Gbl

What Gbl does

GBL (Gordon B. Lang & Associates Inc.) is a privately held Canadian actuarial consulting firm founded in 1995 in Calgary, with a secondary office in Toronto. The firm serves business owners, incorporated professionals (physicians, dentists, lawyers, architects), corporate executives, professional athletes, medical professional corporations, financial advisors, and corporate defined benefit pension plan sponsors through a portfolio of specialized retirement, health benefit, insurance valuation, and actuarial consulting services.

The core product set spans Individual Pension Plans (IPPs), Retirement Compensation Arrangements (RCAs), Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPs), corporate Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution plan administration, Health Benefit Plans (HBP), Health Spending Accounts (HSA), Fair Market Valuations of life insurance and critical illness policies, cross-border insurance testing, and actuarial evidence/consulting services. The underlying 'technology' is actuarial expertise supported by a 3-step peer review process, CRA and provincial compliance workflows, and, since August 2025, stewardship of the Canadian CANSIM/Commuted Value pension interest rates database previously maintained by Hart Actuarial. The firm has established 2,000+ IPPs and 500+ RCAs, completed 3,000+ FMVs, and serves 7,000+ lifetime clients.

GBL operates a sales-led, professional services model with quote-based engagement, annual or multi-year recurring administration contracts, and a distribution channel built on a 3,000+ Financial/Investment Advisor referral network. Pricing is customized, with the firm claiming 33-50% of larger actuarial incumbents (Willis Towers Watson, Mercer, AON) on corporate DB administration and a flat $2,000 HBP setup fee versus traditional cost-plus HSA pricing. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the firm is privately held with no funding rounds, no parent company, and one acquisition (Pension Strategies Inc., merged in 2021).

Name

Gbl

Legal name

Gordon B. Lang & Associates Inc.

Website

https://gblinc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GBL is a privately held Canadian actuarial consulting firm founded in 1995 that provides Individual Pension Plans, Retirement Compensation Arrangements, SERPs, DB plan administration, and insurance valuations to business owners, incorporated professionals, executives, and corporate plan sponsors across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Actuarial and Retirement Consulting

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Direct Life, Health, and Medical Insurance Carriers (52411)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro primary industry

Own-Occupation Specialty Disability Insurance (Professional Occupations) (FSAIAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Group Variable Universal Life (GVUL) (FSAIADAD), Individual Disability Income Insurance (Non-Group) (FSAIAIAA)

Keywords

• Actuarial consulting services
• Individual pension plans
• Retirement compensation arrangements
• Defined benefit administration
• Fair market valuations

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Actuarial Consulting Services: GBL generates revenue through professional actuarial consulting fees for services including DB pension plan administration, actuarial valuations (funding, solvency, accounting), plan design, and compliance consulting. Fees are quoted based on scope of engagement.
2. IPP Setup and Administration: Revenue from establishing and administering Individual Pension Plans for business owners and incorporated professionals. Services include plan creation, annual administration, and compliance maintenance.
3. RCA Setup and Administration: Fees for Retirement Compensation Arrangement setup and ongoing administration, including trust management and CRA filings.
4. Health Benefit Plan (HBP) Setup: HBP setup generates a one-time setup fee ($2,000 per the HBP comparison). No ongoing administration fees are charged, distinguishing from HSA cost-plus models.
5. Fair Market Valuation (FMV) Services: Actuarial valuations of life insurance policies for corporate restructuring, charitable giving, divorce calculations, and share valuation purposes.
6. Commuted Value Calculations: Actuarial analysis services for DB pension plan members to evaluate lifetime pension vs. commuted value options, providing retirement planning clarity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GBL is an independent Canadian actuarial consulting firm that designs, establishes, and administers retirement, health benefit, and insurance valuation solutions for business owners, incorporated professionals, corporate executives, and DB pension plan sponsors. Its core offerings include Individual Pension Plans (IPP), Retirement Compensation Arrangements (RCA), Defined Benefit (DB) plan administration, Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERP), Health Benefit Plans (HBP), Health Spending Accounts (HSA), and Fair Market Valuations (FMV) of insurance policies.

Product overview

GBL is an independent Canadian actuarial and financial consulting firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of financial solutions for business owners, incorporated professionals, and corporate clients. The company operates across four core areas: retirement planning (including Individual Pension Plans, Retirement Compensation Arrangements, Defined Benefit/Defined Contribution plans, and Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans), health and group benefits (Health Benefit Plans and Health Spending Accounts), insurance solutions (Fair Market Valuations, Critical Illness Valuations, and Cross Border Insurance Testing), and actuarial consulting (including expert witness services and pension interest rate maintenance). GBL provides services to 7,000+ clients and actively manages 2,000+ IPPs and RCAs, with offices in Calgary and Toronto.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Pension Plan (IPP) A defined benefit pension plan allowing business owners and incorporated professionals to increase tax-deferred retirement savings with features including increased retirement assets, large tax-deductible contributions, creditor-proof status, and the ability to exceed traditional RRSP limits.
• Retirement Compensation Arrangement (RCA) A retirement program for high-income earners ($150,000+) providing tax-deferred savings with no mandatory withdrawals, flexible withdrawal options, lower participant tax rates, and creditor-proof status. Ideal for business owners, athletes, executives, and incorporated professionals.
• Defined Benefit (DB) Plan Solutions Comprehensive actuarial consulting and administration services for Defined Benefit pension plans, including funding and solvency actuarial valuations, accounting valuations, strategic plan design, integration with DC plans, SERPs, RCAs, and IPPs, and pension plan administration.
• Defined Contribution (DC) Plan Design, consulting, and administration services for Defined Contribution pension plans, Multi-Employer Pension Plans (MEPPs), and Group RRSPs.
• Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (SERP) A non-registered retirement plan providing additional retirement income for high-earning executives, designed to attract, retain, and reward top-tier talent. Available as unfunded unsecured, unfunded secured, or funded through an RCA.
• Health Benefit Plan (HBP) A self-administered corporate health and dental benefit plan for incorporated professionals and business owners, enabling tax-deductible business expenses for employee medical costs with no ongoing administration fees and a one-time $2,000 setup fee.
• Health Spending Account (HSA) A third-party administered tax-effective tool providing expanded medical and dental coverage at lower cost than traditional HSA platforms, with electronic claims processing for business owners and their employees.
• Fair Market Valuation (FMV) of Life Insurance Actuarial valuation of life insurance policies for corporate restructuring, divorce calculations, charitable giving, and valuing corporation shares. GBL is a recognized industry leader in FMV services.
• Critical Illness (CI) Valuation Valuation of Critical Illness insurance policies at a specified date for purposes of valuing policies transferred from corporately owned to personal, valuing corporation shares, or divorce calculations.
• Cross Border Insurance Testing Analysis and testing of foreign insurance policies under applicable taxation rules to ensure proper tax planning and reporting, protecting against unintended tax consequences.
• Actuarial Evidence Expert witness testimony and consulting services supporting clients and legal professionals throughout litigation processes requiring actuarial expertise.
• Actuarial Consulting Valuations and consultations for present value or valuations surrounding uncertainty, with expertise in pensions, health benefits, and insurance.
• Group Retirement Solutions Competitive group retirement savings plan setup and administration for employees, including pension plan design that is successful, efficient, and cost-effective.
• Group Health and Benefit Solutions Evaluation, design, and execution of employee health and benefit strategies aligned with company target costs and organizational structures.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ IPPs and 500+ RCAs established since founding
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Hart ActuarialminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 August 2025GBL assumed maintenance of the Pension Plan Interest Rates database (CANSIM/Commuted Value rates) from Hart Actuarial in August 2025. Hart had maintained these rates for the Canadian actuarial industry for many years before the transition.
• Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB)minorOthersGBL displays CFIB logo on its website footer, indicating membership or partnership affiliation with Canada's largest association of small business owners.
• Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA)minorOthersGBL displays CIA logo indicating that its actuaries hold Fellowship designation. CIA is the national actuarial organization in Canada.
• Society of Actuaries (SOA)minorOthersGBL displays SOA logo indicating that its actuaries hold Fellowship designation. SOA is a major global actuarial organization.
• Conference of Consulting Actuaries (CCA)minorOthersGBL displays CCA logo indicating membership in the professional organization for consulting actuaries in North America.
• AdvocisminorOthersGBL displays Advocis logo indicating membership in The Financial Advisors Association of Canada, the national association for insurance and financial advisors.
• Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC)minorOthersGBL displays FPSC logo indicating adherence to financial planning professional standards.
• Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute (CPBI)minorOthersGBL displays CPBI logo indicating membership as a Proud Supporter of CPBI, which focuses on pension and benefits education and networking.
• Association of Canadian Pension Management (ACPM)minorOthersGBL displays ACPM logo indicating membership in the association representing pension plan sponsors, administrators, and service providers.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services: Major Canadian insurer and financial services firm offering group retirement, individual pension, and wealth products. Competes with GBL in the Canadian retirement and DB/DC plan administration space, especially for corporate plan sponsors.
• Mercer: Global consulting firm providing actuarial, health, retirement, and investment advisory services. GBL explicitly benchmarks its pricing against Mercer for corporate DB pension administration, indicating direct competition in the Canadian mid-market.
• TELUS Health: Canadian health and benefits provider operating Health Spending Account and group benefits platforms. Directly competes with GBL's HBP/HSA offering, though at much larger scale and with technology-enabled administration.
• Manulife Financial: Global insurer with major Canadian group benefits and retirement operations. Competes with GBL in DB plan administration, group retirement solutions, and HBP-equivalent health benefit products for Canadian employers.
• Willis Towers Watson: Global actuarial and benefits consulting firm named by GBL as a primary competitor. Offers integrated HR, investment, and actuarial services to large plan sponsors — directly overlapping GBL's DB pension administration practice but at much larger scale.
• AON: Global professional services firm with a major actuarial and retirement consulting practice. GBL references AON as one of the "larger actuarial firms" against which it competes on price — comparable in DB administration and broader retirement consulting.
• Canada Life: Major Canadian insurer offering group retirement, health benefits, and individual insurance products. Comparable to GBL in group retirement and benefits administration for corporate plan sponsors in Canada.

Direct peers

• Buck (US-based): North American actuarial, retirement, and benefits consulting firm with a similar boutique-to-mid-market focus on DB plan administration and pension consulting. Closest peer in business model and customer profile to GBL's actuarial consulting practice.
• GreenShield Canada: Canadian health benefits administrator offering HBP/HSA-style plans for incorporated professionals and small businesses. Overlaps with GBL's HBP product on customer segment, plan structure, and tax-deductible medical-expense positioning.
• Segal Group: Independent North American actuarial, benefits, and HR consulting firm with a similar boutique-to-mid-market positioning. Closely comparable to GBL in actuarial consulting, DB plan administration, and retirement strategy work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gblactuaries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gbl