Quebec’s National Assembly has passed Bill 39, which creates voluntary retirement savings plans (VRSPs) in the province. The intention of the bill is to provide employees access to an inexpensive vehicle allowing them to save for their retirement. The implementation...
Recent Articles
Canada ranks last in timely health care
More than half of Canadians 55 and over have to wait at least two days to see their doctors when they are ill, according to a new survey of wealthy countries that ranks Canada dead last when it comes to timely access to health care. More than 30 per cent of the...
Employee Benefits / More than Money
Get more bang for your benefits buck with non-traditional approaches Many of today’s employees work in an environment where companies fight to hire the best. In its February 2010 review of hiring trends, HRinfodesk.com (a site dedicated to Canadian payroll and...
Reducing the Tax Hit When You Face That Final Curtain
Death and taxes may be certain, but for those willing to look, there are several ways to minimize the final tax hit. That’s where tax planning comes in, particularly for your estate, says Douglas Gray, co-author of The Canadian Guide to Will and Estate Planning. There...
The Changing Retirement Age in Canada
The age at which Canadians expect to retire is increasing, more out of need than desire. But there’s one thing group retirement plan members think can help – and that’s getting a little advice along the way. If you thought that attitudes about something as far away...
Managing Group Insurance Plan Costs
The management of group insurance plan costs even in positive economic times is never easy, however with the current economic downturn, reduced group insurance carrier options and increased claims utilization trends the challenge has been significantly increased....
Retirement Annuities provide guaranteed retirement income at a price
The life annuity is a retirement investing product with to-die-for optics. Life annuities pay a regular, guaranteed amount of money every month for as long as you live, which addresses two big retirement risks. One, that the stock market will crash just as you're...
Employee Benefits: Between A Rock and A Hard Place
Employee Benefits: Between A Rock and A Hard Place Containing costs and increasing flexibility within group benefits and retirement savings programs are issues that small businesses face year after year. And, in light of the recession, they may need to make...
Group Insurance Funding ASO – Balancing Risk Against Reward
As employers look for ways to reduce the cost of providing benefits, they have increasingly self-insured a greater portion of risk through administrative services only (ASO) arrangements. Today, health, dental, and short-term disability (STD) are commonly provided on...
Privacy Rules Complicate Short Term Disability
Many employers have also had to deal with a relatively new benefit challenge for relating to the administration and adjudication restraints placed upon self-funded, short-term disability salary continuance plans. In essence, developments in privacy legislation...