British Columbia is amending the definition of provision for adverse deviation for pension plans in the province with a target-benefit provision. The changes to PfAD’s definition, which will come into effect on Dec. 31, 2022, reflects recommendations from the B.C. Financial Services Authority to the Ministry of Finance. The amendments will lower the minimum funding […]
Four of British Columbia’s public sector pension plans are educating trustees with a new plan-specific curriculum. The curriculum — a collaboration between the College Pension Plan, the Municipal Pension Plan, the Public Service Pension Plan and the Teachers’ Pension Plan — was developed in response to a lack of plan-specific information provided in external education […]
As the move away from traditional defined benefit plans continues and intensifies, Canada’s multi-employer pension plans are providing employers with another retirement savings option for their employees. And despite facing a number of challenges, from industries in decline to legislative obstacles, MEPPs continue to attract plan sponsors from across the country. Read: Canadian MEPPs facing challenges […]
Despite a recommendation made by the four Atlantic provinces in 2016, a review of the Atlantic Lottery Corp.’s underfunded defined benefit pension plan has yet to be completed, according to a new report by the region’s auditors general. According to the report, the pension plan has swallowed up $87 million in potential profit in order […]
After navigating the unpredictable markets of the past two decades, some defined benefit pension plan sponsors could be forgiven for wanting to seek out some certainty. But a new threat has emerged in the form of rapidly rising inflation and the possibility of rate increases after decades of persistent lows. The consumer price index increased […]
Five years after Ontario’s auditor general uncovered an issue with the way the province was including pension assets in its financial statements, the office is proposing changes related to accounting in defined benefit pension plans. The auditor general’s 2016 annual report revealed a deficit of $5 billion, while the province’s government set the deficit at […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is releasing final interpretation guidance to support the role and responsibilities of pension plan administrators. The guidance, an updated and consolidated version of four previous documents, said the administrator’s role includes responsibility for implementing processes to ensure pension plan risks — such as investment, funding, operational and legal — […]
While solvency funding relief helped Canada’s pension funds withstand the turbulence of 2020, a long-term vision with an eye to a more robust funding framework would offer better support, according to pensions experts. Responding to the crisis, the federal government launched a consultation last fall on measures to alleviate pension solvency funding requirements for defined […]
The Nova Scotia Teachers’ Pension Plan returned 6.78 per cent in 2020, increasing net assets to $5.519 billion, but falling short of the policy benchmark of 7.96 per cent. The plan did outperform the actuarial assumed rate of return of 5.70 per cent. “Like many pension plans across the country impacted by COVID-19, we saw […]
The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan recently surpassed 400,000 plan members, more than doubling since 2013 when it passed the 200,000 member mark. It added 12,000 new members following the merger of five plans with HOOPP in 2019. In all, membership grew by an additional 100,000 members since 2015 due, in part, to the growing […]