Longevity, mortality tables and annuity purchases: what to keep an eye on! 

Longevity is more than just a statistic: it’s a determining factor in the financial health of pension plans, and estimating it can help determine the right strategies to implement. Here’s the latest information on the topic:

• CIA report on mortality: The Canadian Institute of Actuaries (“CIA”) has announced that it will publish a new research report on the mortality of Canadian retirees in March 2026. The updated mortality tables resulting from this report will possibly be used as early as 2026, particularly for actuarial valuations as at December 31, 2025. In addition, the actuarial standards for calculating pension commuted values are expected to be revised later in 2026 or 2027. Stay tuned: we’ll be closely monitoring these releases and remain available to discuss the best strategies with you.
• Informed decisions thanks to our mortality study: Our team¹ has conducted an in-depth study on mortality in Canada, covering more than one million lives per year. With our rigorous methodology based on income and place of residence, we offer our clients a more accurate estimate of mortality and a more precise valuation of pension obligations. This approach has a direct impact on plan funding and can help with analyzing the competitiveness of premiums during annuity purchases. Find out more about our approach here.
• Annuity purchase market: The group annuity market is going through a particularly favourable period. After three slower quarters in 2025 with sales totalling $3 billion, a sharp acceleration is expected as the year ends, when transactions in the fourth quarter alone could exceed $3 billion. This context sparks competition between insurers, who are stepping up their efforts to stand out and offer attractive pricing, which also applies to indexed annuities. During the year, some of our clients were even able to secure implicit rates of return exceeding 5%. Our team² is available to explore different strategies and offer you support that is tailored to your organizational objectives.

Subscribe now! Normandin Beaudry will continue to keep you informed and help you navigate the evolving market and actuarial standards!

1. Contact us to learn more about Normandin Beaudry mortality study.
2. Contact Louis-Bernard Désilets, Partner, Pension or Philippe Rickli, Principal, Pension and Savings to learn more about annuity purchases.