It’s an election year and, of course, I have a lot of opinions. But I’ll try to keep my political leanings as neutral as possible and simply lay out the facts. This issue will hit desks days before the federal election. However, as I write these words in mid-September, the main parties are just rolling […]
As the pension industry faces shifting demographics and rising longevity, and both the former and current federal governments have taken opposite positions on changing the retirement age, the issue is still up for debate. Carly Wybrow, spokesperson for the Canadian Institute of Actuaries When the Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan were established in […]
As the federal Conservative Party finally introduced its election platform last week, it included a number of provisions around pension plan solvency and retirement security. If elected, the party said it will mandate that all federally regulated companies report on the solvency of their pension funds. “This will give seniors the confidence that their hard-earned […]
The Liberal Party announced a number of campaign promises this week, including making maternity and parental benefits tax-free, introducing a 15-week leave for adoptive parents, strengthening the old-age security benefit and increasing the Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan survivor’s benefit. If re-elected, the Liberal government said it will work to establish guaranteed paid family […]
With the federal election about a month away, Canada’s political parties are rolling out their election platforms, making a host of promises to improve health care, employment insurance, the minimum wage and pension legislation. If elected, the Liberal Party of Canada, New Democratic Party and Green Party of Canada are all promising to implement a national pharmacare program. […]
The federal government is reforming the tribunal that handles appeals related to employment insurance, Canadian Pension Plan and old-age security payments. Currently, Canadians who disagree with decisions by Employment and Social Development Canada or the Canada Employment Insurance Commission relating to these payments, as well as CPP disability benefits, can appeal to the tribunal’s general division. […]
The complexities of income tax at retirement can come as a shock to pensioners, but most plan sponsors are providing limited assistance in helping their retiring employees deal with these issues. “In our experience, much of the communication and education provided by employers/sponsors or their plan record keeper focuses on basic retirement and investment knowledge, […]
Inflation must be taken into account when designing both plan sponsor and government retirement programs because, over time, it will undermine purchasing power. In terms of recruiting and retaining employees, workplace retirement plans are important, but they also represent a significant cost for employers. Inflation-adjusted government pension programs can help lower these costs. But plan sponsors and […]
Defined contribution plan sponsors should consider Canada’s public pension system when designing their plans, according to a panel comparing the Canadian system to the ones in Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden at Benefits Canada’s 2019 DC Plan Summit in Banff, Alta. in February. Canada’s three-pillar system is comprised of old-age security and the guaranteed income […]
Employers could play a role in encouraging low-income Canadians to save more for retirement by offering group tax-free savings accounts, according to a report by the Institute for Research on Public Policy. The report found that, since their introduction in 2009, TFSAs have become nearly as popular as registered retirement savings plans, and could even go […]