Pension Workshops and Planning Tools

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Choose a workshop based on your life stage:  early_car.jpg Early career     mid_car.jpg  Mid-career     late_car.jpg Late career

Spring Education & On-campus Sun Life Consultation

We hope you'll join us this May and June for a great selection of workshops (some virtual and some in-person), with a focus on retirement planning, saving and financial planning.  

Personal Support with Your Pension

Sun Life Education Consultants and Retirement Consultants are coming to Western for on-campus meetings between May 5 and May 14. You'll find details and a link to register on our webpage Sun Life Financial - Get Help with Your Pension.

And don't forget, Sun Life Consultants are available to support members every business day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Support is available by phone or through Zoom meetings. Learn more about getting the support you need.

Workshops Just for Western

Preparing for retirement: beyond the numbers - May 6 at 12:00 p.m. (60 min)  mid_car.jpg late_car.jpg

Sun Life is hosting a session, exclusive to Western, about preparing for your retirement, beyond the numbers. Join us to explore the physical, mental and financial aspects of retirement planning, including how to create a retirement budget, make your money last and navigate common surprises like adjusting to life after work.

Retirement 101: Everything you need to know about retiring from Western (60 min) late_car.jpg
May 13 at 12 p.m. (in-person, Weldon Library Community Room) OR
May 13 at 3:00 p.m. (virtual)

Are you starting to think about your retirement from Western and wondering what steps are needed to transition from working at Western to retirement? Hosted by Bekki Ollson from Western Human Resources, this session will cover the practical details, including providing notice, support from Western and Sun Life, benefits, and more!

Retirement insights from Western retirees: a panel discussion - May 14 at 12:00 p.m. (60 min) mid_car.jpg late_car.jpg

Join us as we reconnect with five Western retirees - faculty and staff who retired five to 20 years ago. Hear from their experiences, from pension decisions to staying active and connected and their advice for life after Western.

Sun Life Financial Wellness Workshops

How to start saving today - April 21 at 9:00 p.m. . (60 min)  early_car.jpg mid_car.jpg late_car.jpg

This topic is best suited to anyone who’s just starting to learn or needs help managing their savings.

Save for retirement now - May 5 at 3:00 p.m. (60 min)  early_car.jpg mid_car.jpg late_car.jpg

The focus of this webinar is to introduce you to retirement planning. How much will retirement cost? Where will the money come from?

Financial planning for the modern family – May 13 at 6:00 p.m. (60 min)  early_car.jpg mid_car.jpg late_car.jpg

There are a variety of family structures today and each has unique needs. Join us as we discuss potential pitfalls and the importance of tailoring a financial plan to your unique situation.

Building your wealth through investing - June 17 at 3:00 p.m. (60 min) early_car.jpg mid_car.jpg late_car.jpg

Take the guesswork out of your investment decisions. Join this session to have a better sense of how investments work.

Annual Pension Member Meeting - Held March 4, 2026

The update for members was held March 4, 2026. You may wish to:

Pension Awareness Quiz Still Available

For Pension Awareness Day in February we offered a quick and fun quiz to test your knowledge. Congratulations to Robert from Western Libraries and Grace from Earth Sciences who won a $50 Western gift card! The quiz remains active, so give it try! No personal or identifiable data is collected from those who complete the survey. Take quiz now.

On-demand Videos

Looking for some quick help on your Pension Plan, choosing and balancing investments, and planning for retirement?  These focussed Sun Life videos are a great way to learn a lot in a short time! 

Understanding the Value of your Western Pension Plan (10 mins) early_car.jpg mid_car.jpg late_car.jpg

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

Choosing Your Investments in the Western Pension Plan (11 mins)  early_car.jpg mid_car.jpg

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

Rebalancing your Pension Plan Investment Mix (12 mins)  early_car.jpg mid_car.jpg late_car.jpg

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

Investing: The Essentials (11 mins)  early_car.jpg mid_car.jpg late_car.jpg

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.

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Becoming Retirement Ready: Part 1- Assessing your Retirement Readiness (17 mins) mid_car.jpg late_car.jpg

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.

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Becoming Retirement Ready: Part 2 - Planning for Retirement Risks (13 mins) mid_car.jpg late_car.jpg

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.

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Becoming Retirement Ready: Part 3 - Living your Retirement Plan (12 mins)  late_car.jpg

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

Other Learning Opportunities

Learning how to make sound financial decisions and preparing to take action can take a bit of time, but that investment of time can pay dividends for you and your family. We've gathered some of the best resources and planning tools from our Pension and Benefit providers, and from great outside sources as well. Visit our Financial Resources webpage to get started!

Watch this page for special programs, workshops and consultations that happen throughout the year. Each February/March for instance, you are invited to take part in special pension related workshops and to come to the Annual Meeting for Pension Plan members. 

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