Plan sponsor newsletter

Welcome to the first issue of our plan sponsor newsletter. Each quarter, we’ll use this opportunity to share news about product and service enhancements, webinars, member communications, and anything else we think you might want to know.

Current issue:  Q2 2024

Federal budget

Federal budget 2024 highlights

On April 16, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland presented Budget 2024 in the House of Commons. See our summary of the issues and proposed changes we think are most important to plan sponsors, consultants, and financial advisors—available in:

It’s about time—for targeted member engagement

All eligible members will receive the Q2 It's about time financial well-being email in April. This quarter’s timely topic will be taxes, covering:

  • Tax receipts: what to expect and when
  • Tax planning
  • How investments are taxed

And in June, members will be invited to attend our estate planning basics.

Don’t forget that as a plan sponsor, you have access to additional ready-made campaigns you can share with your employees. Our “Build a better you” campaign is now available on the It’s about time program page under “Advocacy,”  and it discusses basic planning and goal-setting tips. In May, you’ll have access to “Smart money moves” to help members identify and address their financial concerns and priorities.

Visit the It’s about time program page any time to view samples of our member communications and upcoming initiatives and to download advocacy campaigns that you can integrate into your own internal communication channels.

Driving mobile app usage with a chance to win

To encourage more members to use the Manulife Mobile app, watch for our Summer of Savings Contest, running from June through August. Members who sign in to their group retirement account on the app will be automatically entered to win one of three $5,000 cash prizes.

We’ll promote the contest with members, reminding them throughout the summer to sign in to the app for their chance to win. We’ll draw the name of a winner each month. When the contest starts, you can check out our contest pages for more details.

Tips for the CAP Guidelines

As a plan sponsor, it can be hard to keep track of group plan rules and legislation—let us help! This year, the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities is updating the capital accumulation plan (CAP) guidelines, and the changes are expected to be significant. Read our overview of the anticipated updates, including:

  • The proposed changes and how they’ll work
  • The impact the new guidelines will have on the industry
  • Recommendations on how to build and maintain a governance framework and help meet the new obligations