As millennials look to their employers to integrate their career, education and leisure, this creates challenges for the pension industry, said Erica Hall, assistant vice-president of client relations and group retirement solutions at Manulife, speaking at Benefits Canada’s 2019 DC Plan Summit in Banff, Alta. in February. “We are very linear — they enrol, accumulate and […]
On the eve of his retirement, with more than 40 years in benefits under his belt, Aon’s Art Babcock considers the industry’s move to technology, health-care spending accounts and drone piloting Q. How did you get into the group benefits industry? A. I began my career in the insurance industry out of university, with Metropolitan […]
While a lot of attention has been paid to “the front end of pension plans,” there hasn’t been enough focus on how that translates into retirement income, said Blair Richards, chief executive officer of the Halifax Port ILA/HEA, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2019 DC Plan Summit in Banff, Alta. in February. “We should […]
In the face of a challenging capital market and its subsequent volatility, defined contribution plan sponsors must consider the affect on plan member behaviour, said Colin Sinclare, managing director of institutional sales for Western Canada at MFS Investment Management. “Volatility affects the compounding of returns in DC plan members savings plans. As well, it has behavioural […]
With different generations in the workplace requiring personalized approaches, the pension industry is reimagining traditional savings plans, said Brady Aarssen, assistant vice-president of business development strategy at Great-West Life Assurance Co., speaking at Benefits Canada’s 2019 DC Plan Summit in Banff, Alta. in February. Millennials, for instance, are the largest segment of the workforce, they’re […]
While the pension industry has traditionally spent a lot of time focusing on active management and its impact, the right result is driven by strategic design, said Brett Sumsion, portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2019 DC Plan Summit in Banff, Alta. in February. “A strategic design [is] about diversification, […]
Looking at the role of plan design in driving member outcomes, it comes down to data and experience, according to Margaret Rux, principal and department head of retirement plan client services at the Vanguard Group., at Benefits Canada’s 2019 DC Plan Summit in Banff, Alta. in February. Capturing data from five million members and more […]
Simplifying DC plan enrolment should begin by eliminating the “tyranny of choice,” making it easier for plan members to just get started, according to Tom Reid, senior vice-president of group retirement services at Sun Life Financial. “We’re not saying choice is bad, but at certain moments choice is really not the most welcome thing and […]
A new paper from Ryerson University’s National Institute of Ageing is calling for the creation of workplace tax-free pension plans to better support Canadians’ financial security in retirement. Under the current workplace registered pension plan model, noted the research, lower to middle income Canadians are essentially discouraged from saving for retirement due to the potential financial […]
In its 2019 budget on Tuesday, the federal government confirmed it will work with partners to move forward on three foundational elements of national pharmacare. The initial steps are the creation of a new national drug agency and a national formulary, which were both recommended by the advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare in its interim […]