Canada (EN)
With the calendar turning to 2026, retirement plan sponsors can refresh and think strategically, embrace new technology, and consider participants’ overall financial wellness. The following eight resolutions offer a well-rounded guide for developing retirement benefits plans that go beyond basic compliance and aim to make a real difference.
Resolution 1: Embrace digital-first participant engagement
Plan sponsors must create comprehensive digital systems that transform retirement planning from a complex chore into an intuitive, personalized experience tailored to each employee’s current situation. They can do this by integrating defined contribution plan technology solutions and digital pension plan management tools for a seamless experience.
Three critical areas:
- Artificial intelligence-powered personalization: Implement advanced machine learning algorithms that provide individualized financial guidance, anticipating participant needs and creating predictive models that make complex financial planning accessible and actionable.
- Immersive digital experiences: Develop mobile-first platforms with seamless user interfaces, interactive financial planning tools, and engaging features that make retirement savings feel less like a burden and more like a dynamic personal journey.
- Continuous learning and adaptation: Create micro-learning modules, adaptive recommendation engines, and feedback mechanisms that continuously evolve to meet changing participant needs and technological capabilities.
Resolution 2: Master SECURE 2.0
SECURE 2.0 is an opportunity to redesign retirement plan approaches and participant support. Successful sponsors will view compliance not as a burden, but as a chance to differentiate their offerings and provide exceptional value.
A comprehensive compliance approach can center on three critical dimensions:
- Advanced contribution strategies: Use the mandatory Roth catch-up provisions as a springboard for communications to participants by highlighting strategies to optimize defined contribution plans. This can reach across different income levels and career stages and provide education on how participants can create tax-diverse portfolios.
- Transparency and education: Create multi-channel educational resources that demystify complex regulatory requirements and enable participants to make informed decisions.
- Utilize AI to analyze optional provisions: Leverage advanced artificial intelligence tools to evaluate various optional SECURE 2.0 provisions and uncover their potential effects on your workforce.
Resolution 3: Reimagine DB plans
For many employers, defined benefit plans are still a foundational element of a comprehensive retirement approach for their people, and require thoughtful, innovative management. In 2026, sponsors should incorporate DB plan compliance requirements and pension funding strategies to ensure resilience and adaptability. Sponsors should also reimagine DB plans as dynamic, flexible instruments of financial security.
Key strategic focus areas can include:
- Dynamic funding models: Develop adaptive funding approaches that balance institutional risk management with participant benefit optimization, creating more resilient and responsive pension frameworks.
- Pension risk transfer: Capitalize on favorable economic conditions to permanently de-risk the plan.
- Lifetime income integration: Design strategies that seamlessly connect defined benefit guarantees with broader retirement income planning, providing participants with a clear, predictable paycheck after employment.
Resolution 4: Promote financial wellbeing
In 2026, organizations can move beyond traditional financial wellbeing programs to become comprehensive "life partners" for their participants. This approach recognizes that retirement security is intrinsically linked to overall financial health, stress management, and long-term economic resilience.
Focus areas might include:
- Comprehensive financial integration: Develop programs that address budgeting, debt management, emergency savings, and retirement planning as interconnected while leveraging personalized retirement planning tools and benefits navigation for retirement to enhance participant engagement. This provides participants with a lifecycle approach to financial health.
- Personalized financial coaching: Implement coaching offerings that provide tailored guidance, predictive financial insights, and proactive support across various life stages and financial challenges.
- Stress reduction strategies: Create holistic support mechanisms that address the emotional and psychological aspects of financial planning, helping participants build confidence and reduce financial anxiety.
Resolution 5: Prioritize data integrity and cybersecurity
As our world becomes more digital and cyber attacks grow, retirement plan sponsors need to make protecting data a basic part of earning the trust of their employees. The 2026 approach to data security goes far beyond compliance, positioning participant data protection as a basic value of the organization.
Priorities include:
- Advanced cybersecurity infrastructure: Develop multi-layered security protocols that utilize cutting-edge technologies.
- Participant data transparency: Create clear, accessible frameworks that allow participants to understand, control, and protect their personal financial information with high levels of visibility and control, especially as they manage defined contribution and defined benefit plan data within integrated digital platforms.
- Encourage participant adoption: Many participants are not using the cyber protection tools offered by plan sponsors. Remind participants of any new features that can stop cybertheft before it starts.
Resolution 6: Monitor regulatory and market trends
Successful sponsors will plan ahead to transform regulatory compliance from a reactive process to a proactive advantage by anticipating changes that impact defined contribution limits, DB plan funding requirements, and emerging retirement plan innovations. This allows sponsors to position themselves as thought leaders in retirement plan management.
Potential strategies:
- Predictive regulatory mapping: Talk to Washington experts about possible rule changes so you can adjust and prepare ahead of time.
- Develop cross-disciplinary compliance teams: Build teams with legal, financial, tech, and retirement plan experts to create strong compliance plans.
- Global and local regulatory synthesis: Make flexible systems that can quickly adapt to new rules from different countries or regions.
Resolution 7: Address portability and leakage
Encourage employees to move their retirement savings into new accounts or keep their money in the plan to prevent losing funds by leveraging auto‑portability features, account consolidation strategies for DC plans, and guidance that supports participants during career transitions. Consider partnerships and features that help participants consolidate accounts and preserve retirement savings.
Key areas might include:
- Add portable benefit features: Add auto-portability to make for easy account consolidation, transfer, and preservation as participants make career transitions and life changes.
- Withdrawal guidance: Create educational materials that help participants understand the long-term implications of early withdrawals, offering alternatives and financial counseling.
- Articulate your terminated participant strategy: Some plan sponsors prefer to have former employees remain in the plan while others prefer that they remove their balances. Consider your approach and then review provisions to make sure all parties are in agreement.
Resolution 8: Build a retirement income runway
Resolve to help employees convert savings into sustainable income. In 2026, sponsors should continue to move beyond accumulation and help promote lifelong financial stability for their participants.
Use integrated planning tools to show your people their combined monthly income and make it easy to elect both benefits in one seamless experience.
Track success by looking at how many people choose installments, use managed accounts, and avoid taking money out early.
Possible focus areas:
- Integrated income planning: Design programs that blend defined benefit guarantees, defined contribution plans, and emerging income technologies to create predictable lifetime income frameworks. For example, you might tell participants to start with DB as the guaranteed income floor, then layer in DC strategies like installment payments, managed accounts, and annuities.
- Flexible drawdown strategies: Develop adaptive income distribution models that can adjust to changing market conditions, participant needs, and longevity risks.
- Leverage partnerships: If incorporating guaranteed income products into your plan is not feasible, explore alternative approaches to offer access for your participants. For instance, your recordkeeper may have established partnerships with product providers that could serve this purpose.
From resolutions to transformation
When these eight resolutions are considered, they can be a blueprint for reimagining retirement plan management in 2026 and beyond. Successful organizations can have a holistic approach to helping participants achieve better financial security.
