Why ActuBen?

Your account is important to us

We are not a big Company. You will be serviced by knowledgable and experienced business professionals, not by junior staff members or technicians. You will always receive our best.

We provide value for your service dollar

ActuBen is composed of business people who recognize that you want only the information that you need. We will actively review our services to you to ensure that you are not being charged for items you do not require, and ensure that what you do need is produced efficiently. We do not recommend unnecessary services. We do not take on work that we cannot provide at a reasonable cost.

Value includes more than simply the fees charged. Sponsors must address their benefit programs on the basis of their value in increasing the employees' productivity and effectiveness beyond the cost of the benefits. This provides the value-added of the program to the employer. A benefit program is of no benefit to anyone if no employee values it. Solid design and good communications are the fundamentals of an effective benefits program.

We provide significant cost savings

How much? We undertake to operate effectively and inexpensively. How do we do this?

1. We do not maintain a costly infra-structure. We are a small firm; we can do this. This also permits a high degree of flexibility and responsiveness in meeting your requirements.
   
   
2. We do not do unnecessary work, or work that does not provide value. On defined projects we are willing to quote and commit to the level of fees.
   
   The long-term nature of pension plans and employee benefit programs require that companies establish long-term relationships with advisors based on trust and cost effective, value-added service. We know that performing expensive projects providing little value does not build long-term relationships. We do not recommend unnecessary services.
   
   
3. We specialise in Canadian issues. We do not maintain an expensive international organisation and you are not paying for it in our overhead. In handling Canadian plans in a global marketplace, we can also meet the requirements that non-Canadian jurisdictions impose on Canadian benefit plans.
   
   Most of the requirements of benefit plans are driven by tax rules and legislation. These are local concerns that vary widely from country to country; these require local expertise. The foreign requirements on a Canadian organisation's benefit plans are generally well documented, and handled locally. We do maintain contact with other actuaries and actuarial organisations throughout the world, and co-operate on an professional basis when required.
   
   
4. We are familiar with modern technology and we use it effectively. Our actuarial systems are advanced and powerful. This expertise reduces our overhead costs considerably, and provides you with the information you need quickly and efficiently.

We know benefits are a business issue

ActuBen's professionals have a practical financial background. Like most actuarial consultants, our staff have backgrounds in mathematics and human resource functions. ActuBen offers the additional skills that comes from knowing the impact of benefit programs on the finances of your company, and on its financial reports.

A benefit plan is like any other form of compensation program. Programs for unionised workers, salaried employees, or executives form part of a member's total compensation, and compensation is a major factor in ensuring that your company is competitive in today's market. ActuBen is a small business, staffed by business people who are directly involved with running a company. Your consultant is not small player in a big organisation who is not involved with their business decisions. ActuBen understands the needs of business people and the importance of providing value--for--money services.

Our president, Brian Jenkins, is currently our lead consultant and actuary. Brian has more than 20~years of experience in the actuarial and pension benefits consulting industry. He has worked for major insurance companies and major actuarial consulting firms. He established an actuarial unit in a leading Canadian accounting firm. The breadth of this experience brings a depth of Canadian business experience to the technical and consulting services Brian provides. Brian knows the need for business value.

Our staff's experience encompasses corporate and multi-employer pension and benefit plans, jointly trusteed funds and individual plans. We can provide actuarial and valuation support, help with the design of benefit programs, assist in making investment decisions and keep you abreast of administrative, legislative compliance and taxation issues. We can aid in explaining the plan to the members, the trustees of the plan, or management.

We deal in a global marketplace and can deal with the special problems of a foreign subsidiary operating in Canada. We understand the differences between various countries benefit standards and can effectively deal with a foreign head office's questions with respect to Canadian programs. Our staff is actively involved experts in dealing with international compliance issues, especially with respect to compliance for corporate financial reporting purposes.