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  1. Paper Pivotal Select applications (Form #1383 and #1384)


    On April 27, 2020 Equitable Life® launched its NL-CB sales charge option to its Pivotal Select™ segregated fund lineup. The new option provides an additional choice to the existing Low Load (LL), No Load (NL) and Deferred Sales Charge (DSC) selections. To reflect the new sales charge option, Pivotal Select applications (Form #1383 and #1384) were updated.

    The paper Pivotal Select applications (Form #1383 and #1384) with a version date prior to 2020/04/27 (located on the back page and in the bottom right-hand corner of the application) will no longer be accepted as of July 1, 2020. If you currently have applications with a date that is before 2020/04/27, please destroy them and order new applications from our Supply Team. To order new applications, click here.

    Want to be sure you always have the most up-to-date application? Try our EZcomplete® online application platform. EZcomplete makes it easy to process your non-face-to-face applications and allows your clients to provide their signature remotely on their own device.

    For more information about the NL-CB sales charge option, please click here. For more information about Equitable Life’s EZcomplete, click here.

  2. There is still time for your clients to contribute to their Tax-Free Savings Account


    If you have clients that have not contributed to their Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) this year, great news… there is still time!

    You know that an Equitable Life® TFSA is a great way to save. Each year residents of Canada who are at least 18 years of age are eligible to invest up to $6,000* into their TFSA, in addition to any previously unused contribution room. Deposits made into a TFSA are made with after-tax dollars. This means that withdrawals can be made at any time on a tax-free basis.

    Interested in increasing an existing Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD) TFSA deposit?
    Clients with an existing PAD (or who had one in the previous six months), can go online to make any adjustments to a scheduled deposit to their TFSA. Clients can simply login to Equitable Life’s Client Access®. Client Access is Equitable’s secure online client site that connects clients to tools and policy information.
     
    Consider a one-time deposit or set up a PAD?
    To get started with one-time deposit, clients simply log in to their online bank account and select the option to add a new bill/payee and search for Equitable Life Savings Plan. The Equitable Life savings plan policy number will serve as the account number.

    Clients that complete their deposits using online banking do not have to worry about mailing a cheque or missing the deadline. Deposits are applied based on the investment direction on file.

    If you have clients that would like to set up a PAD, simply complete Form #378. For details on how to submit forms during COVID-19, refer to the NEW APPLICATIONS & TRANSACTION AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENTS webpage.
     
    If you have any questions, please reach out to your local Regional Investment Sales Manager or Advisor Services at 1.866.884.7427 Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET or email savingsretirement@equitable.ca.
     

    *The annual TFSA limit is set by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and is currently $6,000. Your notice of assessment will tell you if you have unused contribution room from previous years. Contributions over the maximum will be charged a monthly penalty of 1% by CRA.
     
    ® denotes a trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada
  3. Tools to manage mental health

    As we all continue to manage the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to remind your clients of the valuable supports available to help their plan members cope through this challenging time.

    Free trusted information and COVID-19 resources

    Our partner FeelingBetterNow® is responding to the pandemic by providing trusted public resources that offer mental health support. They are available to anyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and include:

    • What to do if you’re anxious or worried about COVID-19;
    • Resources for parents and caregivers; and
    • National and Provincial Public Health resources.

    Access COVID-19 resources from FeelingBetterNow.

    FeelingBetterNow Mental Health Assessment

    In addition to these public resources, Equitable Life clients with FeelingBetterNow as part of their group benefits plan have access to online mental health resources. FeelingBetterNow can help plan members identify their risk for mental health concerns and work with their doctor on diagnosis and treatment. It’s an anonymous tool developed by mental health experts which provides:

    • Emotional and mental health assessments;
    • Practical, evidence-based tools employees and their doctor can use to assess, treat, and follow-up on emotional and mental health concerns; and
    • Convenient online access to information and effective resources.

    FeelingBetterNow is easy to use and completely anonymous. It takes less than 20 minutes to complete the assessment and view your results.

    Learn more about FeelingBetterNow, then contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager to discuss how your clients can add this service to their plan.

  4. Grow your guarantee using resets from Equitable Life
    Did you know that many of Equitable Life®’s segregated funds contracts, including Pivotal Select™ Estate Class and Protection Class, allow for an annual reset of the death benefit guarantee? Now could be a great time to remind clients to lock-in any gains with a death benefit reset; and increase their Death Benefit guarantee to 100% of the current market value. The ability to lock-in market growth using resets is one of the differences between segregated funds and mutual funds.
     
    To complete a reset, submit the applicable investment direction form. If you have Limited Trading Authorization on file, you can sign the request on your client’s behalf*. The Investment Direction Forms are posted on EquiNet®, or can be found here (by product):
       
    Be sure to check out the “Growing your Guarantee with Resets” marketing piece which can be shared with your clients. For questions about resets, contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager today.


     
    *Advisors are required to keep notes of their conversation with their client for audit purposes when completing transactions using Limited Trading Authorization. World Financial Group (WFG) advisors are not permitted to use Limited Trading Authorization as per their agreement with WFG.
    ® and TM denote trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada
     
  5. Equitable Life Group Benefits Bulletin - September 2020

    In this issue:

    Enhancements to Equitable EZClaim Mobile
    New reports available on EquitableHealth.ca

    * Indicates content that will be shared with your clients.

    Enhancements to Equitable EZClaim® Mobile*

    We’ve updated our Equitable EZClaim mobile app to process vision claims faster, to provide a new option for submitting documents and to increase password security.

    Faster vision claims processing and payment

    Equitable Life now provides faster processing of vision claims submitted via EZClaim Mobile.

    This means plan members can find out the status of their vision claim almost instantaneously. And, for approved claims, they will receive payment even sooner – often in as little as 24 hours.

    In order to allow for instant processing and faster payment, plan members will be prompted to enter some additional information, including their practitioner’s name, the date of the expense, the type of expense and amount of the expense when submitting their claims for these services.

    Equitable Life plan members can submit all vision claims via Equitable EZClaim, including coordination of benefits and Health Care Spending Account claims.

    Submit documents from a mobile device

    We have added our Document Submission tool to EZClaim Mobile so plan members can conveniently submit documents directly from their mobile device. Applications, change forms, statement of health forms and more can all be easily uploaded whenever and wherever they are.

    Improved security with stronger passwords

    To help you, your clients and plan members better protect personal information, we have increased the maximum length of passwords for both EZClaim Online and EZClaim Mobile from 12 to 32 characters. This longer character limit makes it easier to create stronger and more secure passwords.

    There is no change for plan members, plan administrators or advisors. All existing passwords will continue to function. However, if you choose to update your password you will now be able to choose longer passwords or passphrases.

    Why should I change my password?

    Changing your password frequently helps keep your information safe. The longer and more random the password, the more secure it is. To improve security even more, a passphrase is recommended.

    A passphrase is a series of words or other text used like a password. Because it is much longer, a passphrase is more secure. Although the words in the phrase may be meaningful to you and easy to remember, they can be random enough that the full phrase is difficult for someone else to guess. It’s even better if you use numbers or other characters in your passphrase.

    Your passphrase should be:

    • Long enough to be hard to guess;
    • Not a famous quotation;
    • Easy to remember and type; and
    • Not used in multiple places.

    To change your password:

    1. Log in to EquitableHealth.ca
    2. Click on My Information > User Profile
    3. Click Edit
    4. Confirm your information and enter your new password
    5. Click Save

    We will be announcing this enhancement to plan members on EquitableHealth.ca.

    New reports available on EquitableHealth.ca*

    Plan administrators and advisors with reporting access can now download three additional reports any time via the plan administrator and advisor websites on EquitableHealth.ca:

    • Premium and Tax – This report provides a breakdown of premiums and taxes paid per plan member for any specific time period for all applicable benefits.
    • Occupation and Earnings – This report provides current plan member earnings and occupation information and gives plan administrators an efficient way to report updates to us.
    • Employee listing – This report lists all plan members’ information, including name, certificate number, date of birth, province, occupation and salary, as well as benefit coverage currently in place and HCSA allocations.

    These reports can be downloaded in Excel format for easy updating, filtering or sorting.

    For more information, please contact your Client Relationship Specialist.

     

    *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients

  6. Equitable Life presents Dynamic Funds featuring David L. Fingold

    With the upcoming U.S. election, and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the challenges and uncertainty of today’s global market can create doubt for investors. Please join us to hear guest speaker David L. Fingold from Dynamic Funds discuss a look at global markets; insights on the current positioning of Dynamic American Fund and Dynamic Global Discovery Fund; and review of investment process

    Do not miss the opportunity to hear about some of the key holdings of David’s portfolios!

    Equitable Life is pleased to offer access to five different Dynamic Funds in the Pivotal Select™ segregated fund line-up, including the Equitable Life Dynamic American Value Select and Equitable Life Dynamic Global Discovery (the underlying funds of which are managed by David).
     

    Learn more

     
  7. COVID-19 testing: Find the information you need

    This news item has also been posted to the plan administrator and plan member sections of EquitableHealth.ca

    The Ontario government recently announced it has expanded access to COVID-19 testing to include select pharmacies throughout the province. As the pandemic continues, it’s important to know how to access testing if you’re experiencing signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or suspect you have been exposed to the virus.

    Guidelines for who should get tested and how to access testing vary across the country, so it can be difficult to know what applies in your jurisdiction.

    To help make it easier, we’ve provided links to COVID-19 testing resources for each province and territory. The resources include self assessments, guidelines for who should get tested, how to access testing, and testing locations.

  8. Have you heard about Equitable Client Access?
    Equitable Client Access® allows clients to self-serve on some of the more popular requests. Thousands of clients have already signed up for Equitable Client Access and are enjoying the benefits of accessing their secure information 24/7.

    •   Does your client need to change or stop existing Pre-Authorized payment (PAD)? Equitable Client Access can do that.
    •   Does your client need to change a withdrawal date for a PAD? Equitable Client Access can do that too.
    •   Address or banking information changes? Equitable Client Access has your clients covered.
    •   Does your client need to change her beneficiary from Aunt Flora to Uncle Ned? Equitable Client Access can even do that.

    Equitable Client Access is a secure online client site that connects clients with policy information, right at their fingertips. In addition to the self-serve features, Equitable Client Access can also provide:

    •    Insurance coverage and guarantees
    •    Investment allocation, performance and market values
    •    Transaction history
    •    Statements and letters
    •    Advisor contact information, along with so much more.


    If your clients have not signed up for Equitable Client Access, direct them to client.equitable.ca - it only takes a few minutes to set up an account, and connects your clients with their policy information online – anytime!

    Have a question about Equitable Client Access? Want to tell your client how to go paperless? Check out our updated FAQ or contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager today.
     
  9. Equitable Life Group Benefits Bulletin – October 2020

    In this issue:

    • Group benefits enrolment just got a lot easier*
    • Critical Illness added to myFlex Benefits® selection tool**
    • ASO dental available down to 3 lives
    • QDIPC updates terms and conditions for 2021*

    *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients
    **Indicates content that will be shared with myFlex Benefits groups only

    Group benefits enrolment just got a lot easier*

    Our Online Plan Member Enrolment tool now makes it simple to add new employees to the benefits plan.

    Enrolling new plan members can be overwhelming – for both you, your clients and their employees. It’s challenging to ensure plan members complete the necessary paperwork before the enrolment deadline, and time consuming to manually load new members.

    That’s why we’re updating our plan member enrolment experience. Beginning November 2nd, 2020, all Equitable Life groups will be able to easily enrol new employees in the benefits plan with our Online Plan Member Enrolment Tool.

    Benefits of Online Plan Member Enrolment

    Our Online Plan Member Enrolment tool offers a more secure and efficient option to traditional paper enrolment. Employees are able to enrol in their benefits plan in just minutes from their computer or mobile device.

    The user-friendly interface was built with the plan member in mind. They can easily enter all their enrolment information, including dependent details, banking information for direct deposit of claim payments and details for coordination of benefits. They can even designate their beneficiary electronically.

    The online enrolment tool also lessens the effort for plan administrators to onboard new hires. The tool reduces errors and rework that can occur due to spelling mistakes or missing information on paper forms. And the days of chasing plan members for their paper enrolment forms are gone. Once they enter a few employee details, our system will automatically send out an email to each plan member, inviting them to enrol in their benefits program. And there will be no need to send reminders or follow up with employees about their benefits enrolment. It’s all done automatically.

    Online plan member enrolment is available to all traditional and myFlex Benefits plan administrators with update access beginning November 2nd, 2020. Plan administrators just choose “New” from the “Certificate” view in EquitableHealth.ca to get started.

    This enhancement is for plan administrators who have update access on EquitableHealth.ca. If your clients are not sure if they have update access, they can contact their Equitable Life Client Relationship Specialist or myFlex Benefits Team for support.

    Learn More

    We’ve created Online Plan Member Enrolment User Guides to support your clients and their plan members with this new tool:

    We’re also offering a series of webinars to help your clients learn about Online Plan Member Enrolment. Plan administrators will receive an invitation with links to register for the time that best suits their schedule.

    Help your clients spend less time administering group benefits. Contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager to learn more about our enhanced online plan member enrolment.

    Critical Illness added to myFlex Benefits selection tool*

    For many employers, mandatory Critical Illness (CI) coverage is an important part of their group benefits package. It provides proactive protection against life-altering illness, helping give plan members and their families a sense of security.

    While CI is available on myFlex Benefits plans, it was not built into our benefits selection tool since there is no action required by the plan member.

    Beginning November 2nd, 2020, we are adding a CI page to the myFlex Benefits selection tool that appears when this coverage is included as part of the plan. There are no options to choose – plan members simply review their CI coverage and carry on with the benefits selection process. It keeps the process smooth, while ensuring plan members fully appreciate their employer’s contributions.

    Adding CI to the benefits selection tool also simplifies the budgeting process for employers. Now that CI is included in the selection tool, employers no longer need to break out the amount billed for CI from their contribution per employee when loading flex allocations.

    To learn more about our myFlex Benefits selection tool or Critical Illness coverage for myFlex Benefits, contact your myFlex Sales Manager.

    ASO dental available down to 3 lives

    Beginning November 2nd, 2020, groups with as few as three full-time employees will be able to self-insure their Equitable Life dental benefits with an Administrative Services Only (ASO) funding arrangement.

    Currently, dental benefits are only available on an ASO basis for groups with 20 lives or more.

    In an ASO arrangement, Equitable Life administers the benefits plan but does not insure it. The plan sponsor pays for all eligible claims, as well as the expenses of administering the plan.

    Why ASO?

    Choosing an ASO funding arrangement allows plan sponsors to save on premiums. With a traditional insured funding arrangement, a portion of every premium dollar includes a charge for the risk that the insurer is assuming to cover the claims.

    With an ASO arrangement, the plan sponsor assumes all risk, so they avoid the risk charge. And since dental claims are usually more predictable than other benefits, there is typically less risk involved in covering those claims.

    For more information, contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.

    QDIPC updates terms and conditions for 2021*

    Every year, the Quebec Drug Insurance Pooling Corporation (QDIPC) reviews the terms and conditions for the high-cost pooling system in the province. Based on its latest review, QDIPC is revising its pooling levels and fees for 2021 to reflect trends in the volume of claims submitted to the pool, particularly catastrophic claims.

    Size of group (# of certificates) Threshold per certificate 2021 Annual factor (without dependents) Annual factor (with dependents)
    Fewer than 25 $8,000 $251.00 $691.00
    25 - 49 $16,500 $165.00 $455.00
    50 - 124 $32,500 $94.00 $258.00
    125 - 249 $47,500 $68.00 $187.00
    250 - 499 $72,000 $49.00 $135.00
    500 - 999 $95,000 $40.00 $111.00
    1,000 - 3,999 $120,000 $35.00 $95.00
    4,000 - 5,999 $300,000 $16.00 $44.00
    6,000 and over Free market - Groups not subject to Quebec Industry Pooling Free market - Groups not subject to Quebec Industry Pooling Free market - Groups not subject to Quebec Industry Pooling

    We will apply the new pooling levels and fees to future renewal calculations that involve Quebec plan members.

  10. Equitable Life is launching a new Retirement Savings Plan section on EquiNet It is never too early or too late to speak to your clients about Retirement Savings Plans (RSP). This is a great time to check us out because Equitable Life® is launching all new tools and resources to help you improve your sales strategy and reach your clients.

    Today, Equitable Life is launching an all new RSP section on EquiNet®. The RSP Product Information box contains new and improved marketing tools and resources. Need to prospect new clients? We have editable letters to help you do that! Need to market to Millennials, Generation X or Baby Boomers? We have brochures and case studies to help you reach them. Want to market to your clients using social media? We have links and articles to help you share the love. With all the new and updated RSP materials, we have you covered. So, visit us on EquiNet today to see how we can help you grow your business.