An increase in the protection limit for defined benefit pension plan members’ assets invested in annuities is making it easier for plan sponsors to de-risk, says Mary Kate Archibald, a principal at Eckler Ltd. Assuris, the not-for-profit organization that protects a portion of retirement benefits from annuities in the event of an insurer’s insolvency, now covers up to $5,000 […]
As technology advances and plan members’ needs become more diverse, the relationship between benefits plan sponsors and providers is adapting to fit these changes. Sarah Beech, chief executive officer of benefits and consulting at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., believes the trend of employees wanting more from their employers is the starting point for this […]
While the majority (80 per cent) of U.S. retirement plan sponsors rate their record keeper as excellent or very good, they’re also seeking more support for plan members’ financial wellness, according to a new survey by Greenwich Associates. The survey, which polled 145 U.S. retirement plan sponsors and 15 U.S. consultants, found among plan sponsors, […]
In conversations with pre-retirees, retirees and industry professionals, there’s a growing recognition that retiring is often the easy part — it’s figuring out what they’re going to do with the rest of their lives that’s difficult. As a new retirement emerges, the retirement industry must shift from traditional retirement planning, which focuses exclusively on how […]
Half of benefits plan members (49 per cent) and plan sponsors (48 per cent) say they have a health-care spending account in 2022, compared to 39 per cent of both plan members and plan sponsors that said the same in 2021, according to the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. In 2017, when this question was […]
Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of Canadian benefits plan members say they’re extremely or very satisfied with working from home, according to the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. It found levels of extreme or very high satisfaction were highest among those who also felt most productive working from home (89 per cent) and who were in […]
Nearly half (47 per cent) of Canadian benefits plan members say their health was generally excellent or very good in the past year, up from 43 per cent in 2021, according to the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. While just 10 per cent of plan members reported being in poor health, down from 13 per cent […]
The Association of Canadian Pension Management is cautioning the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions on a one-size-fits-all approach to risk management across the diverse sectors regulated by the OSFI. In an open letter responding to a consultation by the OSFI, Ric Marrero, chief executive officer of the ACPM, said such an approach has […]
Culture risk management can be enhanced within existing risk management frameworks, says the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, adding it doesn’t see a need for a separate guideline from the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. In an open letter responding to the OSFI’s consultation, the CIA said it wants a better understanding of any […]
The Federal Trade Commission is launching an inquiry into the operations of pharmacy benefits managers that control access to prescription drugs for millions of Americans. The consumer protection agency will order the nation’s largest PBMs to provide a range of information and records detailing how they do business. Pharmacy benefits managers run prescription drug coverage […]