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  1. Introducing Equitable EZBenefits: A better group benefits solution for your small business clients If you serve small business owners, chances are they’re looking for a group benefits solution that’s affordable, sustainable and easy to manage. That’s why we introduced Equitable EZBenefits™. It’s a unique group benefits solution designed with you and your small business clients in mind.
     
    Options to fit every need
    Available to organizations with between 2 and 25 employees, EZBenefits offers a range of plan design options to match different needs and budgets. * Whether your client owns start-up or a growing company, we’ve got them covered. Plan options include a mix of Life, Health and Dental coverage. ** Clients can also add Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage or a Health Care Spending Account (HCSA).
     
    Embedded services to support health and wellness
    To provide employees with added support for both their physical and mental wellbeing, all our plan design options include:
    • Anytime, online access to medical professionals through our Virtual Healthcare solution from Dialogue,
    • Access to professional counselors – via the telephone, the web or in-person – through our Employee and Family Assistance Program from Homewood Health®, and
    • Online resources to help manage health, financial and family challenges through Homeweb, Homewood Health’s online wellness portal.
    Extra HR support for your clients
    EZBenefits also comes with built-in HR support through Equitable Life’s partnership with HRdownloads® This takes the heavy lifting out of common human resource tasks with HR support tools and services, including:
    • HR Technology: An award-winning cloud-based human resource information system to provide help from onboarding to offboarding and everything in between.
    • HR Content: Access to a library of over 3,000 HR documents, templates, compliance resources and articles, with 25 free document downloads.
    • HR Training: A free Workplace Diversity and Inclusion online training course.
    • HR Support: One free Live HR Advice call with a seasoned HR expert.
    A streamlined process to optimize your time
    We know that advising small business clients can be challenging. We’ve created a streamlined benefits process that provides rapid quotes, hassle-free plan implementation, simplified renewals and that is easy to administer. That way, you can spend more time advising your clients and building your business – and less time with administrative back and forth.
     
    Pricing stability for long-term stability
    When it comes to attracting and retaining talent, we know your small business clients are competing with larger organizations that have big budgets and lots of resources. That’s why we’ve designed EZBenefits to provide long-term pricing stability for health and dental benefits.
     
    Find out more
    Watch this video to learn how EZBenefits can help you and your clients. You can also visit info.equitable.ca/ezbenefits for more details or to request a quote. If you have questions, contact your Equitable Life Group Account Executive. If you don't have an Equitable Life Group Account Executive, email us at EZBenefits@equitable.ca.
     

    * Not available in Quebec.
    ** Dental coverage is not included with the Bronze plan design option.
  2. Explore Equitable EZBenefits™

    A better group benefits solution for your small business clients

    Running a small business isn't easy, especially for companies with smaller budgets and fewer resources. It can be tough to find a competitively priced benefits plan with the features that clients want. That’s why we created Equitable EZBenefits™, a benefits solution designed with the needs of small businesses in mind.

    Options to fit every need
    Available to organizations with between 2 and 25 employees, EZBenefits offers a range of plan design options to match different needs and budgets. * Whether your client owns start-up or a growing company, we’ve got them covered. Plan options include a mix of Life, Health and Dental coverage. ** Clients can also add Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage or a Health Care Spending Account (HCSA).

    Embedded services to support health and wellness
    To provide employees with added support for both their physical and mental wellbeing, all our plan design options include:
    ● Anytime, online access to medical professionals through our Virtual Healthcare solution from Dialogue,
    ● Access to professional counselors – via the telephone, the web or in-person – through our Employee and Family Assistance Program from Homewood Health®, and
    ● Online resources to help manage health, financial and family challenges through Homeweb, Homewood Health’s online wellness portal.

    Extra HR support for EZBenefits clients
    EZBenefits also comes with built-in HR support through Equitable’s partnership with Citation Canada® (formerly HRdownloads). It takes the heavy lifting out of common human resource tasks with HR support tools and services. Features include:
    ● an award-winning cloud-based human resource information system (HRIS) to provide help from onboarding to offboarding and everything in between,
    ● access to a library of over 3,000 HR documents, templates, compliance resources and articles, with 25 free document downloads,
    ● a free Workplace Diversity and Inclusion online training course, and
    ● one free Life HR advice call with a seasoned HR expert.

    A streamlined process to optimize your time
    We know that advising small business clients can be challenging. We’ve created a streamlined benefits process that provides rapid quotes, hassle-free plan implementation, simplified renewals and that is easy to administer. That way, you can spend more time advising your clients and building your business – and less time with administrative back and forth.

    Pricing stability for long-term stability
    When it comes to attracting and retaining talent, we know your small business clients are competing with larger organizations that have big budgets and lots of resources. That’s why we’ve designed EZBenefits to provide long-term pricing stability for health and dental benefits.

    Find out more
    To learn more about EZBenefits, watch our video to learn more or view our brochure. You can also visit info.equitable.ca/ezbenefits for more details or to request a quote. If you have questions, contact your Equitable Life Group Account Executive. If you don't have an Equitable Life Group Account Executive, email us at EZBenefits@equitable.ca.

    * Not available in Quebec.
    ** Dental coverage is not included with the Bronze plan design option.
     
  3. 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.

  4. [pdf] Payout Annuities Client Brochure
  5. EAMG market commentary HEADER.png
     

    March 11, 2022

    Since Russia first invaded the Ukraine, there’s been no shortage of headlines and commentaries trying to make sense of the situation. This is a tragedy that from a humanitarian standpoint that can’t be made sense of and our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine and those impacted. From a market standpoint, the common thinking is that geopolitical risks, aka war, historically haven’t been associated with significant corrections in the market. So far, the market reaction has been consistent with the historical experience, with the S&P 500 down only about 1% since the start of the conflict and the S&P/TSX Composite Index up close to 4%, despite the heightened daily volatility.

    Given the obvious challenges of predicting how these types of conflicts play out, we look to financial market indicators to give us a better sense of the potential risks in the market. And in this respect, the most obvious indicator is oil. Since the start of the Russian invasion, oil has rallied roughly 18%, which is even more impressive considering it had already rallied 21% from the start of the year to the beginning of the conflict.

    While we don’t know what will happen to energy markets over the coming weeks, we do know that oil shocks can result in higher inflation and sometimes lower growth. Inflation was already rising, although strategists generally viewed this as temporary on the expectation that the covid related supply chain disruptions and reopening pressures were the primary causes that would eventually self-correct. But as the Russian-Ukraine conflict intensifies, consensus views are moving towards inflation becoming more structural in nature. There are growing risks this will change consumer behaviour, causing inflation to be longer lasting than initially expected. Much of this has to do with the fact that as the world’s 3rd largest exporter of oil, Russia has taken a material amount of oil production capacity offline, resulting in significantly higher oil and gas prices. This also explains the significant outperformance of energy equities, and the broader S&P/TSX Composite Index vs US counterparts on a YTD basis.

    While there are beneficiaries to higher oil prices, the consumer certainly isn’t one of them given gas prices reflect movements in the oil market. So far in 2022 prices paid at the pump have gone up 30%, one of the fastest paces on record. This, in addition to food price increases, will put strain on the consumer as higher bills divert dollars away from discretionary spending and potentially slow economic growth.

    The other factor we’re closely watching is the overall health of the European economy, to which Russia supplies about 40% of Europe’s natural gas, 25% of their oil imports and 45% of their coal imports. While the European Commission has indicated plans to cuts their dependence on Russian energy well before 2030, the short-term impacts will be costly as Europe and other global markets see higher energy prices follow. As well, food prices will likely become an issue for the region given the interruption of supply out of the Black Sea which has driven grain and oilseed prices to levels not seen since 2008. Investors to date have priced in significant risk, evidenced by the performance of the Stoxx 50 which is down 17% YTD, one of the worst performing markets across the global universe.

    While commodity prices are just one indicator, we are mindful that they could be telling us inflation may be more persistent than previously expected. From a long-term perspective this hasn’t changed our view of the equity market. As a result of potential near term impacts however, we have reduced our exposure to European markets in favour of the Canadian market and as well we have added inflation and risk hedges with sector allocations to energy, consumer staples and utilities, while still maintaining our overall long-term target levels to equities. There is no direct exposure to Russia in any of the three Equitable Life Active Balanced Portfolios which includes Equitable Life Active Balanced Growth Portfolio Select, Equitable Life Active Balanced Portfolio Select and Equitable Life Active Balanced Income Portfolio Select.


    Downloadable Copy
    Any statements contained herein that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements represent the portfolio manager’s best judgment as of the present date as to what may occur in the future. However, forward-looking statements are subject to many risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and are based on the portfolio manager’s present opinions and views. For this reason, the actual outcome of the events or results predicted may differ materially from what is expressed. Furthermore, the portfolio manager’s views, opinions or assumptions may subsequently change based on previously unknown information, or for other reasons. Equitable Life of Canada® assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained herein. The reader is cautioned to consider these and other factors carefully and not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Investments may increase or decrease in value and are invested at the risk of the investor. Investment values change frequently, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Professional advice should be sought before an investor embarks on any investment strategy.
  6. Update: Employment Insurance (EI) Sickness Benefit Extension As it proposed in its 2022 Budget, the federal government has confirmed it is extending the Employment Insurance (EI) Sickness Benefits period from 15 weeks to 26 weeks later this year. The official implementation date and details have not yet been confirmed by the government and we will share further details once they are available. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know.
     
    We will not require or implement any changes to our disability plan designs based on this extension. However, plan sponsors may wish to amend their short-term disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD) plans and policies to align with the new 26-week EI period. 

    Impact to short-term disability (STD) benefits integrated with EI

    Plan sponsors with EI-integrated STD may wish to adjust their benefits to line up with the new 26-week extension. 

    Impact to plans with no STD benefits

    For plan sponsors who do not offer STD, they have the option of adjusting their LTD plans to the new 26-week elimination period if members claim EI prior to LTD. This adjustment would help to avoid the plan member receiving disability and EI payments at the same time and potentially being required to return funds due to overpayment. 

    Considerations for plan sponsors

    Plan sponsors who amend their STD or LTD policies to align with the new 26-week EI period should note that there may be inadvertent delays to their employees’ return to work. While collecting EI, injured or ill employees do not benefit from our early intervention services or rigorous claims management practices that could help them get back to work sooner. So, by delaying the availability of STD or LTD coverage, the advantages that these programs are intended to provide could also be delayed. 

    Impact to Premium Reduction Program (PRP)

    The Premium Reduction Program (PRP) allows employers with eligible short-term disability plans to pay lower EI premiums. The eligibility criteria have not changed at this time. The government plans to review the PRP in 2024.

    Questions

    If you have questions about these changes or what they mean for your clients’ disability plans, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
     
  7. Homewood Health COVID-19 Resources

    As the COVID-19 situation continues to rapidly evolve, you may need  information from a trusted source to support your clients, their organizations and their employees.

    Through our partnership with Homewood Health, the Canadian leader in mental health and addiction services, all of our clients and their plan members have access  to a number of tools and resources designed to provide guidance and support.

    Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

    For plan members dealing with increased anxiety during these uncertain times, Homewood’s Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy tool, i-Volve, can help. Through self-paced, web-based therapy, i-Volve can help plan members identify, challenge and overcome anxious thoughts, behaviours and emotions.

    All Equitable Life clients and their plan members have access to i-Volve. It’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, wherever you choose to access it.

    Learn more about Online CBT or access i-Volve at Homeweb.ca/Equitable.

    COVID-19 Support Resources

    Drawing on their expertise in mental health, as well as guidance from trusted sources including Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the World Health Organization, Homewood has created a number of resources to help support your clients and their plan members.

    ​​If you have any questions, or wish to discuss the tools, please reach out directly to Homewood. They are here to help support you, your clients and their employees through these unprecedented times. Contact your Homewood Health Account Manager or Homewood’s Customer Experience Team by phone at 1.833.375.0270 or email customersupport@homewoodhealth.com
  8. Crunch The Numbers With Equitable Life’s Savings Calculator

    Whether helping your client determine net worth or reviewing to see if your client’s retirement plan is on track, Equitable Life® is here to help with our online calculators. These number crunching tools can help you answer some of those challenging questions you get asked by your clients. From an RSP loan calculator to home budgeting to even figuring out if your client will be a future millionaire, check out our latest tools.


    Each week in March, we will be sharing an online calculator from our list.


    Share calculators using your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn account. 

     

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    Amina is going to get in the habit of saving by putting $25 a month into her RRSP. Her friends don’t think it is worth the effort. Does it matter how much you contribute?

     

    Did you know?

    Consistent investments over several years can be an effective strategy to accumulate wealth. Check out Equitable Life’s Savings Calculator.

  9. [pdf] Insights into non-registered taxation
  10. [pdf] B2B Investment Loan Application Process