EquiNet Equitable Life's advisor site

Site Search

1362 results for if

  1. Join us for our first Equitable Life Master Class webcast


    We’re pleased to introduce the Equitable Life Master Class webcast series.  These webcasts offer compelling topics and unique ideas from leading experts to help you manage and grow your business.


    Join Equitable Life along with guest speaker Rob Kochel, Director, Invesco Consulting Group to learn:

    · The ESG client connection opportunities.

    · The optimal language to use when introducing ESG to a client.

    · Four universal communication principles for better client conversations.

    · Words to use and words to lose.


    You don't want to miss it!

    BUTTON.png



    ® denote trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.

    Posted January 25, 2023
  2. This year’s RSP contribution deadline is March 1, 2023


    The RSP deadline is fast approaching so whether you are using paper or EZtransact™ here are some important things to remember.

    Issuing New Policy with EZcomplete®

    • All online applications must be digitally signed and submitted and have a date stamp no later than March 1, 2023.


    Issuing New Policy using Paper Application

    • For contributions to qualify for the first 60 days, all paperwork must be completed and signed by March 1, 2023. Equitable Life must receive all paperwork by March 7, 2023.



    Deposits to Existing Policy

    • Advisors can setup a one-time or recurring deposit or edit an existing pre-authorized debit already in place using EZtransact. Online deposits must be made and have a date stamp by March 1, 2023, to qualify for a 2022 tax receipt. 

    • Clients can make online deposits to Equitable Life® through their financial institution’s online banking service. Online deposits must be made and have a date stamp by March 1, 2023, to qualify for a 2022 tax receipt. 

    • Clients can also make a new deposit to an existing policy by cheque. The cheque must be dated and signed by March 1, 2023. Equitable Life must receive the cheque no later than March 7, 2023.


    If online banking is being used to fund the policy – either topping up an existing policy or opening a new policy – the online banking transaction must be completed by March 1, 2023, to receive a 2022 tax receipt.


    Please note that cheques and other paperwork cannot be backdated.  They must be completed and signed by March 1, 2023, to qualify for a 2023 tax receipt.


    Don’t forget about the Equitable Life RSP Grow Your Future Contest. We hope you have a great RSP season! 

    ® denotes a trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.

  3. New year tune-up for Equimax participating whole life
    It’s a new year and time for an Equimax® tune up! We have made some exciting changes for new sales of Equimax Estate Builder® and Equimax Wealth Accumulator® effective February 11, 2023.

    These exciting enhancements make Equimax even more robust, simpler and cost effective, to ensure it continues to be the preferred participating whole life solution for clients and advisors alike.

    Watch our informative video to learn more.
     
    Check out our Equimax splash page for complete details on all the enhancements, our transition rules, and much more.
     








    What’s new?
    • All new children’s policies will now be issued as non-smoker for life – we will no longer request a non-smoker declaration for new children's policies.
    • We have also removed the policy fees on new Equimax sales, reducing total premium payments – allowing clients to buy even more coverage for the same payment.
    But there’s more to our Equimax tune-up!
    The following enhancements add more value, making it easier for you to recommend Equimax as your preferred whole life solution.
    • Monthly Excelerator Deposit Option(EDO) payments and EDO payments received off anniversary will now buy more paid-up additional insurance,
    • Dividends earned on EDO payment paid-up additions, and credited on the base policy, can now buy even more paid-up additions,
    • New clients now have the option to elect individual policies on joint last to die (JLTD) plans if their personal situation changes,
    • We have also changed the way we calculate monthly premiums – resulting in lower premium payments across the board,
    • And we have added our KIND™ benefit program to Equimax, as we did for our newest Generations Universal Life  solution last September – making it easier for families and beneficiaries at claim time.
    • And, finally, we are introducing some new sales illustration features, a Web-based software and more to help you market Equimax!
    Visit our splash page and watch our informative video to learn more and start selling the enhanced Equimax today.
     
    Plus, visit our Equimax product page on EquiNet®, then click on the Marketing Materials tab for the latest Equimax marketing materials.
     
    Need more information? Please contact your local wholesaler.
     
     ® and ™ denotes a trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
  4. February 2023 eNews

    Responding to Nova Scotia’s biosimilar switch initiative

    We are changing coverage for some biologic drugs in Nova Scotia in response to the province’s biosimilar initiative. These changes will help protect your clients’ plans from additional drug costs that may result from this new government policy while providing access to equally safe and effective lower-cost biosimilars. 

    Nova Scotia’s provincial biosimilar initiative

    Announced in February 2022, the Nova Scotia Biosimilar Initiative ends coverage of seven biologic drugs for residents enrolled in Pharmacare programs.

    Pharmacare patients in the province using these drugs will be required to switch to biosimilar versions of these drugs by February 3, 2023, in order to maintain their Nova Scotia Pharmacare coverage. 

    Equitable Life’s response

    To ensure this provincial change doesn’t result in your clients’ plans paying additional and avoidable drug costs, we are changing coverage in Nova Scotia for most biologic drugs included in the provincial initiative.

    Beginning June 1, 2023, plan members in the province will no longer be eligible for most originator biologic drugs if they have a condition for which Health Canada has approved a lower cost biosimilar version of the drug.** These plan members will be required to switch to a biosimilar version of the drug to maintain coverage under their Equitable Life plan.  

    Can my client maintain coverage of these biologic drugs?

    Traditional groups who wish to opt out of this change and maintain coverage of these originator biologics for Nova Scotia plan members can submit a policy amendment. Amendments must be submitted no later than April 1, 2023. Advisors with myFlex Benefits clients who wish to maintain coverage of these originator biologics for Nova Scotia plan members should speak to their myFlex Sales Manager to confirm their eligibility to opt out of this change.

    Groups that choose to maintain coverage of these originator biologics for existing claimants will also maintain coverage for any originator biologics that we subsequently add to our Nova Scotia biosimilar initiative.  

    Will this change impact my clients’ rates?

    The rate impact of this change in coverage will be relatively insignificant. Any cost savings associated with the change will be factored in at renewal.

    If plan sponsors opt out of these changes and maintain coverage for the originator biologics, it may result in a rate increase. Any rate adjustment will be applied at renewal.

    Communicating this change to plan members

    We will inform any affected plan members in April of the need to switch their medications so that they have ample time to change their prescriptions and avoid any interruptions in treatment or coverage. 

    What is the difference between biologics and biosimilars?

    Biologics are drugs that are engineered using living organisms like yeast and bacteria. The first version of a biologic developed is known as the “originator” biologic. Biosimilars are highly similar to the drugs they are based on and Health Canada considers them to be equally safe and effective for approved conditions. 

    Questions?

    If you have any questions about this change, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.

    **The list of affected drugs is dynamic and will change as Nova Scotia includes more biologic drugs in its biosimilar initiative, as new biosimilars come onto the market, and as we make changes in drug eligibility.
     

    Changes to New Brunswick drug interchangeability rules

    We are introducing changes to help ensure that your clients with voluntary or mandatory generic pricing for their drug plans will benefit more from the cost savings of these two features, regardless of the province where the drugs are dispensed.

    Currently, when determining whether a lower-cost alternative is available for a brand-name drug, most insurers only consider drugs that the provincial drug plan identifies as interchangeable.

    However, the public drug plan in New Brunswick does not identify a drug as interchangeable if the drug is not listed on its formulary – even if Health Canada has deemed the drug interchangeable.

    As a result, plans with mandatory or voluntary generic pricing have continued to reimburse some drugs in New Brunswick based on the cost of the brand-name drug, even if a lower-cost generic alternative is available.

    Effective March 20, 2023, if your clients have drug plans with mandatory or voluntary generic pricing, we will adjudicate any drug claims in New Brunswick using the lowest cost alternative that Health Canada approves as bioequivalent. This will occur even if the public drug plan has not identified the drug as interchangeable.

    To benefit from this more robust drug plan control, plan sponsors must have mandatory or voluntary generic pricing in place.

    For more information about this change or about implementing mandatory or voluntary generic pricing for your clients, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
     

    New template: plan members eligible for additional coverage

    Often, based on salary, some plan members may become eligible to apply for extra Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), Short Term Disability or Long Term Disability coverage. If this occurs, your clients receive a notification from Group Benefits Administration. We have now developed a template that your clients can provide to applicable plan members if they become eligible for extra coverage. The template makes it simpler for your clients to pass on these details to their plan members efficiently.

    The new template is available for download under the Quick Links section of EquitableHealth.ca. It is a fillable PDF form that your clients can complete and provide to their plan members when necessary. The document is called Over the Non-Evidence Limit for Plan Members Notification.

    If you have any questions about the template, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
  5. 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
  6. Access more fund performance information faster and easier



    Welcome to a new and improved Fund Overview & Performance  website for Equitable Life® segregated funds.

    A central location for:

    • fund performance and quartile rankings

    • daily and historical unit prices

    • fund information (available in web and PDF)

    • Fund Facts documents

    • MERs



    Highlights:

    • Save your favourite funds for easy access.

    • New fund search and filter tools by product, guarantee, asset class and sustainability.

    • Share features allow you to easily share fund information with clients.

    • Ability to compare fund performance of Equitable Life segregated funds.

    • Simulated backcasted returns for funds with less than five years of performance history.

     
    Check out the new Fund Overview & Performance webpage today to see how Equitable Life is making fund information faster and easier to access. Speak to your Regional Investment Sales Manager to learn more!
     
     

     ® denote a trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.

    Posted February 27, 2023

  7. IMPORTANT NOTICE: FUNDS WITH DEFERRED SALES CHARGE OPTIONS

    The Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators require all insurance companies to discontinue the sale of segregated funds with Deferred Sales Charge (DSC) effective June 1, 2023*.  

    PIVOTAL SELECT™ SEGREGATED FUND PRODUCTS 

    On May 29, 2023, funds with a DSC or Low Load (LL) sales charge option will be allocated to the No Load (NL) sales charge option of the funds available within the policy. 

    • Any existing amounts held in DSC or LL funds will retain the existing DSC schedule, outlined in the client’s contract. The annual 10% available (20% for RIF policies) for withdrawal without fees continues to apply through to the expiry of the fee schedule. 
    • If the default deposit instructions and/or pre-authorized scheduled deposits the client previously provided include funds with DSC or LL, these instructions will automatically update to NL of the same fund for all future deposits. 

    In alignment with Equitable's current administrative rules, if the client has DSC or LL funds, the client will not be able to deposit No Load Chargeback funds (NL-CB and NL-CB5) within the same policy. 

    For more information, please click here.

    LEGACY SEGREGATED FUND PRODUCTS 

    Ongoing deposits to DSC funds continue when a segregated fund product does not have an alternative sales charge option available within the contract. This applies to the following products: 

    • Personal Investment Portfolio 
    • Pivotal Solutions II 
    • Pivotal Solutions DSC 

    Clients may continue to make new deposits to the DSC funds within the policy. Any new segregated fund deposits, as well as any existing segregated fund amounts within the policy, will retain the DSC schedule outlined in the contract. 

    For more information, please click here.

    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. 
     

    *Draft regulation in Quebec is currently under review which may affect Equitable Life’s approach for clients in the Province of Quebec with legacy segregated fund products. We will continue to monitor provincial regulatory developments. 

    ™ or ® denote registered trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada. 

    Date posted: May 4, 2023
     

  8. Equitable Life presents “Opportunities and risks in the current investment landscape” featuring Davi If you missed the live webcast, “Opportunities and risks in the current investment landscape” with David Irwin from Equitable Life, catch up On-Demand.

    Learn more


    Continuing Education Credits
    This webinar has been submitted for continuing education (CE) approval with the Insurance Council of Manitoba and Alberta Insurance Council for all provinces excluding Quebec. Upon approval, you will be sent an email notification to come back to the webinar presentation console to download your personalized certificate from the tool bar. To be eligible for CE credits, you must register individually, watch the webcast in full and complete a short quiz. This webcast is available in English only.

    Date posted: March 15, 2023

    ® denote trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.


     
  9. Let’s talk about Critical Illness insurance, the Equitable way. Having critical illness insurance benefits in an important time of need is so valuable. Get the right critical illness insurance coverage for your clients.

    In 2022, we made some significant updates to our EquiLiving® Critical Illness insurance plans to provide better choices and features for clients.

    These significant updates included:
    ●  The addition of Acquired Brain Injury as a covered condition
    ●  The addition of 20 pay options allowing more choice when choosing the right plan for your clients
    ●  The removal of the age restriction for juveniles to claim for Loss of Independent Existence

    Plus, a Canadian first, the addition of Cloud DX. Cloud DX is a value-added service that provides remote patient monitoring to claimants in addition to the full critical illness benefit paid by Equitable Life®. Cloud DX delivers medical grade hardware directly to the client so that Cloud DX can remotely monitor their vitals to help ensure they are on and stay on the road to recovery.





    View our new Critical Illness video on YouTube or Vimeo!

    With these updates and more, EquiLiving Critical Illness Insurance is there for clients, not only at time of their claim but also during their recovery. To learn more about Critical Illness insurance, the Equitable way, contact your local wholesaler.
     


    *Cloud DX is a non-contractual benefit and may be withdrawn or changed by Equitable Life® at any time. To be eligible for the Cloud DX offering, a claimant must be age 12 or older and have received payment on or after February 12, 2022 for a covered critical condition benefit under an individual critical illness insurance policy issued by Equitable Life. An early detection benefit payment does not qualify.   Equitable Life pays for 6 months of Cloud DX subscription fees.  If the claimant wishes to continue the Cloud DX service after 6 months, they will be responsible for the cost.
     
    ® and TM denote trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
     
  10. Delegation Requests Now Available on EquiNet We are excited to announce a new feature that will help make it easier for you to do business with Equitable Life.
     
    This new feature allows you, to submit a delegation request through the “Access” tab under your EquiNet profile. 

    Once the delegation request has been completed, the specified people will be able to view and manage the policies of the Advisor who submitted the request, as long as they have codes of their own within the system.
     
    Please contact the customer service team at customerservice@equitable.ca for more information.