Benefits of the Desjardins Group Pension Plan (DGPP)

The DGPP is the defined benefit pension plan for Desjardins employees.

Find out how we ensure your peace of mind, today and beyond retirement.

What the DGPP can do for you

  • Stable income

    We’ll provide you with predictable, stable income throughout your retirement. Your pension isn’t tied to how much you contribute or the plan’s performance.

  • A generous pension formula

    Your pension is calculated based on the top earning years of your career and the number of years you’ve been an active plan member. It’s backed by a competitive formula that delivers a solid return on investment.

  • Higher employer contributions

    Your employer supports your financial security by covering 65% of your pension plan costs; your contributions cover the remaining 35%.

  • Turnkey management

    No need to manage your investments on your own. We invest your money wisely to make sure you can enjoy a stable income during your retirement.

  • Caring support

    We offer tools and services to help you understand your plan and make informed decisions.

The DGPP in action

You’re 33 and just starting your career at Desjardins.[ 1 ] You want to retire at 61, after 28 years of service. If your current salary is $75,000, you’ll contribute a little over $4,000 to the plan each year. That adds up to around $150,000 by the time you retire.

The DGPP would provide you with an annual pension of around $50,000, which means you’d receive close to $1,500,000 over 30 years—about 10 times what you put in.

A plan tailored to your needs

  • Retire on your terms

    The DGPP gives you flexible options for when and how you retire, including retiring as early as 55 or even gradually transitioning into retirement.

  • Stay ahead of inflation

    Help protect your purchasing power with a retirement pension that’s indexed to inflation each year, based on the plan’s rules.

  • Protect those you leave behind

    If you pass away, eligible individuals may be entitled to a pension or lump sum, depending on the provisions that apply. Your pension benefits could help you support their financial security during a difficult time.

  • Secure a sizable pension, even if you leave

    You still come out ahead, even if you leave from Desjardins before retirement. For example, if you leave before 55, you can transfer the value of your pension[ 2 ] out of the plan and receive at least 175% of what you contributed, plus interest.[ 3 ]

Who can join the DGPP

Membership in the Desjardins Group Pension Plan is mandatory and automatic if:

  • You’re between 25 to 64 years old

  • You meet the eligibility criteria

Eligible employees under 25 can choose to enroll in the plan right away and start benefitting from everything it has to offer.

Currently eligible

You must be a permanent full-time employee or a permanent part-time employee working at least 14 hours per week.

Eligible on January 1

You must meet two criteria:

  • You must be a permanent part-time employee working less than 14 hours per week or a temporary employee.

  • You must have worked at least 700 hours in the previous year or your base salary must have been at least 35% of the maximum pensionable earnings (MPE)[ 4 ] in the previous year.

How the DGPP works

Dive deeper into key concepts of the DGPP, including how contributions and pensions are calculated, at what age you can retire, and how pension indexation works.

Learn all about key DGPP concepts

Go to our secure site

Already a plan member? Our secure site can help you plan your retirement with complete peace of mind. You can use it to:

  • View your annual statements
  • Simulate different retirement scenarios
  • Change your beneficiaries
  • See how different life events can affect your plan
  • Learn about the steps to retirement

Notes

  1. The figures used in this example are estimates provided for illustration purposes only. They’re based on certain assumptions, such as a 2% annual increase in salary and maximum pensionable earnings (MPE).
  2. The amount you can transfer is based on the plan’s solvency ratio, which is the plan’s ability to meet its financial obligations in the unlikely event that it is terminated.
  3. This applies only to regular contributions made from 2009 onward.
  4. The maximum pensionable earnings (MPE) is the maximum annual salary used to calculate contributions to the Québec Pension Plan (QPP) and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). The MPE can vary from year to year. The 2026 MPE is $74,600; 35% of that is $26,110.