Employers can remove friction from benefits and pension plan design by encouraging ease of use, communications and reducing decision fatigue, according to a panel discussion at Benefits Canada’s inaugural Women’s Health & Wealth Summit. According to the 2025 Employee Savings Survey, women were less likely than men to describe their financial health as excellent or […]
A third of U.S. plan sponsors say they’re very or extremely confident in their participants’ ability to retire at their target age, up from just 18 per cent one year ago, according to a new survey by MFS Investment Management. The survey, which polled more than 150 U.S. defined contribution pension plan sponsors, found their […]
EY Canada is supporting employee well-being by expanding its list of reimbursable wellness expenses and introducing a series of financial education seminars. Employees can now be reimbursed for purchases such as mattresses, pillows, board games and Lego kits, as well as classes and supplies for personal enrichment including cooking, music, photography, languages and mindfulness. Workers […]
While more than half (52 per cent) of workplace savings plan members count on the plan as their main source of retirement income, both men (16 per cent) and women (12 per cent) overstated their account balances, according to Sun Life’s latest survey of 1,900 plan members. Sharing the survey results at Benefits Canada’s 2026 […]
For defined contribution plan members, the ultimate positive DC experience is understanding the plan provisions, knowing what decisions to make, feeling confident about making well-informed choices and arriving at a prosperous retirement, said Barbara Sanders, associate professor of statistics and actuarial science at Simon Fraser University, during a keynote session at Benefits Canada‘s 2026 DC […]
In its 2026 budget, the Quebec government said it intends to enhance the appeal of voluntary retirement savings plans amid low uptake of the savings vehicle. This includes the introduction of a minimum contribution rate of two per cent of salary and the possibility of closing inactive accounts in certain situations, according to a statement […]
Indigenous women in Canada continue to face structural barriers to workplace retirement plans and benefits programs, driven by employment instability, eligibility rules and traditional benefits design that often don’t reflect Indigenous realities, according to leaders at Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services. National labour data highlights the disparity. A Statistics Canada report found the employment rate […]
Employers can improve women’s financial security by recognizing gender differences and improving pension contribution and benefits structures, says Kadie Philp, commissioner and chief administrative officer at the Ontario Pay Equity Commission. To close the gender pension gap, employers need to recognize how different work-life patterns can be for men and women, in addition to making […]
Employers can reinforce the value of their workplace retirement plans by communicating to plan members about the importance of having money later versus money now, according to a new report by the National Institute on Ageing at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Pension Centre of Excellence. The report analyzed responses from an NIA survey of 6,000 Canadians […]
Alberta’s Local Authorities Pension Plan and Public Service Pension Plan have launched a new board education program aimed at strengthening governance by equipping trustees with practical, decision-ready knowledge for an increasingly complex pension environment. Developed over two years in collaboration with stakeholders, the program responds to a comprehensive review of board learning needs and reflects […]