Actuarial Notes

Standards of Practice: Part 3000 Pension Plans

By Actuarial Standards Board (Canada) · Canadian Institute of Actuaries · 2026 · Part 3000

Study guide: Exam RET-301

Part 3000 of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries Standards of Practice, the practice-specific standards for pension plans, in the complete Standards of Practice published January 2026 (accession 226011). Part 1000 applies to work within its scope. Its sections apply to advice on the funded status or funding of a pension plan, to full or partial wind-up valuations, to financial reporting of a pension plan's costs and obligations, and to the computation of commuted values.

On the syllabus

  • Exam RET-301 — Outcomes 2a-2d (Methods); Standards of Practice – Pensions, sections 3100-3500 (CIA, Jan 2026).

3100 Scope

  • Section 3200 applies to advice on the funded status or funding of a pension plan, except advice on a wind-up or on financial reporting of the plan's costs and obligations.
  • Section 3300 applies to advice on the funded status or funding with respect to the wind-up, in full or in part, of a pension plan.
  • Section 3400 applies to advice on financial reporting of a pension plan's costs and obligations in the employer's or the pension plan's financial statements.
  • Section 3500 applies to advice on the computation of commuted values in the circumstances described in subsection 3510.

3200 Advice on the funded status or funding of a pension plan

  • 3210 General
  • 3220 Types of valuations
  • 3230 Going concern valuation
  • 3240 Hypothetical wind-up valuation
  • 3250 Solvency valuation
  • 3255 Other valuations
  • 3260 Reporting: External user report
  • 3270 Disclosure for stochastic models used to comply with specific regulatory pension plan funding requirements

3300 Full or Partial Wind-up Valuation

  • 3310 General
  • 3320 Assumptions
  • 3330 Reporting: External user report

3400 Financial reporting of pension costs

  • 3410 General
  • 3420 Reporting: External user report

3500 Pension commuted values

  • 3510 Scope
  • 3520 Method
  • 3530 Demographic assumptions
  • 3540 Economic assumptions
  • 3550 Disclosure
  • 3560 Reduced life expectancy
  • 3570 Target pension arrangements – Ongoing plans
  • 3580 Target pension arrangements – Commuted value of entitlements on wind-up

Sources