Alberta Securities Commission reports Joint Forum Annual Meeting focus on retirement advice and cross-sector regulatory coordination

The Alberta Securities Commission published a recap of the Joint Forum of Financial Market Regulators’ annual meeting in Montreal, where Canadian securities, insurance and pension supervisors discussed priorities for improving retirement outcomes, including access to high-quality financial advice and the need for coordinated oversight across sectors. The Joint Forum convened members of the Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators, the Canadian Securities Administrators and the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities, alongside representation from the Canadian Insurance Services Regulatory Organizations and the Mortgage Brokers’ Council of Canada. The plenary programme included OECD research on barriers retirees face in accessing effective financial advice and potential policy approaches to support informed decision-making, and a National Institute on Ageing presentation on helping Canadians better prepare for retirement beyond pensions. Speakers also highlighted the impact of rising costs on retirees’ purchasing power, the cross-sector nature of retirement products and advice, and perspectives on the North American political environment and potential implications for Canada’s regulated financial sectors.