November 24, 2016 by Claude Marchessault in Pensions and Benefits
  • Comments Off on Witness the Creation of Ontario’s Modern Pension Regulator

Witness the Creation of Ontario’s Modern Pension Regulator

To remain relevant and effective, industry regulators need to stay current. They must be attentive to economic realities, adapt to new technology and evolve with the industries they regulate. Ontario’s pension regulator is overdue for a major overhaul that will bring it into the 21st century.

Ontario’s Fall 2016 Economic Statement

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November 18, 2016 by Scott Sweatman in Pensions and Benefits
  • Comments Off on Environmental, Social and Governance Factors: Should Pension Plan Administrators Look to Rating Agencies for Links Between ESG and Credit Worthiness of Target Investments?

Environmental, Social and Governance Factors: Should Pension Plan Administrators Look to Rating Agencies for Links Between ESG and Credit Worthiness of Target Investments?

In my August 17, 2016 post (found here), I summarized Ontario’s recent changes to the Pension Benefits Act and Regulation that require a pension plan’s statement of investment policies and procedures (“SIPP”) to include information as to whether environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors are incorporated into the plan’s

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November 14, 2016 by Mary Picard in Pensions and Benefits
  • Comments Off on Ontario Pension Advisory Committees

Ontario Pension Advisory Committees

If you are involved with the administration of an Ontario registered pension plan, you should familiarize yourself with new Ontario rules regarding pension advisory committees. The new rules will be effective January 1, 2017.  They give significant additional rights to plan members, and could impose extra costs and administrative burdens

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October 31, 2016 by Heather Di Dio in Pensions and Benefits
  • Comments Off on Target Benefit Plans: A New Proposed Plan Design Option for Federally-Regulated Employers

Target Benefit Plans: A New Proposed Plan Design Option for Federally-Regulated Employers

On October 19, 2016, the federal government introduced Bill C-27 which, if passed, will permit federally-regulated employers to establish single-employer and multi-employer target benefit plans.  The bill proposes to amend the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 to add target benefit plans as an alternative to the traditional defined benefit

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October 07, 2016 by Mary Picard in Pensions and Benefits
  • Comments Off on Canada Pension Plan enhancements: it’s happening

Canada Pension Plan enhancements: it’s happening

Yesterday the federal government tabled Bill C-26, which will implement changes to the Canada Pension Plan that were announced in June, 2016.  All provinces other than Quebec are now on board, in support of increased employer and employee contributions, and higher benefits.  The higher contribution rates will not apply

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September 27, 2016 by Claude Marchessault in Pensions and Benefits
  • Comments Off on Getting Your Act Together – B.C. & Alberta Triennial Pension Assessments

Getting Your Act Together – B.C. & Alberta Triennial Pension Assessments

In November 2008, the Alberta/British Columbia Joint Expert Panel on Pension Standards (JEPPS) released its report on pension standards in the two provinces. The report, Getting Our Acts Together, encouraged the two provincial governments to take a leadership position in pension reform and forge harmonized pension standards legislation which would

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August 29, 2016 by Mary Picard in Pensions and Benefits
  • Comments Off on Ontario Pension Plan Members Will Soon Have Significant New Rights

Ontario Pension Plan Members Will Soon Have Significant New Rights

Ontario is on the verge of implementing new rights for members of registered pension plans. Members will have the right to form committees that will have broad rights to review information about all aspects of plan administration including investments.  Employers who sponsor or administer a registered pension plan should familiarize

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August 19, 2016 by Catherine Coulter in Pensions and Benefits
  • Comments Off on Double Check those Bonus Plans!

Double Check those Bonus Plans!

The Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in the case of Paquette v. TeraGo Networks Inc. should have all employers running to double-check and possibly amend their bonus plans.  A further case released on the same day by the same panel of judges further confirmed the law set out in the

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August 17, 2016 by Scott Sweatman in English, Ontario, Pensions and Benefits
  • Comments Off on Environmental, Social and Governance Factors: Does Failure to Consider ESG Issues Constitute a Breach of Fiduciary Duty?

Environmental, Social and Governance Factors: Does Failure to Consider ESG Issues Constitute a Breach of Fiduciary Duty?

Changes made to the Ontario Pension Benefits Act and Regulation (the “Ontario PBA”), which came into force on January 1, 2016, now require a pension plan’s statement of investment policies and procedures (“SIPP”) to include information as to whether environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors are incorporated into the plan’s

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August 12, 2016 by Mary Picard in English, Ontario, Pensions and Benefits
  • Comments Off on U.S. employers targeted by lawsuits claiming excessive fees in employee retirement and savings plans: Could it happen in Canada?

U.S. employers targeted by lawsuits claiming excessive fees in employee retirement and savings plans: Could it happen in Canada?

I recently wrote about the legal risks regarding plan fees that should be considered by Canadian employers who sponsor group registered retirement savings plans and defined contribution pension plans (that article can be found here).  These risks have been emphasized by several lawsuits filed against U.S. employers in the

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