Oh hi, again. Happy (belated!) Pension Awareness Day. Yes, it was technically yesterday, but when it comes to pensions, it’s never too late to mark the occasion.

Pension Awareness Day was launched in Ontario in 2023 by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario to help people better understand the value of a workplace pension, and how it fits into their retirement plans.

This week, the agency shared some fresh 2025 numbers with me: About 200,000 people joined Ontario pension plans in 2025. For comparison, about 187,000 people joined in 2024. In other words, more workers are getting access to them.

The trend lines up with data from Statistics Canada. Membership in registered pension plans climbed to 7.2 million Canadians in 2023 — a 4.2-per-cent increase from the year before. Of those, 4.9 million were in defined-benefit plans, also up 4.2 per cent.

Part of that growth is tied to the public sector, where defined-benefit pensions are common and employment has climbed until recently. Large plans like the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Pension Plan (CAAT) and the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) have also expanded to more employers in recent years.

So yes, more people have pensions. That’s the good news. The not-so-good news? Many aren’t paying attention to them.

FSRA research shows that half of pension members don’t read their annual pension statement.

Having a workplace pension is a huge asset. But it’s not magic. It’s not the only thing funding your retirement. You still need to understand how benefits are earned, when they’re paid, and how your pension works alongside your own savings and government programs.

Without checking your annual pension statement, you may miss small errors, such as incorrect years of service or outdated salary data, that can impact your growth. You also won’t know what you’re on track to get by retirement, which can have you planning for the future in the dark.

So, here’s your gentle nudge: if you have a workplace pension, don’t let it run entirely on autopilot. Take 10 minutes and open your annual pension statement. Plus, if you haven’t enrolled in your workplace pension yet, the FSRA has a handy list of questions you can ask your employer, including if you can access funds before retirement or if the employer matches contributions.

Future you will be glad you did.

Golfers live longer. That’s the finding of a 2008 Swedish study, and no, it’s not just because they’re wealthier. Researchers adjusted for socioeconomic differences and still found golfers had lower mortality rates.

Why? It could be the obvious things: Hours spent walking outdoors, fresh air, regular movement, and social connection. But it could also be a correlation. People who regularly golf may already be healthier than average.

My take: As someone who doesn’t love golf, this feels like mildly bad news. But the bigger lesson isn’t about golf specifically — it’s about being active outside. If golf is linked to longevity, other outdoor sports might be too. Harder in a Canadian winter, yes. But when the weather’s good, getting outside and moving your body is a smart bet.

When a pet is the inheritance

The situation: Donna, a 55-year-old Toronto woman, was estranged from her father when he reached out near the end of his life with one request: Take his cat. When he died, his estate went to his new family. Donna got Buttercup.

What she did: Though she’s a self-described dog person, Donna drove four hours to pick up the middle-aged cat. Buttercup came with pet insurance but still racked up roughly $30,000 in vet bills over eight years. Donna handled the appointments, the care, and, eventually, the attachment. “If this was the only thing I was ever going to have from my dad, gosh darn it, I was going to cherish that cat,” she said.

Yes, but: In Canada, pets are legally property and can’t directly inherit money. Without a clear plan, such as a pet trust or designated funds, the financial responsibility of inheriting an animal can fall unexpectedly on family members.