s strong financial position. Contribution rates for both plan members and employers will decrease by roughly one per cent for next year, with surplus funds making up the difference, according to a press […]
Six in 10 (60 per cent) of global defined contribution plan sponsors say the state of members’ retirement income is the biggest challenge facing DC plans over the next decade, according to a new report by WTW. The report examined nearly 30 global DC plans representing more than US$6.3 trillion in assets under management. It […]
Nearly one in four divorced, separated or widowed U.S. women have less than one month’s worth of retirement savings, compared to fewer than one in 10 men, according to a new survey by PensionBee. The survey, which polled more than 1,000 employees, found following a marital transition, women (43 per cent) are twice as likely […]
With no federal requirement for U.S. employers to offer retirement savings options, individual states are stepping up and delivering meaningful programs. Speaking at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Defined Contribution Plan Summit, Michael Frerichs, state treasurer at the Illinois Treasurer’s Office, said the U.S. is facing a retirement crisis and he hopes these government tools can be […]
Since 2008, when the U.S. enacted legislation allowing target-date funds as the default, total assets in these funds have grown from around US$150 billion to $3 trillion, according to Glenn Dial, vice-president of retirement thought leadership and research at American Century Investments, during a session sponsored by CIBC Asset Management Inc. at Benefits Canada’s 2025 […]
In the early days of Bell Canada’s defined contribution plan, there was a lot of emphasis on information and big campaigns, but at that time, employers were reluctant to get too involved, according to Robert Marchessault, the telecommunications company’s director of pension and benefits, noting it was soon clear its members needed more guidance. Speaking […]
Three-quarters (76 per cent) of U.K. employers offer alternative cash benefits to high earners in lieu of pension contributions, according to a new survey by WTW. From April 6, 2024, the U.K. government abolished the lifetime allowance from pension tax legislation, limiting the total amount of tax-free cash an individual can receive to a maximum […]