Plan sponsor newsletter

Explore this quarter's updates, which include new resources for you and your members, enhanced digital experiences, and important updates on investments and the capital gains tax.

Current issue: Q2 2025

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Resources for you

Understanding the impact of longevity on retirement planning

Longer lifespans may require planning for longer retirements.

Our latest financial resilience and longevity report aims to help plan sponsors understand the complexities of retirement readiness and the risk of retirees outliving their savings.

By focusing on these three key factors, members can address the longevity challenge and achieve a sustainable retirement:

Optimal contribution rates
The long-term benefits of early and consistent saving
Smart investment choices

Read the full analysis on our longevity shortfall risk web page.

For a summary and key findings, see our insight.

Coming soon: analysis on through vs. to glide paths

Stay tuned for our upcoming analysis on managing investment risk in retirement planning, which will focus on through versus to glide paths in target-date portfolios.

The analysis will examine how through glide paths can:

Help offset inflation
Protect portfolios against market downturns
Offer personalized strategies
And more

New: market volatility tool kit web page

Navigate today’s markets with our new resource

We’ve created a resource to provide perspective on the current markets.

Our centralized web page includes:

Insight into current market conditions
Thought leadership resources during times of volatility
Materials we’ve shared with members about investing during market swings

Explore our latest content on market volatility

Resources for members

Trade tariffs are here: our new web page helps members navigate market uncertainty

We’ve recently launched a central hub to help members understand current market conditions.

This valuable resource provides insight into:

What’s happening in the markets today
How it may affect future retirement
Making informed decisions in times of volatility

See how we’re helping members understand tariffs and market volatility.

It’s about time: keeping financial goals on track

Tax season is once a year, but financial planning is year-round.

That’s why this quarter’s member engagement theme is helping members stay on track with their financial goals.

Here’s how we’re engaging members this quarter:

Financial well-being newsletter—This month’s personalized newsletter will cover:
- Maintaining progress toward financial goals
- Ways to reduce next year’s income-tax liability
Useful webinars—Based on their age, members will be invited to one of the following webinars:
- Taking the stress out of money
- Understanding OAS and CPP
Beneficiary reminder— Members without a designated beneficiary will receive a reminder to update their account.

As a plan sponsor, you’ll have access to our advocacy campaigns that you can integrate into your internal communication channels to encourage members to improve their financial strategy.

Visit our It’s about time program page for more information and a full schedule of what’s to come.

Coming soon: Summer of Savings contest

This summer, we’re encouraging members to engage with our mobile app by offering them a chance to win one of six $2,500 cash prizes.

Members will automatically be entered in the contest by simply signing in to their group retirement account on the Manulife Mobile app.

Two names will be selected for each month of summer: June, July, and August.

More details about the contest to come.

Updates to the member site

This spring, plan members will notice a new and improved navigation menu on their secure site.

The simple, user-friendly design will make it easier for members to find what they need quickly, emphasizing self-serve options that boost their confidence in retirement planning.

As soon as it's available, a pop-up message will introduce members to the new layout when they log in.

The new navigation will be organized into the following categories:

My account—Centralizes important member information (statements, balances, and transaction options).
Manage my investments—Includes options for viewing/changing investments and checking-in on fund performance.
Plan for retirement—Provides links to retirement products and allows members to set a goal.
Tools and resources—Provide access to calculators, articles, webinars, and other educational materials.
Support—Visit the contact page to get in touch with us and/or access our FAQ.

Quick links will continue to be available on the homepage where members can easily access their:

Investment information
Personal rates of return
Statements
And more

With the help of member feedback and testing, we're continually enhancing the member site experience to better meet the evolving needs and expectations of both plan members and sponsors.

We encourage members to keep sharing feedback on their digital experience.

Instructions on how to use the new navigation can be found in the FAQs on manulifeim.ca/retire or on the member site.

Important updates

Key information on the changes to the capital gains inclusion rate

The federal budget for April 2024 introduced an increase in the capital gains inclusion rate from 50% to 66.67%. This change would have affected corporations, trusts, and individuals with over $250,000 in capital gains. However, after numerous changes, it was confirmed on March 21, 2025, that this change will be canceled.

To support this change, new boxes were added to members’ T3 and R16 tax forms for reporting capital gains and losses for each period. Due to the late notification and numerous changes, there was insufficient time to adjust reporting for 2024. Therefore, members will notice these boxes on their tax forms, but they’ll no longer be used.

Details on how to report these amounts on tax returns can be found in the relevant CRA and MRQ form guides.

Action required: update your trusted senders list

We've made improvements to our email system, which might affect how emails reach your inbox.

To keep getting important updates, please share our new email details with your IT team to ensure we're marked as a trusted sender.

Here are instructions on how to unblock our emails

Investment insight

Exclusive webinar | Why real assets? And why now?

Discover why now could be the ideal time to consider real asset allocations for Canadian pension plans.

Real assets have long been an integral part of pension plans, with the main benefits being:

Diversification
A hedge against inflation
Sustainability benefits

To learn more, join our exclusive 60-minute webinar¹ and read the trending insight.

^{1 This webinar is only available in English.}

Check out the webinar

Podcast | Explore the world of timberland investing

Discover the growth potential of timberland investments with Manulife Investment Management (MIM).

In this 30-minute podcast, Michael Strzelecki, managing director and senior timberland portfolio manager at MIM, explores the niche asset class of timberland investing.

With nearly 40 years of experience, Manulife has expertly navigated this unique investment to become the largest timberland investment manager in the world.

Listen to the podcast

Upcoming maturity on 2025 target-date funds

2025 target-date funds will reach maturity on December 31, 2025.

They’ll continue to be available to plan sponsors who already have them.

By the end of 2025, the funds will no longer be offered to new clients.