NS Poised to Take the Plunge into Pooled Registered Pension Plans (PRPPs)

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NS Poised to Take the Plunge into Pooled Registered Pension Plans (PRPPs)

May 5, 2016

By Hugh Wright, Partner at McInnes Cooper,
Rhea McGarva, Litigation Director of Research at McInnes Cooper

Note: As of June 25, 2016, provincially regulated workers and employers in Nova Scotia, Quebec, BC and Saskatchewan can participate in Pooled Registered Pension Plans (PRPP) regulated by the Federal Government. Pan Canadian PRPPs can now be offered on a cost-effective basis in participating jurisdictions, with regulation and supervision occurring largely or entirely at the federal level.

On May 4, 2016, the Nova Scotia Pooled Registered Pension Plan Act and Regulations and associated changes to the NS Pension Benefits Regulations, took effect. Nova Scotia now stands poised to take the final plunge into the creation of pooled registered pension plans (or PRPPs) in NS. PRPPs are an alternative funding and administrative model for pension plans that will allow employers and non-employment based groups to participate in pension plans offered by qualified financial institutions. Small and medium-sized employers in particular will benefit from the anticipated efficiencies and investment leverage pooled registered pension plans offer.

The last step to make pooled retirement pension plans a reality in NS requires the federal and provincial governments to sign the Multilateral Agreement Respecting Pooled Registered Pension Plans under which all such plans will come under the supervision of the federal Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. It’s expected this Agreement, released for public comment in July 2015, will be signed within a number of months.

Please contact your McInnes Cooper lawyer or any member of our McInnes Cooper Pensions & Benefits Team to discuss this topic or any other legal issue.

McInnes Cooper has prepared this document for information only; it is not intended to be legal advice. You should consult McInnes Cooper about your unique circumstances before acting on this information. McInnes Cooper excludes all liability for anything contained in this document and any use you make of it.

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