Looking for personal help with your Pension Plan? Meet one-on-one with a Sun Life Education Consultant to address your questions and plan your financial future. Choose from:

• In-person meetings on-campus November 13-15 and 20-22, 2024 (registration opens mid-October)
• Virtual 1:1 meetings via phone or Zoom are available any business day 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Are you within 5-7 years of retirement? If so, it might be better to meet with a Retirement Consultant who can support your planning into and throughout your retirement.

• In-person meetings on-campus November 13-15 and 20-22, 2024.
• Virtual 1:1 meetings via phone or Zoom are available any business day 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Learn more and register for all options

November 13, 2024, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. - Virtual seminar

Are you having trouble getting started on your financial roadmap? This webinar will focus on the five steps to boost your financial health. Topics include:

• assessing your current situation
• creating goals
• making a budget
• keeping your finances healthy

This session is being delivered exclusively to Western employees. Content is newly updated!

Register now 

Questions about registration? Email Cara Bourdeau.

November 19, 20, and 27 – In-person workshops

• Tuesday, November 19, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 12:55 p.m. – in-person workshop
• Wednesday, November 20, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 12:55 p.m. – in-person workshop
• Wednesday, November 20, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 1:55 p.m. – in-person workshop
• Wednesday, November 27, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 12:55 p.m. – in-person workshop
• Wednesday, November 27, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 1:55 p.m. – in-person workshop

Did you know that 41 per cent of Canadians are financially stressed? In this interactive workshop led by members of Western’s Financial Wellness Lab you’ll discover the research happening at the Lab to understand and enhance the financial resilience of Canadian households. You will also learn how to apply the Lab’s key findings and practical tools to your own life. Each session is 50 minutes. Refreshments will be served!

Participants are encouraged to explore the Lab's Financial Fitness Evaluator tool ahead of the workshop.

Register now

This session is part of Sun Life’s Financial Wellness webinar series. It dives deep into retirement planning concepts including:

• Exploring retirement wellness
• Sources of retirement income
• Protecting your retirement savings, and
• Protecting yourself and loved ones in retirement

This session is best suited to plan members aged 50 or older.

Register now

November 14, 2024 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Virtual

This session is part of Sun Life’s Financial Wellness webinar series. It’s best suited for anyone who is interested in learning how to manage and avoid debt as part of their overall financial plan. The session looks at the types of debt, the cost of borrowing, understanding your credit rating as well as tips for getting out of debt. This session is in webinar format where participation is anonymous.

Register now

Helpful for all (10 min)

This video discusses saving for your future and the tools and services available to support that goal. Topics include sources of retirement income (government, employer pension, personal savings), examines key features of your Western pension plan, and points you to tools, resources and Customer Care options to help you get answers to your questions.

View video now

Designed for those in early or mid-career (11 min)

The video offers a good overview of how to save for your future and the tools and services available to support that goal. It will cover sources of retirement income and give you a closer look at Western’s Pension Plan and how to get the most from it. It will also show you the impact of starting early!

View video now

Helpful for all

Rebalancing the asset mix in your account is a recommended way to help manage risk. This session, recorded by the Western Pension Board's investment consultants at Mercer Canada, will help you understand what it means to rebalance and how you can do it in your Sun Life account.

View video on Rebalancing Your Western Pension Plan - updated October 2023
View French language version on Rebalancing

Helpful for all (11 min)

This recorded session reviews investment fundamentals around market volatility. It can help you understand your comfort with risk, help you focus on your end game, and diversify to help protect your investments. It can also show you resources and services available when you need information and advice.

View video now

Designed for those in mid or late career (17 min)

Part 1 of this series has a focus on the six to fifteen years prior to retirement, planning for your desired retirement lifestyle, reviewing expenses and creating a budget. You'll examine government sources of income, types of pension and savings plans, and vehicles for converting savings to income such as LIF/RIFs, annuities, etc.

View video now 

Designed for those in mid or late career (13 min)

Part 2 focuses on the 10 years prior to retirement, covering risks (longevity, inflation, market downturns, unexpected events), the income options to mitigate those risks, and the features of each. Government benefits will also be explained as well as steps to take to plan for lifetime expenses and income.

With a focus on the Sun Life Retirement & Savings Plan for Western Retirees, this video uses a case study to convey possible income sources, available accounts (such as RIF/LIF, RRSP, etc), provides information about fees, sources of government income, and reviews the supports available to help you with your plan.

View video now

Designed for those in late career (12 min)

With a focus on the Sun Life Retirement & Savings Plan for Western Retirees, this video uses a case study to convey possible income sources, available accounts (such as RIF/LIF, RRSP, etc), provides information about fees, sources of government income, and reviews the supports available to help you with your plan.

View video now

The Western pension plans have considered Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors in the investment portfolio since 2007 and have offered a Socially Responsible Global Equity fund option since 2008. The Academic and Administrative Pension Boards are reviewing the approach to ESG considerations and engaged with plan members in May and June 2022.

Here are the latest updates:

• In January 2023, the Joint Pension Board released Responsible Investing and the Western Pension Plans: Report to Members on the Survey Conducted May 31 to June 14, 2022. Thank you to more than 600 plan members who participated in a survey.
• In January 2022 Western’s Annual Investment Commentary included a Responsible Investing Update.
• As part of the annual member engagement Western hosted a panel discussion on May 5, 2022. Watch a recording of the event - or - read a transcript.
• Read the audience questions and expert answers from the Responsible Investing panel discussion
• To learn more about responsible investing and your Western pension plan, log in to your Sun Life account and select Western Pension Plan, then Learning, and Responsible investing.

Throughout the year Sun Life Financial hosts live online webinars on a variety of interesting and informative topics to help you manage your money, invest with confidence and plan your retirement. Registration opens eight to ten weeks before each scheduled webinar.

Visit the Sun Life webinar webpage to browse the full list of topics and dates for upcoming live webinars, and to register.

If you are new to mysunlife.ca look on the mysunlife.ca/western login page for a link to a helpful, short video that will help you get to know mysunlife.ca. 

Learn how to get support in making decisions, managing your account, and planning for your financial future.
View presentation slides

Each November we bring you 1:1 pension help, and education opportunities to support you!  With a focus on our financial health, you’ll get support with decisions on your Western pension plan or more broadly, your personal financial roadmap. Workshops in November 2023 included:

• Exploring behavioural finance
• Financial considerations for women
• Reviewing your financial roadmap
• 5 steps to boost your financial health

See you in November 2024!

Thanks to all who took part in our February/March 2024 Pension Plan events!

The special workshop this February was Put Your Plan to Work – designed to help members reach their financial goals. Sun Life’s Senior Education Consultant, Andrea Ruttan, shared tips on how to navigate the investments offered under the plan and stay on track with saving goals by using the tools and resources from Sun Life. You may view the presentation slides here.

The Pension Plan Annual Meeting for members was held March 1, 2024. View the presentation slides for an overview.

Each February/March, you are invited to take part in special pension related workshops, to meet 1:1 to get the pension help you need, and to join in on the Annual Meeting for Pension Plan members. Watch for more in February 2025!

• sunlife.ca/western - as our primary provider of member services for the Western Pension Plan, Sun Life Financial offers an extensive suite of tools and resources to help you make the most of your Western Pension Plan including calculators, webinars, articles and financial planning tips for all stages of your life.
• Investment Advice - You have access to one-on-one personalized planning support through the Sun Life’s 360 Plan Advice service. A salaried, licenced consultant can help you with a comprehensive financial plan to ensure you are maximizing your contributions and investing appropriately for your goals and risk tolerance. Call the team directly at 1-866-634-4840 to book a phone or video appointment.
• Canada.ca – The official site for the federal government with access to information and services on pensions and benefits you may be eligible for upon retirement. Information on pensions and retirement is located in the Money and Finances section and includes a step-by-step Retirement Income Calculator to help you estimate your retirement income including OAS, CPP, employer pensions and other sources of income.
• Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) – The FCAC is an independent body working to protect and inform consumers of financial products and services. Topics on planning your retirement can be found under Life Events for Consumers and include how much will you need to retire, understanding Canada's retirement income system, when you should start saving for retirement and sources of retirement income.