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Fall 2008, Number 48
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In this issue
OPTrust identifies funding surplus and eliminates deficits
 Good news about your pension plan. OPTrust’s most recent actuarial valuation has identified a funding surplus of $470 million in the Plan, as of December 31, 2007. The surplus is the result of $841 million in gains realized over the three years from 2004 to 2007. Part of the gains was also used to eliminate the remainder of the Plan’s $428 million funding deficit.
Sponsors reach a decision
OPSEU and the Government of Ontario have chosen to allocate their shares of the surplus to the Plan’s stabilization funds. As a result, the stabilization funds have increased to $383 million for OPTrust’s membership, and $495 million for the government.
The sponsors’ decision to increase the Plan’s stabilization funds is a prudent one.
With the increase in market volatility since mid-2007 – and the possibility of significant investment losses in 2008 – setting aside substantial reserves is one important way to manage the risk of future funding shortfalls.
These funds can be used by each sponsor to limit or avoid contribution increases that would be required if the Plan’s experiences a funding loss. This could happen if the Plan’s investment results fall short of the OPTrust’s 6.75% target return, or if the cost of members' and retirees’ pensions increases faster than expected. The stabilization funds can also be used to reduce member and employer contribution rates or enhance plan benefits in the future.
Actuarial valuation
While OPTrust carries out an actuarial valuation every year, the valuation must be filed with Ontario’s pension regulators at least once every three years. The purpose is to determine whether investment assets are sufficient to meet the pension promise for all members and retireess, today and in the future.
These valuations provide a snapshot of the Plan’s funded status and a tally of gains or losses experienced since the last valuation.
OPTrust’s primary goal is to ensure that money is available to pay current and future retirees’ pensions over their lifetimes, while maintaining stable contribution rates
for plan members and employers.
Shared risks and rewards
When the OPSEU Pension Plan was established, its sponsors – the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) – agreed that any gains or losses would be shared between the Government and the Plan’s members and pensioners.
Deficit eliminated
The Plan went from a deficit of $428 million in 2004 – due to poor investment returns between 2000 and 2002 – to a surplus of $470 million at the end of 2007. The shortfall in 2004 would have normally triggered an immediate increase in pension contribution rates for members and employers. However, both OPSEU and the Government of Ontario had set aside a substantial portion of the past funding gains in a separate rate stabilization fund. Since 2002, these funds have been used to keep member and employer contribution rates stable.
Online survey rated your opinion
In August 2008, OPSEU surveyed more than 81,000 members and pensioners to rate seven proposed options on temporary and permanent benefit improvements. OPSEU looked at a cost-efficient, convenient and secure way to distribute the survey and opted
to go online, given the short timeframe to file the valuation.
OPTrust worked with OPSEU to deliver the survey in its secure Online Services website. It was designed to prevent duplication and make the tally of results more efficient and reliable. OPTrust did not share individual records or responses with OPSEU, only statistics for each question.
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Facts About... Pension Income Splitting
The federal government introduced pension income splitting in the 2007 budget to give Canadian retirees an option to reduce their taxes each year. So what does this mean for you and your OPTrust pension? Do you think you might benefit from income splitting?
The new tax rule allows retirees to split their pension income with their partner which may reduce overall taxes. Let’s say your income is higher than your spouse’s, then you can allocate up to one-half of your OPTrust pension income to your spouse for tax purposes. |
When should you consider pension income splitting? You and your spouse may want to consider splitting pension income in the following situations if:
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one spouse is in a higher tax bracket. At a minimum, you will save the difference in the tax rates between each spouse’s tax bracket. |
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one spouse is not fully using the pension credit amount. |
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the spouse with the pension income to be transferred is affected by social benefits repayment (e.g. OAS repayment for net income higher than $63,511) or a reduced age credit amount. |
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one spouse is paying provincial surtax. |
In each of these cases, pension income splitting may reduce your combined income tax and may be worth considering.
When will pension income splitting not benefit you?
If both you and your spouse have eligible pension income, are fully using the pension income amount, and are in the same tax bracket, there may be no benefit to pension splitting. If neither spouse’s income is taxable, pension splitting will not be beneficial.
Other points to consider
The amount of pension income that can be split is indicated on the Joint Election to Split Pension Income (T1032 form). Pension income does not have to be split equally (50/50). You can choose the most beneficial amount to transfer to your spouse, as long as it does not exceed 50% of your eligible pension income.
Pension splitting can impact other tax credits and calculations. You should review the following claims, with either a financial advisor or tax specialist, before and after transferring pension income: |
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age |
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medical expenses |
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donations and gifts |
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social benefits repayment |
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spouse or common-law partner credit |
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penion income amount |
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amounts transferred from your spouse or common-law partner. |
Eligibility
Under the federal government’s requirement, you and your spouse or common-law partner can elect to split your eligible pension income received in the year if you meet the following conditions:
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you are married or in a common-law partnership with each other in the year and are not living separate and apart from each other. |
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you are both residents in Canada on December 31st. |
If you want to split your income for the 2008 tax year, you and your spouse will need to complete a Joint Election to Split Pension Income (T1032 form) available from the Canada Revenue Agency
Want more information?
For more information, visit the Canada Revenue Agency’s website at www.cra-arc.gc.ca.
You should also contact a financial advisor or tax specialist to help you decide if pension income splitting is right for you.
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Protect yourself from investment fraud
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Protecting your finances and investments from scam artists is critical at any stage but it’s important to be aware of what to look out for in retirement too. That’s where a new booklet from the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) comes in handy. Protect your money, avoiding frauds and scams outlines what to watch for and how to protect yourself from investment fraud, including tips for protecting your money. |
What to watch out for
The CSA1 advises retirees to watch out for these warning signs:
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any financial transaction completed on your behalf without your consent |
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transactions for which you have no record |
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someone who promises or guarantees you a high return or future price |
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someone who suggests that an investment will eventually be listed on a stock exchange |
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back-dated purchase orders |
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anyone asking you to pre-sign blank forms |
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guarantees of any kind or promises to refund purchase price |
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failure to provide a prospectus |
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secretive behaviour or requests for silence. |
You can download various publications on protecting your finances and avoiding frauds and scams from the Ontario Securities Commission website at www.checkbeforeyouinvest.ca. Each province has its own regulator that works in tandem under the CSA.
Reminder: Update Your Personal Tax Credits
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As part of the retirement process, you completed provincial and federal Personal Tax Credits Return (TD1/TD1ON) forms to claim tax credits in retirement. However, if your circumstances have changed since you retired, it could have an impact on your tax credits. For example, if you’ve turned 65 or your spouse has died or maybe you’ve become a caregiver, you should update this information on a TD1 form to ensure the appropriate amount of tax is withheld from your pension payment.
You can update your TD1 information through OPTrust’s secure Online Services website. The federal and Ontario forms are also available on the OPTrust website under the “Pensioner” section. If you live in another province, you will need to complete the TD1 form from that government. All forms are available on the Canada Revenue Agency website. Please send your updated forms to OPTrust so that we can update your tax deduction information on record.
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Retiree Profile: Patricia Waugh
Early in her life, Patricia Waugh was struggling to raise two young girls as a single mother while trying to hold down a steady job. Then an opportunity with the provincial government kick started her career, and opened up the chance for a secure retirement.
“After being laid off from a position in the private sector, I was offered an opportunity to attend college through a government program. By the time my children graduated from high school, I had graduated from college” says Patricia. She then took a job with the Addiction Research Foundation and found security for the first time in her early forties. Patricia later went on to work in the Ministry of Health as an Administrative Assistant, Health Human Resources and joined the OPSEU Pension Plan – a decision she’s glad she made. She ended her career at the Medical Advisory Secretariat. |
“When I was offered early retirement under Factor 80 in 2003, I hesitated to give up the security of my job. But I had remarried and decided to give retirement a chance. I have never regretted that decision.”
Since retiring, Patricia and her husband spend a month every summer in Nova Scotia and two months each winter in Portugal. They have traveled all over Portugal, visited Spain and toured Morocco from Fez to Marrakech and Casablanca. This summer the couple took another trip of a lifetime touring Egypt.
“Taking long vacations is one of the great benefits of retirement. I have more free time and my pension keeps rolling in while I’m away! We always save money by traveling off-season which is an added bonus because the weather in North Africa is comfortably warm during our winter season.”
Retirement has also given Patricia the freedom to trace her family tree. After countless hours of research at the Archives of Ontario, Patricia was able to identify her family’s roots, an experience she thoroughly enjoyed. She has since written and self-published a book for her family.
What are you doing in retirement?
We want to hear about how you are enjoying retirement. Maybe you’re working part-time, traveling, volunteering or spending more time with family and friends. Share your stories and tips on how to enjoy your retirement with other retirees. Send an e-mail to
communications@optrust.com and you could be featured in a future issue of The Pension Connection and OPTions newsletters. |
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What will you receive from CPP?
Whether you plan to start your CPP benefits at age 60 or 65, you may want to check out your Estimated Monthly CPP Benefits statement to give you a clear picture of what you will receive from CPP. The statement also shows an estimate of disability and survivor benefits.
If you haven’t started to receive CPP, you can obtain your statement online at www.servicecanada.ca or request a copy by contacting Service Canada at 1 800 277-9914.
While online, you can also check out the CPP and Earnings Contributions statement to view a history of yourearnings and contributions during your working years.
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You Asked…
Question: I completed the OPSEU survey on OPTrust’s gains in August. Why did I have to complete the survey online and provide my Social Insurance Number?
Answer: OPSEU looked at the most cost-efficient way of carrying out the survey while meeting the tight September 30, 2008 deadline to file with provincial regulators. OPTrust partnered with OPSEU to host the survey on our secure Online Services website. Retirees who had not registered for Online Services were asked to provide their Social Insurance Number. Your SIN ensured that you had a say in the survey. And it prevented duplication to make the tally of results more efficient and reliable. It did not identify you personally.
Question: I am concerned about future losses in the Plan – will my pension drop as a result of funding losses?
Answer: No. The OPSEU Pension Plan is a defined benefit plan. This means your pension is based on a formula that’s payable for your lifetime. Your annual pension will not decrease due to any future losses in the Plan. OPTrust’s primary goal is to ensure that money is available to pay current and future retirees’ pensions over their lifetimes, while maintaining stable contribution rates for plan members and employers. OPTrust is required to conduct a funding valuation every three years to determine funding requirements to pay members and retirees’ pensions now and in the future.
Question: I have insured benefits coverage. What information do I need to bring if I have to go to the hospital?
Answer: You will need to bring your Great-West Life ID card to the hospital to ensure your costs are covered. Your card shows the policy number and your OPTrust ID.
Question: I forgot my Online Services password. How can I access my account?
Answer: You can retrieve your forgotten password or user ID online by visiting OPTrust’s homepage and click “Log-in now,” right below the Online Services logo. From there follow the “I forgot my OPTrust ID or password” link. Enter your e-mail address and OPTrust will send you a new temporary password to your primary e-mail address to access your account.
Question: When can I start receiving my CPP and OAS benefits?
Answer: You can collect CPP at age 65 or as early as age 60 with reductions in your pension for early payment. The CPP reduction is 6% per year for every year you are less than 65. Old Age Security benefits, start at age 65 and cannot be taken earlier. For more information on CPP and OAS benefits visit the Service Canada website.
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Your OPTrust ID and your security
Protecting your security and personal information is important to OPTrust. That’s why we’ve assigned every pensioner and member a unique, nine-digit OPTrust ID to identify individual records and personal information on file at OPTrust.
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Your OPTrust ID is located on your Pensioner Information Change Statement (PICS), and other OPTrust documents and correspondence. It replaces your Social Insurance
Number (SIN) as a reference number and further protects the privacy and security of your personal data.
Unlike your Social Insurance Number, your OPTrust ID is used only to:
- access your personal pension information with OPTrust – on the phone, online or in person
- submit benefit claims to Great-West Life, if you qualify.
Your OPTrust ID is also used to access your personal account through secure Online Services.
Of course, it’s always a good idea to keep this number safe as you would with personal details such as your banking information and other passwords.
Forgot your number? Don’t know your OPTrust ID? Not to worry. Contact our office and our Member and Pensioner Services staff will provide you with this information, after asking you some security questions.
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Pension Connection e-updates to keep you in the know
Want to know the 2009 inflation adjustment before the next issue of The Pension Connection? OPTrust has just introduced Pension Connection e-updatesto keep you informed of what’s going on in your pension plan between each newsletter issue.
For example, if a new trustee is appointed or there are changes to insured benefits premiums, we’ll send you an e-update by e-mail with the highlights. The more detailed story will appear in the next issue of The Pension Connection.
Anyone with an Online Services account will automatically receive an e-update in between newsletter issues.
Not registered yet? Visit our website to complete your registration or contact our Member and Pensioner Services staff to walk you through the process.
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Seniors Canada Online Resources
Looking for volunteer opportunities? Want more information on government programs for retirees? The Government of Canada provides valuable online information for retirees looking for information on federal and provincial programs and services, including:
- CPP and OAS benefits
- publications
- volunteer opportunities
- health and wellness
- seniors networks
To find out more, visit the Seniors Canada website at www.seniors.gc.ca.
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New Board Chair and Vice-Chair
As part of OPTrust’s governance structure one Government appointee and one OPSEU appointee fill the positions of Chair and Vice-Chair, with the roles alternating between Government and OPSEU appointees every two years.
In September, Tony Ross became the new Chair of OPTrust’s Board of Trustees. Ross was first appointed to the Board in 2000 by the Government of Ontario. At the same time, Doug Paolini, an OPSEU appointee, was appointed Vice-Chair of the Board. Paolini first joined the Board in 2007. David Rapaport, the former Chair, remains on the Board of Trustees. |
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Ressources disponibles en français
Êtes-vous un participant ou une participante bilingue? Préféreriez-vous recevoir La filière des pensions en français? Vous pouvez choisir une version électronique ou imprimée. Si vous voulez une copie de la version française de La filière des pensions, veuillez envoyer un courriel à communications@optrust.com ou ouvrir une session dans votre compte de Services en ligne pour transmettre un message sécurisé à la FRRS.
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