1971 to 2003
Changes in the number of supplemental pension plans
The drop in the total number of plans
Whereas in 1971 there were more than 5 000 pension plans with at least one member from Québec, after reaching a peak of 7 014 in 1986, this number fell to 3 481 in 2003. This drop in the number of plans is due mainly to legislative changes. A new definition of an active plan contributed to the drop in the number of plans as of 1987. Up until 1986, a plan that was coming to an end and whose fund had not been liquidated was considered active. After this date, such plans were classified as inactive, thereby causing statistics on the number of plans to fall.
The influence of plans with less than 10 members
Plans under the supervision of the Régie experienced a similar drop in numbers over the years. They numbered 3 335 in 1971, reached 4 863 in 1986, and then dropped back to 1 649 in 2003. Since the number of plans with 50 members or more is very stable, this overall drop can be explained by the changes that took place in smaller plans. The principal fluctuations were observed in plans with less than 10 members, whose numbers fell steadily between 1971 and 1978, and then rose very sharply after that. They nearly doubled between 1982 and 1985. This can be attributed to the new tax measure enabling a company's major shareholders to become members of a pension plan. This tax measure was later abolished, causing a new drop after 1985 in the number of these plans supervised by the Régie, which fell from 2 967 in 1985 to only 342 in 2003.
Defined benefit plans
Most Québec workers are members of defined benefit plans. This type of plan is especially found in large companies. Unlike defined contribution plans, these plans are less affected by economic fluctuations or prior changes made to the various pension plan laws.
The following table shows the comparative changes in the number of defined contribution and defined benefit plans that include at least one Quebecker.
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