(Jan. 14, 2021) It's been a very memorable year. Between the global pandemic that threatened lives, economies, and markets, and the provincial government's announcement last fall that asset management would transition to AIMCo, it's been a very busy year, to say the least.  

The annual report this year is a collection of data and information that tells that story, and it wouldn't be complete without our staff and those we serve taking part in the project. That's why you will see the faces of Alberta teachers, students, and ATRF team members in this year's report. You will also notice a variety of landscapes and schools from across Alberta.

(Jan. 11, 2021) Work continues on the transfer of ATRF's asset management function to the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) as required by legislation. One of the legislated requirements is for ATRF's assets to be managed in accordance with an Investment Management Agreement (IMA) between ATRF and AIMCo...

ATRF Has Begun Mailing Statements for the Year Ending August 31, 2020

Once employers have completed reporting for the school year, ATRF prepares and mails out Annual Plan Member Statements to the applicable teachers. The first run of statements, for the year ending August 31, 2020, were mailed out on December 15, 2020 and other mailings will go out between now and March, 2021. Go to this web page to view the statement mailing dates.

(Dec. 3, 2020) ​Your monthly contribution to the Plan is integrated with your contribution to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and takes the YMPE into consideration. The YMPE is the year's maximum pensionable earnings covered by the CPP. The YMPE for 2021 is $61,600. The Defined Benefit limit set by Canada Revenue Agency is $3,092.22 in 2021; therefore, the maximum pensionable salary will be $180,758 for 2021.

(Nov. 26, 2020) ​ATRF is a high-performance organization that is well-governed and well-managed, making certain our members always receive excellent value from our services. We also want to ensure ATRF continues to earn our solid reputation as a stable organization that manages strong pension funds. ATRF is a founding member of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG), which is a national organization that promotes good governance practices and regulatory environment improvements, aligning the interests of boards and management teams with shareholders' interests — for ATRF, this translates to our plan members.

​(Nov. 3,2020) The October 31, 2020 deadline set by the Government of Alberta for ATRF and AIMCo to complete our Investment Management Agreement (IMA) has now passed, so we wanted to update members on progress in this area. The IMA is a critical agreement that will define the nature of the investment management relationship between our two organizations so it must be structured with our members’ best interests in mind...

​ATRF continues to build on a solid foundation by delivering on the pension promise to our members. Changes in our governing legislation in the fall of 2019, and the ongoing pandemic that has impacted the local and global markets, has affected the pension plans and how ATRF provides services to members - but not our commitment to them...

​On behalf of all of us at ATRF, I want to acknowledge and celebrate you, our valued teachers and plan members, on World Teachers' Day. We recognize and appreciate how you educate, inspire and empower your students, through dedication and hard work both in and out of the classroom.

We are proud to work in partnership with you, our clients, in delivering the pension promise by growing and securing your retirement fund, working with you to plan your retirement, and being there when you need us.

Thank you!

Rod Matheson, CEO
Alberta Teachers' Retirement Fund

If you've had a chance to read the 2018-19 Annual Report or highlights, you may have noticed that the ATRF Board was able to reduce the contribution rates for both the Teachers' Pension Plan (TPP) and Private School Teachers' Pension Plan (PSTPP). For the TPP, contributions will be reduced by 1% of teachers' salaries and for the PSTPP, 0.54%. This reduction will take effect September 1, 2020.

​The May issue of the Pension Points newsletter is now available! Check your email inbox for the full version. If you missed it, you can click here to view the articles. If you're not on our email list, make sure you sign up on  MyPension or contact member@atrf.com.

​We’ve had many members ask us about recent media reports of an investment strategy used by the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) that resulted in significant losses (see articles in the Globe and Mail and Institutional Investor). Our members are expressing concern about their assets and their pensions, so we want to reassure them that their pensions remain secure...

​Message from ATRF CEO Rod Matheson (March 13, 2020) As the world continues to find ways to deal with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, I want to share the steps we are taking at ATRF to ensure teachers’ pensions remain secure, and to ensure we are able to continue serving our members without interruption...