Introducing GROWTHplus Investment Account

• Long-term investment goals.
• A goal of consolidating your tax-sheltered savings with an organization members say they trust.
• A goal of growing your savings without the stress of having to make investment decisions, all while benefitting from CAAT's investment returns.
• A desire to benefit from CAAT’s asset mix, which includes asset classes not typically available to individual investors (real estate, private equity, infrastructure).
• A desire to build more financial flexibility into your retirement planning, alongside the secure lifetime pension you have with CAAT. GROWTHplus does not replace your pension with CAAT, it complements it.
• An aim of bringing your savings to an organization that puts a member’s profit first. CAAT staff do not earn commission and GROWTHplus operates on a cost-recovery model. That means members, like you, can benefit from competitive fees.

GROWTHplus is for members who have a defined benefit pension with CAAT. Please learn more about eligibility here.

Use this modeller if you cannot access your My Pension account or the modeller in My Pension. Do not use this tool if you have a balance in GROWTHplus, instead use the modeller on the member portal.

Returns are based on CAAT’s investment performance.

With GROWTHplus, your savings fluctuate based on CAAT’s investment returns. This is different than your DB pension with CAAT, which is based on a set formula and not adjusted based on investment returns.

Deposits to GROWTHplus are optional.

This is a separate account for your personal tax-sheltered savings. Your employer is not required to contribute to it like they do with your CAAT defined benefit pension.

The risk profile of GROWTHplus may not be right for everyone. While investments can go up, they also can go down.

Learn more about CAAT’s approach to investing in the resources section here.

GROWTHplus includes survivor benefits.

If you have an eligible spouse at the time of your death, they will receive your GROWTHplus balance, unless waived.

Your eligible spouse for survivor benefits under GROWTHplus may be different than your DB pension from CAAT. This is because for GROWTHplus, your spouse is always determined at your date of death, however for your DB pension, your eligible spouse may be based on either your date of death or when you started your pension.

If you do not have an eligible spouse, your GROWTHplus balance will be paid to your designated beneficiary or estate.

Your designated beneficiary is the same person for both GROWTHplus and your DB pension.

If you need intermittent access to your tax-sheltered savings frequently, GROWTHplus might not be right for you. This is because:

1. it is primarily intended as a retirement savings account as CAAT’s investment portfolio is better suited for long-term savings;
2. while you do have options to withdraw your funds, there are limits to when and how you can access them. Generally, withdrawals are only allowed during an annual withdrawal window and at certain key events like termination of employment, termination of membership or retirement. After the end of the year you turn 71, a monthly withdrawal schedule can be established for non-locked-in funds.

GROWTHplus can only accept transfers-in of funds from an existing eligible registered retirement savings vehicle.

However, CAAT will be introducing new ways for you to make deposits into GROWTHplus – more details coming soon.

The rate of return applied to your balance will depend on the period a member’s funds are invested. View rate of return examples in the GROWTHplus Investment Account handbook.

1. Any funds held in GROWTHplus for a full calendar year (January 1 to December 31) will be credited with CAAT’s annual net rate of return for that year. However, in the event any funds are withdrawn prior to the final determination of CAAT’s annual net rate of return, then the amounts that are withdrawn will be credited with a return that is reasonably attributed to the Plan’s net investment performance for the preceding year and/or partial year, as applicable.
2. Any funds held in GROWTHplus for less than a calendar year (for example, because of in-year deposits or withdrawals) will be credited with a return that is reasonably attributed to the Plan’s net investment performance for such partial year period. The rate of return credited may be higher or lower than CAAT’s annual net rate of return for that year.
3. An annual GROWTHplus administration fee will be applied on amounts held in GROWTHplus. This administration fee is currently set at 0.30% – this means that for every $1000 a member holds in GROWTHplus, a $3.00 fee is incurred. For any amounts held in GROWTHplus for a partial year, the administration fee is applied on a pro-rata basis.

You can continue participating in GROWTHplus throughout your lifetime, provided you’re an active, deferred, or retired member of the Plan that meets eligibility requirements, as listed below. This means:

1. You can initiate deposits to GROWTHplus up until the end of the year you turn 70 as long as you are a resident of Canada for income tax purposes. After that, your savings can continue to benefit from CAAT’s investment returns, subject to withdrawal requirements. For members who are past the year in which they turned age 70, we expect to be able to accept tax-sheltered deposits by early 2026. This option will be introduced with the regular structured withdrawals that must begin the year a member turns 72. During 2025 we will provide updates on the full scope of this feature.
2. Before the calendar year in which you turn 72, withdrawals are limited to an annual withdrawal window. There will also be withdrawal opportunities at key events such as termination of employment and retirement.
3. Starting in the calendar year in which you turn 72, you must begin making annual withdrawals subject to certain legislated minimum and maximum amounts. You’ll be able to withdraw locked-in and non-locked in funds during the annual window and will also have an option to set regular monthly payments with any non-locked-in funds in your GROWTHplus Investment Account.
4. Your withdrawal options may vary depending on the jurisdiction where you currently report to work (or the last jurisdiction before your employment ended) and the relevant pension plan legislation. For example, in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec all locked-in funds must be transferred out of GROWTHplus before the end of the year you turn 71.
5. Withdrawals will be mandatory in cases where a member no longer has a defined benefit entitlement with CAAT.

GROWTHplus is exclusively reserved for members who have a defined benefit pension with CAAT. This includes active, deferred and retired CAAT Pension Plan members.

You can participate in GROWTHplus if:

• You are currently working for a CAAT employer and have a CAAT pension;
• You no longer work for a CAAT employer but have kept your pension with CAAT; or,
• You are a retired member and collecting a CAAT pension.

As a CAAT member, you can initiate deposits to GROWTHplus before the end of the year you turn 70, as long as you are a resident of Canada for income tax purposes.

For members who are past the year in which they turned age 70, we expect to be able to accept tax-sheltered deposits. We’ll share more information on timing and the full scope of this feature as it becomes available.

Here’s how depositing into a GROWTHplus Investment Account works:

Transfer-in option

You can transfer funds into GROWTHplus from an eligible tax-sheltered retirement savings vehicle. There is no limit to the tax-sheltered funds you can transfer into GROWTHplus.

Getting started with GROWTHplus

Want to learn more about how to transfer-in to GROWTHplus? You can now watch our video tutorial for a complete step-by-step process.

Automatic contributions

We are always looking for ways to better serve our members and are currently planning for future enhancements, including an option for you to deposit into GROWTHplus directly from your paycheque.

Your ability to transfer from different registered vehicles may vary based on your jurisdiction. Before initiating a transfer, we recommend that you check with your financial institution about whether you can make a transfer into GROWTHplus, as well as discuss any associated fees.

Registered retirement savings vehicles that may be transferred into GROWTHplus include:

• Registered Pension Plans (RPP)
• Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)^*
• Group Registered Retirement Savings Plan (Group RRSP)^*
• Locked-In Retirement Savings Plan (LRSP)
• Locked-In Retirement Account (LIRA)
• Locked-In Retirement Income Fund (LRIF)
• Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF)
• Life Income Fund (LIF)
• Restricted Locked-in Savings Plan (RLSP)
• Deferred Profit-Sharing Plan (DPSP)
• Pooled Registered Pension Plan (PRPP)

GROWTHplus transfer-ins are subject to approval from the transferring institution and must be done in accordance with and subject to limitations under applicable pension legislation.

^* If you are transferring funds from a Spousal or Common Law Partner RRSP in which you are the annuitant, please contact the Plan prior to initiating a transfer. There may be additional steps or restrictions based on when the last contribution from your spouse or common law partner was made.