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Pension & Benefit Plans
Our experienced team of advisors have decades of experience in providing tailored services that meet the unique needs of pension and benefit plans. Explore how our expertise can help you navigate this intricate landscape, while maintaining the best interests of your members and stakeholders.
Overview
Smythe brings focused specialization in pension and benefit plan audit and advisory services. We work with clients ranging from smaller plans to large multi-employer plans with sophisticated investment portfolios. Our experience allows us to anticipate technical challenges, address emerging reporting issues early, and deliver a smooth, efficient audit process.
We take a collaborative approach and communicate clearly with trustees, administrators and advisors. We aim to provide insight beyond the audit opinion and deliver recommendations that are practical and actionable. Clients value our ability to combine technical depth with sound judgment, ensuring financial reporting is compliant, transparent, and useful.
Who We Help
Smythe brings expertise and in-depth knowledge to our pension and benefit plan clients, which include some of the top 100 pension plans in Canada with over $5 billion in assets.
We serve:
- Defined benefit pension plans
- Defined contribution pension plans
- Target benefit pension plans
- Multi-employer pension plans
- Health and welfare trusts / Employee Life and Health Trusts (ELHTs)
We collaborate closely with plan administrators, actuaries, custodians and investment managers to deliver a seamless experience for all stakeholders.
Our Services What We Offer
Audit Services
Our team has extensive experience with Accounting Standards for Pension Plans (Section 4600), as well as relevant IFRS and ASPE disclosure considerations where applicable. We understand the nuances of investment presentation, fair value measurement, and disclosure requirements unique to pension environments. We pride ourselves in ensuring financial statement information is useful and practical to all users.
Trustee Governance
Trustees operate within a fiduciary framework that demands transparency, diligence, and informed oversight. We support boards and trustees by presenting audit findings highlighting areas of risk and emerging developments. We contribute to governance oversight through focused initiatives such as education sessions, internal control assessments, and operational process reviews.
Tax & Other Filing Requirements
Pension and benefit plans face specialized tax compliance requirements ranging from annual trust returns to foreign investment reporting. We advise on compliance matters unique to pension and benefit plans and also assist with preparation and filings with Canada Revenue Agency.
Additional Support
For plans requiring additional support, we provide bookkeeping assistance, financial reporting support, historical rate-of-return calculations, and agreed-upon procedures engagements, including procedures relating to employer contributions and investment discounted cash flow valuations.
