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Tax Slips – What you need to know
It is tax time, and clients should be receiving tax slips and deposit receipts by now. Check out the Tax Slips: A Quick Reference Guide for a taxation breakdown by product and Insights into Non-Registered Taxation for a detailed explanation on investment income, and why T3 tax slips are generated on non-registered segregated funds.
Clients who registered for tax slips on Equitable Client Access before December 31, 2022, can download or print tax slips quickly and easily from their Equitable® Client Access Inbox. Advisors can download tax receipts on Document Lookup on EquiNet®.
For questions about contribution limits, Retirement Income Fund minimums and Canada pension maximums check out Equitable Life®’s helpful 2023 Facts & Figures guide.
Equitable's Advisor Services Team is available Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET at 1.866.884.7427 or by email at savingsretirement@equitable.ca. You can also contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager.
® denotes a trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
Posted: February 15, 2023 - [pdf] Levelize the tax on your fixed income investments with participating whole life (individual clients)
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Elevate your business with industry best practices and needs-based selling
Keeping your business aligned with industry best practices is vital for your success. It not only supports the fair treatment of clients – it also helps you meet certain market conduct requirements and Equitable’s expectations for needs-based selling.
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) has a program that checks how well advisors follow the Insurance Act and its conduct rules. FSRA looks at how well advisors follow industry best practices and fair treatment of clients guidance (see CLHIA’s guidance document, “The Approach”). Their focus is on key areas such as giving sound advice, managing conflicts of interest, and putting clients’ needs first. FSRA selects advisors’ client files and looks for documentation that indicates needs-based selling.
In December 2024, FSRA released its latest Market Conduct Supervision Report. It highlights the need for advisors to follow certain rules and industry best practices. The report found five key areas where improvement is needed:
1. Missing notes from client meetings and calls
2. Inadequate advisor disclosure
3. Missing sales illustrations for different product options
4. Missing insurance needs analysis
5. Missing policy delivery receipts
By following industry best practices and keeping thorough records, you show your commitment to providing clients with the solutions they need. For example, taking notes during client meetings helps you track all discussions that support your recommendations. Having an insurance needs analysis shows you are providing clients with suitable advice to buy the solutions that best meet their needs.
Resources: Equitable® has resources that can help improve your business practices and help you treat clients fairly. We encourage you to check these out:
1. PPT: “Ensuring a Compliant, Needs-based Insurance Sale”. The steps to follow in needs-based selling and the records to keep.
Get CE credits! We offer the above as a self-study course that qualifies for 1 Continuing Education (CE) credit. Access it here: https://equitable-life-education.teachable.com/. (Use your contracted email to log in).
2. Client File Reference: The records to keep when selling investments, life insurance, or critical illness insurance, including key documents insurers and regulators look for during compliance audits.
3. Investor Profile Questionnaires: These will help you document your sales recommendations for:
● Universal Life (UL) sales: 1190.pdf, and
● Pivotal Select (Segregated Fund) sales: 1165.pdf
Questions? Contact your Equitable wholesaler. They are ready to support your success! - [pdf] S&R Quick Reference Guide
- [pdf] CLHIA MGA Compliance Survey
- [pdf] UL Transfers & Allocations How To
- [pdf] Claimant Statement for Entities - S&R
- [pdf] Online Plan Member Enrolment Quick Reference Guide
- [pdf] Underwriting cover letter template
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Regulator Reviews of Advisor Business Practices
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) began targeted life agent examinations in 2021 as part of its Market Conduct: Life and Health Insurance Agent Supervision Framework. In March 2022, FSRA released its industry report which included a summary of the top regulatory violations or business practice gaps identified during those reviews, which included:
● Agent Disclosure – failure to ensure proper disclosure to clients regarding the insurers that the agent is authorized to represent, conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest and agent compensation;
● Continuing Education Credits – failure to complete CE credits as required or misrepresentation to the regulator regarding completion;
● Failure to complete the Life Insurance Replacement Declaration with clients when replacing an existing insurance policy;
● Missing or inadequate financial needs analysis and/or risk assessment (wealth) and insurance needs analysis;
● Missing or inadequate Reasons Why Letters for insurance recommendations;
● Missing evidence of policy illustrations;
● Missing or inadequate AML/ATF programs; and
● An overall lack of adequate notes to document client conversations and support recommendations made.
While these reviews are focused on agents licensed in Ontario, the review findings are helpful for all licensed advisors to ensure your business practices are aligned with regulatory and industry standards. Following these standards also helps you meet Equitable Life’s Advisor Code of Conduct. FSRA’s full report includes a copy of the Insurance Agent Market Conduct Questionnaire and can be viewed at https://www.fsrao.ca/newsroom/new-life-and-health-agent-supervisory-framework-enhances-consumer-protection.