Special 5% rate for clients until Pivotal Select FHSA is available
Great news for clients saving for their first home! For a limited time, clients who intend on setting up a First Home Savings Account (FHSA) with Equitable Life® can deposit money to a Guaranteed Interest Account (GIA) now and enjoy a special rate of 5.00%.1
The special rate applies only if the client transfers the funds to an FHSA by December 28, 2023; otherwise, the standard Daily Interest Account (DIA) rate will be applied to those funds.
Here’s how to take advantage of this special rate:
For New Clients:
- Complete an application for a non-registered GIA. On the application select “Daily Interest Account” as the investment instructions and write the amount to be deposited (minimum $500, maximum $8,000).
- In the Special Instructions section of the application, write “FHSA”.
- The GIA application form (799) can be found here
For Existing Clients - must have a GIA (Compound Interest Only) policy:
- Submit a letter of direction or complete the Investment Direction form requesting to deposit funds to the DIA for the FHSA promotion (minimum $500, maximum $8,000)
- Complete sections 1, 3, 4, 12 and 13 of the Investment Direction form, and in the Special Instructions area, write “FHSA”.
- The Investment Direction form (693ANN) can be found here
The GDA will be a non-registered account and any interest earned will be taxable.
Once the Equitable Life FHSA is available:
- Submit a Pivotal Select™ FHSA application, and request to transfer the funds from the GDA to the Pivotal Select policy.2 No Market Value Adjustment fees will be charged.
- In the Special Instructions section, indicate the source of funds to be “FHSA promotion funds” and provide instructions on where to direct any excess funds in the GIA if applicable.
- The funds will be transferred to the FHSA.3
- Any excess funds over $8,000 will be returned to the client as a direct deposit, a cheque, or the client can keep the GIA open.
This is a great opportunity for clients to start saving for their first home today while earning an excellent rate. The advisor receives a reduced upfront commission4 for the pre-FHSA deposit to the GDA, in addition to the commission that will be earned by moving the funds to the Pivotal Select FHSA.
This special savings rate promotion is available until the launch date of Equitable Life’s FHSA unless the promotion is ended on an earlier date at Equitable Life’s discretion. The maximum amount on which a client can receive the special savings rate is $8,000.
Clients who do not transfer funds to the FHSA on or before December 28, 2023 will not receive the promotional rate. We will transfer the funds from the special GDA to the DIA account effective as of the date of deposit. As a result, the interest received by the client from the date of deposit to December 28, 2023 will be the DIA rate rather than the promotional rate.
Questions? Please see our FAQ
For more information, please contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager. Additional details about the FHSA can be found on the Government of Canada’s website.
® denotes a trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
1 The pre-FHSA special saving rate of 5.00% per year compounds daily and takes effect from the date Equitable Life receives the deposit and will end on the date the FHSA Pivotal Select segregated fund product is launched later this year (December 28, 2023 at the latest). In the unlikely event Equitable Life’s Pivotal Select FHSA is unavailable in 2023, the funds subject to the promotion will earn the 5.00% rate for 1 year from the date of deposit through maturity in 2024.
2 The FHSA promotion will only be available as a Pivotal Select Segregated Fund policy. Clients can open a FHSA only if they meet the eligibility criteria when they sign the application.
3The funds in the Guaranteed Interest Account will be transferred to the FHSA in the form of a contribution of up to $8,000 on or after the date the client signs the FHSA application form. Clients must open a FHSA to receive the special bonus interest.
4 Commission of 0.20% paid upfront for money received and deposited to the policy by September 29, 2023. 0.05% paid upfront for money received and deposited after September 29, 2023, and the earlier of the promotion termination or December 28, 2023. Commissions are paid through an adjustment to our current 40bps commission on our one-year GDA by way of a chargeback reducing the commission to the rate stated in this note.
Posted June 1, 2023