April 2010 | | An Age-old Story
Longevity risk is a growing concern for pension plan sponsors, but there are new strategies to help them manage it.
By Jasenka Brcic and Chris Brisebois
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March 2010 | | Strength in Numbers
So far, Canadian regulators’ efforts to
stem the tide of declining defined
benefit (DB) plans have focused on
reducing the impact of solvency funding
requirements. But there’s another
option. It’s been around for decades
and already provides pension benefits
to over a million Canadians. It’s the
multi-employer pension plan (MEP).
By Mark Davis,
Susan Deller and
Cameron Hunter
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January 2010 | | Sifting Through the Aftermath
Retirement plan sponsors and members in Atlantic Canada, like their counterparts elsewhere in the country, spent 2009 sifting through the aftermath of the economic storm. While the effects are different for defined benefit (DB) pension plans and capital accumulation plans (CAPs), the overall result is the same: a tremendous setback for retirement funding.
By Derek Gerard
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May 2009 | | On Hold
It's the primary rule of pensions and, arguably, the most widely cited principle in pension plan management: pension plans are built to last. They are designed to operate over the long term, and they should be managed and invested accordingly. After all, someone joining a plan today will likely still be collecting a pension 50 years from now. But how does this rule hold up after a year like 2008?
By Catherine Robertson
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September 2009 | | Solvency Relief Reality Check
Most Defined Benefit pension plans are still reeling from last year's market collapse and many face steep solvency shortfalls. The good news is that the federal government and a number of provincial jurisdictions have introduced solvency relief measures. The challenge, however, is that those measures are often tied to strict disclosure requirements and, in several cases, require member consent.
By Ted Thaler
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January 2009 | | Trials and Transitions: Revisiting the plan sponsor's role in the retirement process
In the aftermath of the market meltdown, plan members nearing retirement are more fearful than ever about their financial security. In light of these concerns, plan sponsors that believe their responsibility ends with their final contribution to the member's pension may need to reconsider.
By Janice Holman
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May 2006 | | New Reality in Employee Benefits Accounting Standards
A funny thing happened as standards for employee benefits and pension accounting around the world began to converge. In 2005, just as many European countries adopted ...
By Jill Wagman (Eckler Partners Ltd. - Canada) and Charles Young (Hymans Robertson - UK)
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May 2006 | | Looking Beyond Employee Self-Service - Global Trends in Communications
Employers and human resource executives around the globe face the increasingly complex challenge of aligning employees with new strategies. Many of today's most successful organizations are considering technology-based communication ...
By Paul Harrietha and Gerry Chiasson
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March 2006 | | A Hybrid Solution
Defined benefit funding pressures and the untested liabilities associated with defined contribution plans are prompting some plan sponsors to revisit the concept of a hybrid plan.
By Steve Gendron
(Re-posted with the permission of Benefits Canada)
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November 2004 | | The multi-employer experience
Multi-employer pension plans in Canada have shown that transparency can pay off in difficult times.
By Susan Deller and Cameron Hunter
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November 2001 | | Canada: Public and Private Health Care
The Canadian public health care system and privately sponsored group health care programs have enjoyed a complementary relationship for many years. The public system has provided full access to basic health care, while private plans have stepped in to cover the cost of supplementary services for their plan members. However, this relationship is changing.
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