As of July 1, 2018, new provisions under Ontario’s Pension Benefits Act will allow the sponsors of defined benefit pension plans to obtain a discharge from their obligations to former and retired plan members for whom they’ve purchased an annuity. Under the changes, plan sponsors will need to fulfil certain requirements before they can obtain a […]
For more than 30 years, Canada’s public sector pension organizations have distinguished themselves by delivering secure, sustainable defined benefit pensions and, in the process, have earned a reputation as global leaders. That wasn’t always the case, so will it continue to be the case in 30 years? Six years ago, The Economist published a report that described how […]
Quebec’s move to eliminate so-called disparities in pension plans will have unintended consequences, according to the Pension Investment Association of Canada. “In particular, we think that it will lead to an acceleration of the closing of defined benefit pension plans and will hamper the ability of Quebec-based employers to offer and/or negotiate total compensation packages that […]
While Canada’s defined contribution pension industry faces many challenges, the continuous improvement of offerings from service providers is one of the things that’s working, according to Western University’s Louise Koza. “I think what’s working is we have some very good service providers that are continuously improving their technology, their services, their education and their administration,” said Koza, the […]
Most Canadian employers have yet to take action to prepare for the incoming changes to the Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan, according to a survey by Aon. The survey found just 17 per cent of the 325 organizations polled have started to make plans to accommodate the changes. More than a third (37 […]
The first phase in implementing the Canada Pension Plan enhancement is looming large. Employee and employer contribution rates will start to increase in 2019 and keep on rising until 2025. While it will take a very long time to phase in, the benefit level under the enhanced CPP will be up to 50 per cent bigger […]
At Benefits Canada’s Defined Contribution Plan Summit in Montreal in February, member engagement and communication were a clear focus of many of the presentations. Case studies presented at the conference provided a number of solutions. Larry Schmidt, director of human resources at U.S.-based Searles Valley Minerals Inc., noted his company used automatic enrolment and escalation […]
When it comes to the difficult issue of equity in pension plans, Quebec has been at the forefront recently with its plan to table a bill to eliminate so-called disparity clauses. The province’s plan, which has significant union support, has drawn the attention of Quebec’s pension industry, particularly since it would affect organizations that have […]
For any pension plan administrator looking for guidance around governance responsibilities, look no further than the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities’ guideline No. 4. The guideline, which was originally published in 2004, offers a principles-based approach, recognizing there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to governance and leaving implementation up to the plan administrator. The guideline and its accompanying […]
The Ontario government has published proposed regulations relating to the funding framework for certain multi-employer pension plans seeking to convert defined benefits to target benefits. Under the proposed regulations, which were first announced in June 2017, eligible multi-employer pension plans wouldn’t be required to fund on a solvency basis. However, they would still be required to provide […]