A plan amendment occurs when an entity introduces, or withdraws, a defined benefit plan or changes the benefits payable under an existing defined benefit plan.

There are two main types of defined benefit scheme, known as final salary and career average.

The reserve force pension plan has many features that make it a valuable part of planning for members' financial futures. Some of these features include early retirement, indexing, bridge benefits, and generous benefits for survivors.

Pension benefits for members whose age is less than 65 include two parts: a lifetime benefit, which is consistent from the time of retirement through the member's lifetime; and a bridge benefit, which tops up the pension until a member reaches 65 and becomes eligible for Canada pension plan benefits.

This would mean that members age 65 and older would collect their lifetime pension benefits, the bridge benefits, and the Canada pension plan benefits.

Supplementary benefit schemes for self-employed persons in craft-trade, industrial or commercial occupations or the liberal professions, supplementary old-age insurance schemes for self-employed persons in the liberal professions, supplementary insurance schemes for self-employed persons in the liberal professions covering invalidity or death, and supplementary old-age benefit schemes for contracted medical practitioners and auxiliaries, as referred to respectively in Articles L.615-20, L.644-1, L.644-2, L.645-1 and L.723-14 of the Social Security Code.