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 […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is promoting the importance of retirement planning and the value of a workplace pension on the third anniversary of Pension Awareness Day taking place today Feb. 20. In an emailed statement to Benefits Canada, Andrew Fung, executive vice-president of pensions at the FSRA, said he’s proud that more […]
The Co-operative Superannuation Society Pension Plan is in the middle of a years-long digital transformation that’s aiming to improve member experience. In addition to introducing a modernized and secure member portal, the CSS (No. 2 on the 2024 Top 50 Defined Contribution Plans report) is planning to start leveraging artificial intelligence, says Tami Dove, the […]