Canadian pension returns retreat in 2018: RBC Investor & Treasury Services. : TORONTO , Feb. 5, 2019 /CNW/ - Canadian defined benefit pension plans ended 2018 in negative territory, with an annual return of -0.7 per cent, reversing gains from the previous three quarters this year, according to the RBC Investor & Treasury Services All Plan Universe. Plan returns posted a Q4 2018 return of -3.5 per cent compared to a 0.1 per cent gain in Q3 2018. The annual return in 2017 was 9.7 per cent.