Site Search

396 results for benefits of seg fund

1. [pdf] the myFlex Difference
2. Faster claims processing on Equitable EZClaim Mobile

   Equitable Life now provides real-time processing of massage therapy, physiotherapy and chiropractor claims submitted via the EZClaim® Mobile app.

   That means plan members will be able to find out the status of their claim almost instantaneously. And, for approved claims, they will receive payment even sooner – often in as little as 24 hours.

   Equitable Life plan members can submit all types of health and dental claims via EZClaim Mobile, including co-ordination of benefits and Health Care Spending Account claims. Currently, 43% of all claims are submitted through the user-friendly app.

   “We know plan members love the speed and convenience of EZClaim Mobile,” says Norma Crouse, Assistant Vice-President of Claims and Administration at Equitable Life. “With these enhancements, some claims submitted through the app will be processed and paid even faster.”

   We’re also adding biometric login functionality to allow plan members to sign in to the app using their face or fingerprint. And we’ve redesigned our landing page on the mobile app to make it easier for plan members to navigate the various features of the app.

3. Equitable Life offers more than 60 years of RSP innovation

   
   In 1957, Equitable Life® began offering a Retirement Savings Plan (RSP). That is more than 60 years of RSP innovation in the Canadian marketplace. Today, Equitable Life offers two great accumulating RSP products to meet your clients’ needs.

   • Pivotal Select^TM Segregated Funds

   • Guaranteed Interest Accounts

   These products provide both protection and flexibility for your clients. They also provide the tax savings and benefits of an RSP. Get your clients to start saving to their RSP now. Make RSP contributions a financial priority each year. 
   
   This year’s RSP deadline is March 1, 2022. This will be the last day that an RSP deposit can reduce your clients’ 2021 taxable income.
   
   If your client is looking to convert registered savings to guaranteed income, click here to learn more about Equitable Life’s payout annuity options.
   
   Need additional support? Contact your local Regional Investment Sales Manager today.

4. Equitable Life of Canada ends 2020 in a position of financial strength

   Equitable Life of Canada is pleased to report that our strategic approach continued to serve us well in 2020, despite operating in a global pandemic.

   Equitable Life, one of Canada’s largest mutual life insurance companies, closed out 2020 with strong earnings and solid growth.

   The Company reported earnings of $153 million, equating to a return on policyholders’ equity of 16%. This result was driven by strong sales, investment performance, positive impacts from favourable expense ratios and reserve assumption changes.

   “There is no doubt the global pandemic has had, and continues to have, a profound impact on the lives of Canadians and created challenges for all of us in 2020 that we could never have envisioned,” said Ron Beettam, Equitable Life’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Thanks to the resiliency and commitment of our entire team, we effectively responded to unfavourable impacts caused by the pandemic, including market volatility, and continued to achieve a high growth rate on most key measures, ending 2020 in a position of financial strength.”

   Equitable Life reported premiums and deposits of $1.7 billion in 2020, contributing to $6.0 billion of assets under administration. This growth was supported by very strong sales during the pandemic, as more Canadians turned to insurance to protect the financial security of their families. Dividends to participating policyholders increased by 24% over the prior year.

   The Individual Insurance business reported 2020 sales of $149 million, reflecting the third consecutive year of double-digit sales growth. Savings & Retirement reported sales of $401 million, driven by sales of segregated funds. Group Benefits delivered sales of $46 million, despite competitive industry pricing strategies and the impact the pandemic had on businesses.

   Equitable Life finished the year with an impressive LICAT ratio of 166%, well above the regulatory target and one of the highest in the industry. This capital result demonstrates that we are well-positioned to continue meeting our commitments to our policyholders. In addition, DBRS Limited (DBRS Morningstar) upgraded our Financial Strength rating to A (high) with Stable Trends in September.

   “While we don’t yet know what future impacts the global pandemic could have on our business, we know we can face the future with confidence,” said Beettam. “I am very proud of all that we have accomplished together, especially throughout this unpredictable year, and I know the Company is very well positioned to meet the challenges ahead and will continue building on those achievements by focusing on organic and profitable growth across all lines of business, with a continued emphasis on meeting the needs of our policyholders and distribution partners.”

   2020 Financial Highlights

   • Net income of $153 million, for a return on policyholders' equity of 16%
   • Capital strength, as measured by the LICAT ratio, ended the year at 166%
   • Participating policyholders' equity surpassed $1 billion
   • Premiums and deposits increased by 6.8% to $1.7 billion
   • Sales of $149 million in Individual Insurance, $401 million in Savings and Retirement, and $46 million in Group Benefits
   • Assets under administration grew 17.6% to $6 billion
   • Benefits and payments to policyholders of $820 million
   • Dividends to participating policyholders increased by 24% to $61 million

   About Equitable Life of Canada

   Canadians have turned to Equitable Life since 1920 to protect what matters most. We work with independent advisors across Canada to offer individual insurance, savings & retirement, and group benefits solutions to meet your needs.

   Equitable Life is not your typical financial services company. We have the knowledge, experience and ability to find solutions that work for you. We’re friendly, caring and interested in helping. As a mutual company, we are not driven by shareholder pressures for quarterly results. This allows us to focus on management strategies that foster prudent long-term growth, continuity and stability. We are dedicated to meeting our commitments to customers – now and in the future.

5. COVID-19 Vaccinations and your Equitable Life of Canada Insurance Coverage

   Equitable Life of Canada would like to reassure our policyholders that getting vaccinated for COVID-19 will not negatively impact your life or health insurance coverage.
   
   Being vaccinated for COVID-19 would have no impact on any claim made under an insurance policy or group benefits plan with Equitable Life of Canada. Your Equitable Life policies provide life and health insurance based on the conditions outlined in your contract with us. Our contracts do not include limitations related to adverse reactions to vaccines.
   
   Equitable Life will continue to follow the guidance and recommendations from the Canadian government to protect the health of Canadians, and we fully support government-approved vaccines as one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from serious illness or death from COVID-19.

6. Fabien Jeudy takes over as President and CEO In March, we announced that Fabien Jeudy was appointed as Equitable Life’s next President and CEO. Jeudy officially took over on July 5^th, succeeding Ronald Beettam, who is retiring after 16 years with the company.
   
   Jeudy is a collaborative leader with more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, leading actuarial, finance, risk management, distribution, marketing teams and operational teams in the Life & Health Insurance, Wealth Management and Group Benefits markets in Canada, the US, and Asia.
   
   “His proven success developing and managing high-performance teams, building long-term relationships with stakeholders and regulators, growing and innovating the insurance business, and making long-term decisions with the policyholder in mind make him the perfect choice to lead Equitable Life into its next 100 years in business,” said Board Chair Douglas Alexander.
   
   Learn more about our new President and CEO
    
7. DBRS Morningstar reaffirms Equitable Life’s Financial Strength Rating and Issuer Rating
   DBRS Morningstar confirms Equitable Life’s Financial Strength Rating and Issuer Rating at A (high) with Stable Trends. Equitable Life of Canada is pleased to be able to maintain the confidence of the global credit rating agency DBRS Morningstar.
    
   A Financial Strength Rating is DBRS Morningstar’s assessment of an insurance company’s ability to make timely and full payment of its obligations on policyholder claims and benefits as well as financial contract guarantees and benefit obligations. An Issuer Rating reflects DBRS Morningstar’s assessment of that issuer’s likelihood of default and considers the issuer’s fundamental creditworthiness and business and financial risks.
    
   For more information, please see the DBRS Morningstar Media Release.
    
8. Tax impacts of the Canadian Dental Care Plan for your clients

   Tax impacts of the Canadian Dental Care Plan for your clients*

   
   Earlier this year, the government shared its progress on the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). 
   
   The CDCP will be available to Canadians with an annual family income of less than $90,000 who do not have dental benefits. Co-pays will be waived for eligible Canadians with a family income of less than $70,000. 
   
   Canadians who have access to private dental coverage are not eligible for the CDCP. This means that your clients must now report on T4s/T4As if dental coverage** was available on December 31 of the reporting tax year for:
   • Employees,
   • Employees’ spouses and/or dependents,
   • Former employees, and
   • Spouses of deceased employees.
   **Potential dental coverage includes Health Care Spending Accounts.
   
   This new tax reporting requirement is mandatory starting with the 2023 tax year. Employee tax slips will include new boxes for employers to complete:
   • Box 45 (T4): Employer Offered Dental Benefits. This new box will be mandatory.
   • Box 015 (T4A): Payer Offered Dental Benefits. This new box will be mandatory if plan sponsors report in Box 016, Pension or Superannuation. The box will otherwise be optional.
   Your clients should complete the boxes using the code system below. They should choose the appropriate code based on whether Dental coverage was available to the plan member – not whether the plan member has chosen to participate in the coverage.  For example, if a plan member has waived coverage or has chosen not to participate in the plan, they would still have access to coverage.
   • Code 1: The plan member has no access to dental care insurance or coverage of dental services of any kind.
   • Code 2: Only the plan member has access to any dental care insurance, or coverage of dental services of any kind.
   • Code 3: The plan member, their spouse and their dependents have access to any dental care insurance, or coverage of dental services of any kind. 
   • Code 4: Only the plan member and their spouse have access to any dental care insurance, or coverage of dental services of any kind. 
   • Code 5: Only the plan member and their dependents have access to any dental care insurance, or coverage of dental services of any kind. 
   Your clients can find further information about completing tax slips for employees on the Canada Revenue Agency’s website:
   • T4
   • T4A

   Reports for dependents

   We have a report available for plan members who have enrolled their dependents in benefits coverage. Your clients can contact their local service team representative to receive a copy of the report. We are working to make it available on our Advisor and PA websites.
    

   Questions

   For guidance on your tax slips and reporting obligations, please encourage your clients to contact their accountant, payroll provider or tax advisor.
    

   Supporting plan members affected by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict*

   
   Traumatic events continue to unfold in the Middle East. Enduring ongoing news of conflict and suffering could challenge many Canadians. During this difficult time, Equitable encourages affected clients and plan members to access the mental health support they need. 

   
   Support available to all Equitable plan members

   Large-scale traumatic news events can cause people to experience intense reactions. This puts a lot of strain on their mental health. Having coping mechanisms to deal with the current crisis can be a huge help. Any Equitable Life plan member who needs mental health support can visit Homeweb.ca/equitable to access online resources or contact Homewood at 1.888.707.2115.  
    

   Support available to plan members with the Homewood Health EFAP

   For your clients that have purchased Homewood Health’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), remind them that their plan members also have access to confidential counselling services. The EFAP provides plan members with 24/7 access to confidential counselling through a national network of mental health professionals. Whether it’s face-to-face, by phone, email, chat or video, plan members and their dependent family members will receive appropriate, timely support for the issue they’re dealing with. 
     

   Questions? 

   If you need more information, contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex account executive.
   
   *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients. 
9. The Equimax EVOLUTION Continues Earlier this year, we announced a host of improvements to our Equimax^® Participating Whole Life solution, designed to add value, flexibility, and affordability to an already excellent plan. 
   
   Today we’re pleased to announce the following additional updates took effect on August 12^th, 2023: 
   1. Targeted improvements in rates, death benefits, and cash values for Equimax Estate Builder and Equimax Wealth Accumulator plans. 
   2.  New joint last to die rates for the Wealth Accumulator plans to align with Estate Builder. 
   3.  A new “rated age” calculation, and
   4.  New rates for determining the maximum enhancement amount with the Enhanced Protection dividend option.
   
   Visit our splash page and watch our informative video to learn more and start selling the enhanced Equimax today.
   
      
   
   Refer to our Transition Rules for all the details on processing your applications.
   
   
   Our illustration tools are updated:
   ●  New Web-based illustration software on secure EquiNet^® (log in required)
   ●  New Desktop illustration software 
   ●  New EZstart™ on EquiNet 
   
   Need more information?
   For information on these changes, please contact your Equitable Life wholesaler. 
   
   
   ^® and ^TM denote trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
10. [pdf] A Retirement Savings Plan is just as relevant now as it was over 60 years ago