Stock markets fell drastically after the financial turmoil intensified in September 2008, translating into trillions of dollars of losses to investors around the world. This has had a profound impact on the private pension landscape. To better understand the effect of the financial crisis on Canadian pension plan sponsors, Watson Wyatt Worldwide conducted its sixth annual Survey of Pension Risk during February-March 2009. The survey asked senior executives, including chief financial officers and vice presidents of human resources, about their views on — and reactions to — the current challenges, as well as future threats to their defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) pension plans.