While emerging forms of artificial intelligence such as agentic AI may hold promises and challenges for pension plan sponsors, the human touch remains important when advising plan members on financial decisions, said Francis Boulianne, principal in Normandin Beaudry’s group benefits practice, during a recent webinar hosted by the consultancy. “[Chatbots] were never intended to replace […]
In its fall economic statement, the Ontario government said it’s introducing legislation that would amend the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System Act, enabling provisions intended to enhance the OMERS’ governance, strengthen transparency and accountability. The introduction of legislation takes place following a 2024 governance review that was completed earlier this fall. In his report, special advisor […]
In its fall economic statement, the Ontario government said it plans to introduce legislation that would effectively end preferred pharmacy networks in the province. The legislation, based on the province’s findings from two consultations, would enable an ‘any willing provider’ framework — in which any pharmacy willing to match a PPN’s financial terms could join […]
Five of Canada’s largest pension funds earned high marks for their public reporting efforts, according to a new report from Top1000funds.com and CEM Benchmarking Inc. It ranked pension funds on their costs, governance, performance and responsible investment efforts. Canada’s pension system received an average overall score of 92 out of 100, a one-point increase from […]
When Bell Canada was communicating defined contribution plan changes to members in 2024, it turned to artificial intelligence to help personalize its message to all of its 25,000 plan members. The redesign, which aimed to respond to members’ different financial priorities, enhanced the company’s savings options with a first home savings account, a tax-free savings […]
As society’s view on gender identity continues to evolve, so too does the role of gender in shaping the world. A 2023 report by the Canadian Institute of Actuaries examined the impact of gender on actuarial considerations, including longevity risk in pension plans. The CIA’s report followed a 2021 decision by the Superior Court of […]
As institutional investors navigate complex markets and demanding governance requirements, Grace Uniacke, director of alternatives solutions at Russell Investments, suggests they move their portfolios from disconnected compartments towards integrated, connected systems. “This can be done in incremental tweaks, but more so as a structural upgrade to how we design, construct and manage institutional portfolios,” she said during […]
The Alberta Pensions Services Corp. has taken on the administration of the National Public Service Pension Transfer Agreement, a multilateral arrangement that enables the transfer of pensionable service and funds between participating public defined benefit pension plans across Canada. This agreement plays a vital role in supporting mobility within the public sector, allowing employees who […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is inviting stakeholders to provide their input on the proposed guidance in support of permanent target-benefit framework for multi-employer pension plan sponsors. The guidance explains how the FSRA will oversee and apply Ontario’s framework, which came into effect on Jan. 1. Read: FSRA monitoring target-benefit framework, pension risks in […]
An article on how plan sponsors can handle lost pension claims was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Expert panel: How plan sponsors can handle lost pension claims 2. Feds increasing pay, retention bonuses for CAF […]