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Equimax Enhancements – Coming Soon
More updates for a better and stronger solution!
We have exciting news! Further to our October 5th product updates, we will be rolling out more changes to Equitable’s flagship Equimax whole life solution.
Stay tuned for more details, coming on December 10, 2024.
Transition Rules
Check out our Transition Rules for new and in-progress life applications, which take effect on December 7, 2024.
Questions? Contact your Equitable wholesaler. - COVID-19 Group Benefits Updates
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EAMG Market Commentary August 2022
August 2022
The S&P 500 fell into bear market territory over the first half of 2022 with the index down -20.6%. This represented a top 10 ranking amongst the most dismal back-to-back quarterly performances going back to 1928. While comparisons have been made to the inflation driven bear market of 1973-74, the economic backdrop today has some significant differences including greater production capacity (factory utilization rates are running about 20% lower vs the 70’s) and a meaningful decline in raw industrial prices which have fallen -11% over the quarter. While these economic anecdotes are potential positives for the future, it’s important to remain cognizant that prices remain elevated.
As such, the US Federal Reserve seems to be taking every opportunity to telegraph their intentions of raising interest rates at the expense of both market and economic performance, so long as inflation remains a threat. Given this hawkish tone, the market narrative has morphed from fears of inflation to a fed driven recession. As a result, the move in the bond market has been swift with the 10-year treasury yield peaking at approximately 3.5% in June to today’s level of 2.7% (lower rates = higher bond prices). This positive bond performance reflects the consensus view that inflation is temporary (2023 CPI forecasts are approximately 3.6% vs the second quarter’s 8.7% CPI reading) and could allow the Fed to adjust their higher interest rate trajectory downward. The Fed also remains confident that a soft landing is achievable, and a recession avoidable.
Investors seem less convinced however, given the Fed has never been able to engineer a soft landing before, and so it’s no surprise equity markets entered a bear market over the quarter, and currently remain in a technical correction (defined as losses greater than -10%). To better assess future performance, we closely monitor earnings results to understand how companies are navigating these economic trends. With nearly 80% of the S&P 500 reported, the results have been better than expected, but still the EPS beat rate and magnitude of beats (actual vs expectation) remain below 5-year averages. This tells us companies are finding today’s economic conditions more challenging than the recent past. Consumer sectors including marketing, retail, autos and textiles posted the 2nd worst performance vs other sectors while the Financials sector saw the greatest challenges with aggregate EPS falling by -15% year-over-year. Wall Street analysts have started to revise S&P 500 forward growth estimates lower, a trend which we expect will continue for several quarters ahead. The forward (12-month blended) P/E ratio of 17.5 times remains 1.5 multiple points above the long-term average which potentially suggests risks may not be fully priced in.
In terms of the S&P/TSX Composite, after declining nearly -14% in Q2 as recession fears around the world jeopardized the global demand outlook, its’ since rebounded over 4.0%. Still, valuation remains below longer-term averages at 11.8x forward earnings with the heavier weighted Financials and Energy sectors trading at 9.5x and 7.9x, respectively. TSX earnings expectations have stalled as of late but downward revisions are lagging US and European counterparts. Additionally, the domestic labour market remains tight which has allowed the Bank of Canada to continue its aggressive rate hike path to curb soaring inflation. For most of 2022 the TSX has benefitted from surging commodity prices but an economic slowdown in China resulting from its commitment to a zero-Covid policy and a potential global recession could prove to be a challenge for the Canadian market.
Equity markets on average lose 30% of their value in recession led bear markets. If we use this as a potential road map, it suggests the S&P 500 could have further to fall. Using past performance as a forward-looking tool however is an imperfect technique and used in isolation of what’s happening today can often mislead.
Accounting for today’s backdrop, we come up with three scenarios of varying probabilities. The first is the most optimistic and includes an engineered soft landing by the Fed, meaning no recession and inflation cools. A less optimistic view is the fed tames inflation with higher interest rates but tips the economy into a mild-to-moderate recession. The outcome would be consumer spending and corporate hiring slow as a result of tighter financial conditions, and therefore financial results are negatively impacted. The least optimistic scenario is one where stagflationary conditions emerge as inflation continues to accelerate at the expense of growth despite higher interest rates, in other words the Fed loses control. The net result would be similar to our second scenario but with much more dire results in terms of unemployment, household spending and impacts to corporate profitability. While we don’t rule out any of the above scenarios completely, we assign the highest probability to the second one where macro economic issues get resolved at some point in the future, but the full effects of inflation and a possible recession have yet to be priced into the market. Currently, this view translates into a slight underweight equity position versus our benchmark with a tilt towards low volatility and defensive strategies along with an overlay of value and dividend paying securities. In other words, we’ve de-risked the portfolios relative to our benchmark to manage potential downside risks but remain meaningfully invested an on absolute basis. As always, time in the market tends to overcome trying to time the market, and so employing a strategic and diversified strategy is often the most prudent approach.
Downloadable Copy
ADVISOR USE ONLY
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. - [pdf] Introducing EZBenefits: A better benefits experience for small business
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May 2026 eNews
In this issue:
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Save the date: Group benefits advisor roadshow is returning to a city near you
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One-time passcodes will be added to our login experience this week*
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Delisted service providers: What clients need to know*
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Keeping plan member information up to date*
*Indicates content we will share with your clients.
Save the date: Group benefits advisor roadshow is returning to a city near you
Mark your calendars—our annual group benefits advisor roadshow will be travelling across Canada this fall.
Watch your inbox for an invitation with more details soon. In the meantime, here’s our full list of event dates and cities.
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Monday, Sept. 28 – Vancouver, BC
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Tuesday, Sept. 29 – Edmonton, AB
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Wednesday, Sept. 30 – Calgary, AB
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Thursday, Oct. 1 – Saskatoon, SK
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Friday, Oct. 2 – Winnipeg, MB
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Tuesday, Oct. 6 – Halifax, NS
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Wednesday, Oct. 7 – Ottawa, ON
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Thursday, Oct. 8 – Markham, ON
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Tuesday, Oct. 20 – London, ON
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Wednesday, Oct. 21 – Kitchener, ON
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Thursday, Oct. 22 – Oakville, ON
One-time passcodes will be added to our login experience this week
Starting next week, anyone who logs in to EquitableHealth.ca® or the Equitable EZClaim® mobile app with an email address and password may also need to enter a one-time passcode to access their account. The one-time passcode will be provided by email.
Adding this form of multi-factor authentication (MFA) to our login process will further enhance our digital security and help safeguard your account and our clients’ personal data.
Don’t forget—you can create a passkey instead.
Passkeys are another form of MFA. They provide a quick, easy and secure way to access your account, using either biometrics—your face or fingerprint—or a PIN authenticator to confirm your identity.
Anyone who uses a passkey to log in to their account will never be required to enter a one-time passcode.
In case you get questions…
If a client asks you about these changes to our login process, consider sharing this fact sheet with them. The fact sheet highlights the value of adding MFA to the login process and describes the differences between logging in with a one-time passcode versus a passkey.
More information about one-time passcodes and passkeys is included at equitable.ca/effortless. There, you’ll also find short videos that show how easy it is to create a passkey on your mobile device and computer.
Please reach out to your Group Account Executive if you have any questions.
If you use the same email address to log in to your accounts on EquitableHealth.ca, EquiNet® and Equitable Client Access®, you can use the same passkey. Equitable Client Access is our secure site for Individual Insurance and Individual Wealth clients.
Delisted service providers: What clients need to know
Protecting clients’ group benefits plans is our priority. That’s why we regularly assess healthcare service providers, clinics, facilities and medical suppliers in our network. These reviews help ensure the claims plan members submit meet eligibility requirements.
If our review indicates a provider is not meeting those requirements, we may delist them.
Common reasons we delist providers include:
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Billing for services that weren’t provided or aren’t medically required
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Changing information about treatments provided (e.g., service dates or patient names)
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Incomplete records or treatment notes
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Lack of cooperation with an audit
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Suspension of the provider by their licensing college or association
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Criminal convictions
What clients need to know
If a provider is delisted, we will not accept or process claims for services or supplies they provide. However, plan members can still choose to use delisted providers at their own expense.
We provide clients instructions on where to find our current list of delisted providers in each Plan Administrator eNews announcement. We also encourage them to share the list with their plan members.
Whenever we delist a provider, we try to contact plan members, who have recently submitted claims for their services, to inform them of the change and help prevent future claim submissions. However, plan members are responsible for checking our list of delisted providers before purchasing any product or service to avoid having to pay at their expense. The list is available on EquitableHealth.ca.
If you have questions about our list of delisted service providers or our process of reviewing providers, please contact your Group Account Executive.
Keeping plan member information up to date
Keeping plan member information current helps ensure accurate benefits coverage and premium calculations.
When a plan member’s earnings or occupation changes, the plan administrator must update this information as soon as possible. Updates made before a benefits plan renewal helps ensure renewals are based on current data.
If a plan includes short-term disability (STD) or long-term disability (LTD) benefits, outdated earning information can affect disability claim payments for plan members.
We send an annual reminder to plan administrators before renewal. The email includes step-by-step instructions on how to review and update plan members’ earnings and occupation information.
Three ways to update earnings and occupation information
Plan administrators can review and update plan members’ information by either:
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Making updates directly through the plan administrator site (update access required),
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Generating an earnings and occupations worksheet through the plan administrator site (online reporting access required), or
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Requesting a worksheet by emailing groupbenefitsadmin@equitable.ca.
The worksheet includes instructions on how to submit completed updates to us. If you have any questions, please contact your Client Relationship Specialist or email groupbenefitsadmin@equitable.ca.
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- Par Whole Life Summary
- [pdf] B2B Investment Loan Application Process