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Welcome Laurier members!
Your dedicated hub for transitioning to University Pension Plan (UPP)
“On behalf of University Pension Plan, I'm thrilled to welcome Laurier members. At UPP, we are committed to delivering a secure, stable pension for life, investing with integrity and serving our members with care. Whether you are starting your career, planning for retirement, or enjoying your pension, you can rest assured that UPP’s pension experts will be here to support and guide you along your pension journey.”
Barbara Zvan
President and Chief Executive Officer
On this page
Transition timeline
-
Jan 1, 2026
Laurier’s pension administration and member services officially transitioned to UPP. -
From Jan 2026 onward
You have access to the myUPP Member Portal.
Phased access to the UPP Pension Estimate Calculator begins. Jump to see details.
Resources
It’s official – you’re now a UPP member
On January 1, 2026, eligible faculty and staff from Laurier and its affiliated organizations became members of UPP. This means that UPP is now your pension administrator and your source for member services that were previously provided by Laurier.
Explore and bookmark this page to learn everything you need to know. We’ll be adding more resources and updates to support your transition journey.
Transition update
Get started with your UPP service experience
How to contact your dedicated member support team
UPP Member Services is now your main point of contact for all pension-related questions and support. We’re here to guide you throughout your retirement journey. You can reach us in multiple ways:
- Phone: 1-833-627-7877
- Online: via Secure Messages in the myUPP Member Portal
- Mail: University Pension Plan PO Box 45, Toronto, ON, M5J 0E6
- Email: [email protected] (not recommended for sharing personal information)
“Whether you’re exploring your pension options, navigating life events like retirement, or simply need guidance, our in-house Member Services team is committed to getting to know you and your needs, providing the familiar, personalized service you are used to.”
Thomas Stachowicz
Director, Client Experience
Don't forget to register for the myUPP Member Portal
You now have access to the myUPP Member Portal – your secure, one-stop-shop platform featuring accessible information and resources to help you manage all pension-related matters.
Your Member Portal checklist
You can register for the portal in three easy steps:
- Access the portal.
- Enter the last four digits of your Social Insurance Number, along with your last name and date of birth.
- Enter your personal email address as your username, create a strong password, and set up multifactor authentication.
Once on the portal, you can:
- Review your spousal and beneficiary information.
- Review your email address, contact information, and communication preferences.
- Explore available resources, including the Pension Estimate Calculator video.
- Manage your pension payment details and update banking information if you’re already receiving a pension.
- Get support from UPP’s Member Services team via secure messages.
First things first, please review your personal details
Once you register for the portal, please take a moment to review and update your personal details, including your spousal and beneficiary information, and your contact information, to ensure your records are up to date and you continue to receive important updates from UPP.
Running a pension estimate
The myUPP Member Portal Pension Estimate Calculator gives you personalized projections of your future pension under various scenarios, including:
- Different retirement ages, starting as early as age 55.
- Customized retirement dates or key milestones.
- Increases in future pensionable earnings (for active members).
- Changes between full-time and part-time status (for active members).
How does it differ from Laurier’s Pension Portal tool?
While both tools help you explore your pension, there are a few key differences to keep in mind.
- Run multiple scenarios: Because UPP’s pension estimates reflect both your former Laurier plan and your UPP pension, the UPP estimator currently presents one scenario at a time for easier viewing. You can run as many scenarios as you’d like and compare the results.
- Defined Benefit focus: UPP provides estimates for your monthly lifetime pension, reflecting our defined benefit pension promise. Commuted Value estimates are not provided as they are not always an accurate reflection for financial planning. To learn more, visit myupp.ca/members/commuted-value.
- Supplemental Pension Arrangements (SPA): SPA entitlements will continue to be administered and paid separately by Laurier, as such, they are not included in the UPP pension estimates.
We’ll email you when your Pension Estimate Calculator is ready
Because the Pension Estimate Calculator considers specific details such as salary, retirement age, and service history, our team conducts extensive testing and validation to ensure we have full confidence in the estimated pension amounts. As a result of this increased testing, access to the estimator will be phased in, with rollout beginning in January. Members are granted access as their data is verified, rather than by alphabetical order, or employment group. You’ll be notified by email once your access is available.
Need an estimate sooner?
If you require a pension estimate before gaining access to the UPP estimator, please refer to your most recent Annual Statement.
If you’re planning to retire within the next 12 months and need a pension estimate, please contact UPP Member Services to receive a personalized estimate.
While waiting for UPP estimator access, you can continue to use Laurier’s Pension Portal to run estimates for service up to December 31, 2025. Once the UPP pension estimator becomes available, you’ll be able to generate online estimates for both your Laurier pension and future UPP service within the UPP estimator. Please note that the myUPP Member Portal uses different login credentials from the Laurier Pension Portal.
Explore member resources
UPP is here to help make your transition as smooth as possible. To keep you informed throughout the process, we’ve prepared key resources with everything you need to understand your new plan and how it connects to your current one.
Tip: bookmark this page and check back often! We’ll be adding more resources and updates to support your transition journey.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Getting started with UPP
What isn't changing?
For the most part, your pension experience will feel similar. The main shift is that UPP now administers your pension and provides pension-related guidance, information and resources. Laurier will continue to support you with non-pension benefits. We’ve coordinated closely to ensure the transition is smooth and that everything feels familiar every step of the way.
How you contribute to your pension: You’ll continue to contribute through payroll deductions, just as you did previously.
Pension-related events: If you have a change that impacts your pension, such as a leave of absence or the start of your retirement, you will continue to notify Laurier. They will inform UPP, and we’ll provide any pension details or next steps you need.
Non-pension benefits: Your other employee benefits, such as health and dental, continue to be provided by Laurier and its benefit carriers. These benefits are not impacted by the pension transition. When UPP refers to your “benefits”, we are speaking specifically about your pension benefits.
If you are already receiving a pension: Your transition to UPP’s administration is seamless. Your pension continues to be deposited into the same bank account, on the same schedule, with no action required from you.
What is changing?
On January 1, 2026, UPP became your pension provider. This means UPP Member Services are your point of contact for any pension-related questions, including retirement planning and any other life events that may affect your pension, such as switching employers. You also now have access to the myUPP Member Portal to view and manage your pension information.
Some provisions of the Laurier Plan differ under UPP. To help you understand how the two plans align – including details about retirement planning, eligibility for common-law spouses, support for your loved ones, and more – you can refer to the Laurier Pre-conversion Guide.
Is there anything I need to do?
We recommend you register for the myUPP Member Portal to access all the tools and resources available to you. For detailed instructions on how to register, please visit https://myupp.ca/members/member-portal/.
Once you’re registered, please review and update your contact, spousal, and beneficiary information.
A note about spouses and beneficiaries: Your eligible spouse is automatically entitled to survivor payments over any named beneficiaries unless a legal waiver has been signed. This means you do not need to name your spouse as a beneficiary for them to receive a survivor pension. You can also name primary beneficiaries, who may receive benefits if you do not have an eligible spouse, or if your eligible spouse has passed away before you. Under UPP, you cannot name contingent beneficiaries (i.e., beneficiaries who would receive benefits if your primary beneficiaries had passed away). Please sign in to myUPP Portal to review and update your beneficiary designations as needed.
I'm a retiree—is my pension impacted?
If you were receiving a pension from Laurier, the transition to UPP will be seamless. Your gross pension amount will not change and your payments will continue without interruption. The only change is that your deposit may appear as “University Pension Plan” on your bank statement.
If you also receive a Supplemental Pension Arrangement (SPA) payment from Laurier’s payroll, Laurier will continue to administer and pay this entitlement.
UPP pays pensions on the first day of each month. If the first falls on a weekend or holiday, your financial institution may deposit it on the next business day. For example, your February 2026 payment will be issued on February 1 (a Sunday), and your deposit may appear on February 2, depending on your bank.
Premiums for additional benefits, such as health and dental, if applicable, will continue to be deducted from your UPP pension.
Are you a Laurier plan member currently receiving a UPP pension (or vice versa)?
If you’re a Laurier employee who is already receiving a pension from UPP—or—if you’re a Laurier pensioner who is currently working and contributing to UPP at another participating employer, you may have an important decision to make. Pension rules don’t allow you to contribute to a plan and receive a pension from that same plan at the same time.
If this might apply to you, please contact UPP Member Services at 1-833-627-7877 or via a secure message through the myUPP Member Portal to discuss what this transition means for you.
Finding the support you need
I need to update my contact information, who should I speak to?
Once you register for the myUPP Member Portal, please take a moment to review and update your personal details, including your spousal and beneficiary information, and your contact information, to ensure your records are up to date and you continue to receive important updates from UPP.
Who should I contact, and how, if I have questions about my pension?
UPP Member Services is now your main point of contact for any pension questions. You can connect with UPP Member Services through several channels:
- Phone: 1-833-627-7877
- Secure Email Message: through the myUPP Member Portal
- Mail: University Pension Plan, PO Box 45, Toronto, ON, M5J 0E6
- Email: [email protected] (email is not recommended for sharing personal information)
I’m planning to retire, who do I contact?
Your first step is to notify Laurier Human Resources of your decision to retire. Notice periods and documentation requirements vary by employee group, so Laurier HR can confirm what applies to you. Please contact [email protected] if you have questions about providing your retirement notice. Once you have given Laurier your notice, UPP will then provide your retirement options.
What if my pension-related event wasn't complete before the transition?
If you started a pension-related process (such as a retirement or transfer) before the transition and it wasn’t finished by January 1, 2026, Laurier Human Resources and UPP Member Services will work together to ensure no disruption to your event.
For example, if you requested retirement options before the transition but hadn’t submitted your forms by January 1, you will submit the remaining information directly to UPP Member Services, and we’ll guide you through the rest of the process.
How your plan works
What contributions are required under UPP?
The annual contributions are based on your pensionable earnings, the average YAMPE (an annual threshold set by the federal government) and UPP’s contribution rate. Your employer contributes an equal amount.
All contributions to UPP are invested by investment professionals who are bound by a fiduciary duty to act in your best financial interests.
Learn more about how contributions work and explore the formula.
Can I make additional voluntary contributions to UPP?
No. UPP does not allow additional voluntary contributions.
If you have prior additional voluntary contributions and/or special lump-sum voluntary contributions under the Laurier Plan, they were transferred to UPP. These amounts will be credited with interest based on UPP’s fund earnings.
When you end your UPP membership, the balance of any accounts will be available as a one-time lump sum, or—if you are eligible for retirement—can be used to provide additional pension.
How is my UPP pension calculated?
Your UPP pension is a lifetime pension, calculated using a formula that considers:
- your best average earnings,
- limits established by the federal government (YMPE and YAMPE), and
- your years of Pensionable Service (the amount of continuous service during which you’ve contributed to UPP) including any service you’ve transferred into UPP.
Your prior plan pension (the amount you earned under the Laurier Plan) is calculated under Laurier’s terms and then added to the pension you earn under UPP.
Learn more about how contributions work and explore the formula.
I work part-time. Is my UPP pension calculated differently?
No. Your pension is calculated using the same formula as for full-time members.
For part-time members, UPP uses:
- your annualized pensionable earnings (what you would earn if working full-time), and
- your actual pensionable service.
Does UPP offer inflation protection?
Inflation protection is a valuable benefit designed to increase the amount of your monthly pension through a cost-of-living adjustment based on the increase in the Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Laurier Plan benefits
Benefits earned under the Laurier pension plan continue to follow Laurier’s indexation rules. Please contact UPP Member Services for details.
UPP benefits
The portion of your pension earned under UPP is eligible for funded conditional indexation once you retire. Indexation is based on increases to the Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI) and is approved annually by UPP’s Joint Sponsors.
- UPP’s target for conditional indexation is 75% of CPI.
- The actual adjustment may be less depending on the Plan’s financial health and Funding Policy.
- Indexation is not guaranteed—an adjustment in one year does not mean there will be an adjustment in future years.
Will I receive an annual pension statement?
Yes. Each year by June 30th, we will send you an annual statement that provides a snapshot of your benefits as of December 31 of the previous year. Your statement will include:
- the benefits you earned under the Laurier Plan and/or UPP,
- your earliest and normal retirement dates, and
- other key pension details.
If you are a retired member, you will continue to receive required UPP communications by postal mail unless you choose to receive them digitally. You can opt in to digital communications through the myUPP Member Portal under the Profile tab by selecting “Electronic” under Paperless Delivery Status.
Pension Estimate Calculator phased access
Is phased access to the Pension Estimate Calculator alphabetical or based on my organization?
No. Members are granted access as their data is verified, rather than by alphabetical order, or employment group. The timing of access depends on individual circumstances.
When will I get access to the Pension Estimate Calculator?
You will be notified by email once you have access to the Pension Estimate Calculator. Access is not based on the alphabet or your organization. We appreciate your patience, as our team works diligently to open up the calculator to more members.
What if I need an estimate sooner?
If you require a pension estimate before gaining access to the UPP estimator, please refer to your most recent Annual Statement.
If you’re considering retirement within the next 12 months and need a pension estimate to help you make your decision, please contact UPP Member Services to receive a personalized estimate. If you are comfortable moving forward with retirement based on your existing pension information or previous estimates, you can proceed by submitting your retirement notice to Laurier. Submitting notice is the first step in the retirement process, after which UPP will provide your retirement options.
While waiting for UPP estimator access, you can continue to use Laurier’s Pension Portal to run estimates for service up to December 31, 2025. Once the UPP pension estimator becomes available, you’ll be able to generate online estimates for both your Laurier pension and future UPP service within the UPP estimator. Please note that the myUPP Member Portal uses different login credentials from the Laurier Pension Portal.
Why are the average earnings used to calculate my pre-conversion pension different from the average earnings used to calculate my UPP pension?
If you have both pre-conversion service and service under UPP, you may notice a difference between the average earnings used to calculate your pre-conversion pension and your UPP pension. This can occur for two main reasons:
1. Differences in how average earnings are calculated
Your previous plan and UPP may use different benefit formulas for determining average earnings (for example, best five years versus highest consecutive 48 months).
2. The application of the Income Tax Act (ITA) Limits
The ITA sets a maximum pension that can be paid in respect of your pre-conversion and UPP pensions. If your pension is affected by these limits (E.g., higher income earners), the same maximum applies to both your pre-conversion and UPP benefits. However, the limits are applied differently:
- For your pre-conversion benefits, the calculated pension is adjusted to the maximum pension permitted.
- For your UPP benefits, the average earnings are adjusted to the level that produces the maximum pension permitted.
As a result, the average earnings shown for your UPP pension may differ from those used for pre-conversion pension, even though the same ITA limits apply.
If you would like a detailed explanation of how your pre-conversion and UPP pensions were calculated, please contact our Member Services team.
Additional questions you asked
How will my current pension estimates compare to the pension estimate I will receive under UPP? Are the estimates consistent?
We recognize how important it is to have clear, reliable information about your pension as you plan for your retirement. It’s helpful to remember that all pension estimates are based on the information available when the estimate is prepared and may use different assumptions about things like your projected retirement date, expected salary increases, and future service. As these factors change, your estimate can change too.
As Laurier transitions to UPP, you may notice differences between estimates. Here’s why:
Estimates provided by Laurier before January 1, 2026:
If you received an estimate from Laurier that included service after January 1, 2026, it was calculated using Laurier plan rules only. Because of the conversion, UPP’s provision apply to service earned on or after January 1, 2026, your UPP estimate may look slightly different.
Estimates from Laurier’s online pension estimator:
Laurier’s online estimator reflects your pensionable service up to December 31, 2025. It does not include any pension you’ll earn under UPP after that date.
What to expect from UPP starting January 2026:
The estimates provided by UPP, whether through the online pension estimator or our Member Services team, and your final pension calculation, will reflect the benefit you’ve earned under the Laurier Plan and UPP, based on the terms of the Plan, at the time you requested them.
I’m planning on retiring in 2027. Who should I contact about my pension estimate?
Once you gain access to the UPP Pension Estimate Calculator you’ll be able to get pension estimates from UPP online. Because the Pension Estimate Calculator considers specific details such as salary, retirement age, and service history, our team conducts extensive testing and validation to ensure we have full confidence in the estimated pension amounts. As a result of this increased testing, access to the estimator will be phased in, with rollout beginning in January. You’ll be notified by email once your access is available.
While waiting for UPP estimator access, you can continue to use Laurier’s Pension Portal to run estimates for service up to December 31, 2025. Once the UPP pension estimator becomes available, you’ll be able to generate online estimates for both your Laurier pension and future UPP service. Please note that the myUPP Member Portal uses different login credentials from the Laurier Pension Portal.
If you’re planning to retire within the next 12 months and need a pension estimate, please contact UPP Member Services after January 1 to receive a personalized estimate.
How does early unreduced retirement work?
If you are an active Laurier member who will start earning service in UPP on January 1, 2026, you can retire with an unreduced pension as early as age 60. To qualify, your age plus your Eligibility service must equal at least 80 points.
In addition, to qualify for an unreduced Laurier Minimum Guarantee Pension (MGP), such period of Eligibility service must include the Laurier conversion date.
Example
- If you are 62, you need at least 18 years of Eligibility service (62 + 18 = 80).
- If you are 58, even with 22 years of Eligibility service, you would not qualify because you must be at least age 60.
- If you are 65, you are eligible for a full unreduced pension regardless of your Eligibility service, as you have reached your normal retirement date.
What is Eligibility service?
Eligibility service is used only to decide whether you qualify for an early unreduced pension. It is not used in the formula that calculates the amount of your pension.
It’s the sum of:
- Your total years of post-conversion continuous service with any UPP participating employer, plus
- Any pre-conversion continuous service under a UPP prior plan (such as the Laurier Plan) that is recognized as pensionable service, plus
- Any service transferred from a previous employer’s pension plan that is recognized as pensionable service, as long as the service periods don’t overlap, meaning you can’t count the same period twice.
When Eligibility service breaks
Eligibility service breaks if you leave your employment and terminate your UPP membership. If you later return to work for a UPP participating employer after a break in Eligibility service, any eligibility service you earned before the break does not carry over.
Example
A member:
- Works at Laurier from 2023 – 2027 (includes the Laurier conversion date): 4 years of Eligibility service.
- Leaves employment and works for a non-UPP employer 2027 – 2029: break in Eligibility service.
- Returns to work for a UPP employer from 2030 – 2050: 20 years of eligibility service.
- Retires in 2050 at age 62.
Because of the break in service, the 4 years earned with Laurier do not combine with the 20 years earned later.
Here is how their eligibility for an unreduced pension would be determined:
- UPP pension (pension earned after the conversion): For the portion of the UPP pension earned after the break in eligibility service, they would qualify for an unreduced UPP pension based on the 20 years earned after the break. (20 years of eligibility service + age 62 = 82, meets the 80-point rule). However, the portion of the UPP pension earned after the January 1, 2026 conversion date but before the break, will be reduced (4 years of eligibility service + age 62 = 66, below the 80 points rule).
- Laurier pension (pension earned before the conversion): They would not qualify for an unreduced Laurier pension, because they only have 4 years of eligibility service with Laurier before the break in service. (4 years of eligibility + age 62 = 66, below the 80-points rule)
Please note: The information and illustrations in this section pertain to eligibility for early unreduced retirement for your UPP benefit and Laurier pre-conversion benefit. It is not intended to apply to pre-conversion benefits you may have accrued under a different UPP prior plan or concurrent periods of employment with Laurier and another UPP participating employer before the conversion to UPP, as the rules may differ.
Can I continue to receive my annual statements by paper?
Yes, you can continue to receive your annual statement by paper.
You can opt out of receiving required communications, like your annual pension statement, digitally by updating your communication preferences in the myUPP Member Portal, or contacting our Member Services team. Once you’ve opted out, we will continue to send your required documents in paper form. General information, such as UPP newsletters and announcements, will still be sent to you by email if one is available, with an option to unsubscribe.
What’s the eligibility criteria to join UPP?
Laurier members active in the plan as of the conversion date automatically become UPP members on January 1, 2026. Pension benefits earned under your prior plan stay the same and are now administered and paid by UPP.
New and existing employees not participating in a prior plan
To join UPP, you must be in an eligible employment class, which varies by participating employer. If you are in an eligible employment class, there are two ways to join UPP:
1. Full-time continuous employees
You must become a member of UPP on the first day of the month on or following your hire date.
If you are a full-time continuous employee and were not eligible, or chose not to participate in the Laurier plan, you must become a member of UPP effective the date your employer joins.
2. Other-than-continuous full-time employees
If you are in an eligible class of employment at one or more participating employers and you do not qualify as a full-time employee, you can choose to join UPP on the first of any month after meeting at least one of the two following conditions in each of the last two consecutive calendar years before applying for membership:
- you earn at least 35% of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) earnings limit, also known as the Year’s Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE), or
- you work 700 or more hours in a year.
The YMPE is a threshold set each year by the federal government, based on the average wage in Canada.
Your employer will report the relevant information to UPP, and UPP will assess your eligibility. UPP will contact you directly if you meet the eligibility criteria in the future.
Please contact your employer’s human resources team for questions about your eligibility or to discuss new membership.
Moving to full-time employment
If you become a full-time employee in an eligible employment class, you are automatically enrolled in the Plan effective the first of the month following the change in your employment status.
How are my earnings calculated for pension purposes if I work at more than one UPP employer?
If you work for more than one UPP participating employers at the same time, UPP combines the service and earnings you earn at each employer under one UPP membership.
Example
You are an other-than-continuous-full-time employee working at two UPP employers:
- You work 50% of the full-time work week with each employer, continuously throughout the year.
- Your pensionable earnings at one employer are $40,000 and $30,000 at the other employer.
How we count this for pension purposes:
- Service: Your service is combined for two employers and you earn 1 full year of service. (0.5 + 0.5 = 1)
- Earnings: Your pensionable earnings are added together $40,000 + $30,000 = $70,000 total pensionable earnings for the year.
Which earnings are used to determine the best average earnings for the pre-conversion Laurier pension and the UPP pension?
For purposes of determining your Best Years’ Earnings for your Laurier Pension and your Best Average Earnings for your UPP pension, UPP uses all of your pensionable earnings, regardless of whether they were earned before or after the conversion date.
Your UPP benefits
Your plan is custom-built for the university sector, including special features to support you along your pension journey.
Get to know UPP
Thousands of members at universities across the province are working towards a common goal: lifelong, dependable retirement income with UPP.
Watch this short video to learn how the Plan works and what it offers you as a member.