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1. Insights from a pandemic: STD claims during COVID-19

   The spread of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on short-term disability (STD) claims. We’re providing an update on what we’ve seen so far in terms of STD experience on our block.

   Claim volumes

   Initially, as COVID-19 started to spread, STD claims ramped up quickly as plan members tested positive for or developed symptoms associated with the virus and were unable to work. Overall, we saw a 34% increase in the volume of claims on our block in Q1, compared with the first quarter of 2019, primarily due to COVID-19-related claims.

   Since then, we’ve seen the number of COVID-19-related STD claims slow. Claims levelled off to a 21% year-over-year increase by the end of May. We haven’t seen any meaningful increase in STD claims related to mental health.

   Most of the COVID-19-related STD claims so far have been in the manufacturing, retail and healthcare and social assistance sectors where physical distancing can be challenging.

   Somewhat surprisingly, Alberta had for the largest share of STD claims on our block, accounting for 40% of claims, followed by BC with 28% and Ontario with 21%.

   Claim durations

   While STD claim volumes have increased, we’ve seen a notable decrease in claim durations so far this year. As of the end of May, 59% of closed claims resolved in the first two weeks, compared with only 20% the previous year. This is expected given the nature of COVID-19 and that, for most people, symptoms dissipate within about two weeks./p>

   Of the STD claims we’ve approved, approximately 25% were paid for the full 14 days. In most cases, this meant the plan member had tested positive for COVID-19.The remaining 75% of paid claims were paid based on the elimination period in the contract, with the most common elimination period of 7 days accounting for 35% of paid claims.

   We will continue to provide timely updates on any development/p>

2. Paper Pivotal Select applications (Form #1383 and #1384)

   
   On April 27, 2020 Equitable Life® launched its NL-CB sales charge option to its Pivotal Select™ segregated fund lineup. The new option provides an additional choice to the existing Low Load (LL), No Load (NL) and Deferred Sales Charge (DSC) selections. To reflect the new sales charge option, Pivotal Select applications (Form #1383 and #1384) were updated.
   
   The paper Pivotal Select applications (Form #1383 and #1384) with a version date prior to 2020/04/27 (located on the back page and in the bottom right-hand corner of the application) will no longer be accepted as of July 1, 2020. If you currently have applications with a date that is before 2020/04/27, please destroy them and order new applications from our Supply Team. To order new applications, click here.
   
   Want to be sure you always have the most up-to-date application? Try our EZcomplete® online application platform. EZcomplete makes it easy to process your non-face-to-face applications and allows your clients to provide their signature remotely on their own device.
   
   For more information about the NL-CB sales charge option, please click here. For more information about Equitable Life’s EZcomplete, click here.

3. REMINDER that paper applications with a version date prior to 2021/04/02 are set to expire July 1, 2

   To comply with the Government of Canada’s anti-money laundering legislation and FATCA/CRS changes, Equitable Life® has updated its Savings and Retirement and Life Insurance applications.

   If you currently have applications with a version date before 2021/04/02, please destroy them and use our online pdf applications or order new applications from our Supply Team. Paper applications with a version date prior to 2021/04/02 (located on the back page and in the bottom right-hand corner of the application) will no longer be accepted after July 1, 2021 for:
   
              ● Savings and Retirement (Form #1383, #1384, #799, #355), and
              ● Life Insurance (Form #350)

   
   Want to be sure you always have the most up-to-date application? Try our EZcomplete® online platform for Individual Life, Critical Illness and Segregated fund applications.
    
   For a complete list of all forms and applications affected by the anti-money laundering legislation, refer to the following links:
   
   ● Savings and Retirement Anti-money Laundering Legislation Requirements Summary.
   ● Life Insurance Anti-money laundering Legislation Requirements Summary.

   To learn more about the Government of Canada’s anti-money laundering legislation and FATCA/CRS review the following links:
   ● Government of Canada - Guidance on the Common Reporting Standard
   ● Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada
    
   If you have any other questions, contact your Regional Sales Manager or Equitable Life’s Advisor Services Team
    
   ® denotes a registered trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
    
4. Equitable Life Savings & Retirement Webinar Series features EZtransact

   In 2021, Equitable Life’s S&R team will spotlight various aspects of our competitive fund line up and product offerings. Each webinar in the series will feature a new topic. The series will also give advisors an opportunity to:

   • learn more about various products and product features,

   • hear from industry professionals,

   • learn about investment strategies; and so much more.

   This month, Equitable Life is featuring EZtransact™, a new online tool that allows advisors to submit transactions and collect signatures electronically. With a growing need for digital solutions, Equitable Life’s new EZtransact eliminates the hassle of filling out forms, collecting signatures, submitting copies to your MGA, and being tied down to business hours for submitting transactions. This new online tool complements our existing and highly rated online application tool, EZcomplete.  
    
   Join your host, Joseph Trozzo, Investment Sales Vice President as he welcomes Nicole Lemon, Product Manager, Savings and Retirement, Equitable Life of Canada to discuss Equitable Life’s electronic capabilities and to experience a demo for EZtransact. 
   
   This webinar is not approved for continuing education credits. This webcast is available in English only.
    

   Learn More

5. Ways to reduce net income after age 71 with Equitable Life
   Your client is contacting you to ask how to reduce net income after age 71. While each client’s situation is unique, here are a few options to consider.
    
   1. Clients with a spouse under the age of 71 can contribute to a spousal Retirement Savings Plan (RSP) up until December 31^st of the year the spouse turns 71; provided contribution room is available. This option can also work for those clients over the age of 71 with employment income. This can be useful for small business owners who are still making money over the age of 71 and forced to convert their RSP to a Retirement Income Fund (RIF) or Life Income Fund (LIF).
    
   2. For clients with a RIF or LIF, they can strategically elect to use their spouses’ age to calculate the minimum RIF income payment (minimum and maximum for LIF). The idea being that if there is an age gap between spouses:
   • Your client makes a RIF/LIF minimum payment lower by using the age of the younger spouse. This is beneficial to clients who do not need a lot of income from their RIF/LIF.
   • Your client makes a LIF maximum payment higher by using the age of the older spouse. This is beneficial to clients who want to withdraw as much as possible from their LIFs each year.
    
   To learn more, contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager.
    
    
    
   ® and ^TM denote trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada
    
6. The value of Equitable Life’s EZcomplete online application for Pivotal Select
   Necessity is the mother of invention. And COVID-19 has taken Equitable Life’s® EZcomplete® online application to the next level. Prior to the pandemic, EZcomplete was touted as being convenient and easy to use. Well, it is. But now…it is so much more.
   
   Whether secure in an office or safe at home, EZcomplete’s non face-to-face capabilities include an alternative to physical verification. EZcomplete simply requires verification of ID using a third-party service provider. The third-party service provider completes the verification behind the scenes using information that was already required to complete an application. By removing the physical ID requirements, the ID verification process has been automated and simplified.
   
   EZcomplete’s electronic signature functionality is also easy and secure. To enable a remote signature, your client just provides an e-mail address. Your client will receive a link and security code that you provide. The client enters the code, reviews the application and e-signs the documents.
   
   Step by step directions ensure you have the right details without any confusing or unnecessary questions. Highlighted fields alert you to any missing information, eliminating any extra work or effort. The immediate processing also helps make it an attractive resource.
   
   
   
   Whether selling segregated funds face to face or from the comfort of home, Equitable Life’s EZcomplete online application and Pivotal Select™ segregated fund line up provide the solution for even the most rattled and weary investor. Learn more, visit EquiNet or contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager.
    
7. Give clients guaranteed retirement income with Payout Annuities
   With increased market volatility and interest rates higher than we have seen for much of the past decade, now is a great time to consider payout annuities. Payout annuities can provide regular guaranteed income regardless of how markets perform. 
    
   Clients using only a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (SWP) for retirement income are potentially vulnerable during times of market volatility due to the sequence-of-returns risk.¹ When markets are down, more units are redeemed to cover income needs. When markets later rise, clients are not able to participate fully in the recovery because more units were redeemed to provide income. That is why having a guaranteed income component, like a payout annuity, as part of an overall retirement strategy is so important.
    
    
   Three great reasons to consider Equitable Life® for your payout annuity business:
   
   1. Choose from a variety of payout annuity options including:
      
        A. Life Annuity – guaranteed income for one life
        B. Joint Life Annuity – guaranteed income for two lives
        C. Term Certain – guaranteed income for a specific period of time (5 to 30 years)
        D. Term Certain to Age 90 – guaranteed income until age 90
   
   2. Attractive rates, particularly in Registered and Term Certain Annuities
   
   3. Step Up Your Wealth Sales program - 25% of payout annuity net sales qualify for the 0.75% bonus commission earned on net deposits for 2022²  
   
   
   
   For more information, please contact your Equitable Life Regional Investment Sales Manager.
    
    
   ¹Sequence-of-returns risk, or sequence risk, is the risk that an investor will experience negative portfolio returns very late in their working life and/or early in retirement.
    ²All eligible deposits, sales, and redemptions occurring between January 1 and December 31, 2022, will be used to calculate an advisor’s 2022 net deposits.
    ® denotes a registered trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
8. Application cloning option now available on EZcomplete As of September 10^th, you will now have the option to clone any Life Insurance and Critical Illness applications that is showing on the EZcomplete dashboard. “Cloning” means the information that has been completed in the existing application is duplicated in a new application.
    
   This feature is meant for situations where multiple applications are being completed and at least one of the parties (the policy owner or insured person) is the same. For example, a single policy owner might own policies on the lives of each of their children. Cloning the application will save re-typing the information about the policy owner into each application.
    
   Please note the following important details regarding cloning:
    
   • Cloning the application will duplicate all information that has been completed in the existing application into the new application.
   • In the family situation described above, the information about the policy owner should be completed in the original application. The application should then be cloned before entering any information about the insured person, as there will be a different insured person for the new application.
   • Cloning applications can be convenient, but it carries risk. It is imperative that the advisor review every section of the new cloned application to ensure that the information is meant to apply to the new application. If an advisor incorrectly includes information about an individual in the new application, this could give risk to a privacy breach or to liability for the advisor if the questions are answered incorrectly for that individual.
   • If the application was submitted and is no longer on the dashboard you will not have the option to clone it.
   • You will not be able to change the product type on a cloned application so if you need to select a different product, you will need to start a new application.
   • Any documents that were attached to the previous application will not be cloned. The documentation will need to be attached again if required.
   • All information from an existing application will be duplicated to the cloned app up to the Signatures step (step 8). Signatures/advisor report will need to be obtained and completed again on the new cloned application.
    
   Resources
   • EZcomplete FAQ
    
   Please contact your Regional Sales Manager for more information
    
9. 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. 

     • New to EZtransact? Try our EZtransact Practice Site to see how EZ it is to use.

   • 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.

10. Equitable Life ClearBridge Sustainable Global Infrastructure Income Fund Select: Stability and diver Although an often-overlooked asset class, infrastructure assets are physical assets that provide an essential service to society. Investing in infrastructure can offer stability and diversification in a well-balanced portfolio. 
    Check out Equitable Life^® ClearBridge Sustainable Global Infrastructure Income Fund Select in this issue of Fund Focus. The fund aims to achieve long-term capital appreciation and income by investing in publicly listed real estate companies across a spectrum of property types and geographies.  
    
    Reasons to Invest:  
    • ClearBridge has 50+ years as a leader in active management, with a focus on sustainable investing. 
    • An ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) driven investment process: ESG factors are part of fundamental research and a bottom-up security selection process, and risks and opportunities are viewed through an ESG lens. 
    • Predictable income generation throughout the cycle: Invests in income-generating infrastructure assets, with cash flows underpinned by regulation or long-term contracts. 
    • Participation in global infrastructure renewal: Both developed and emerging economies are growing their infrastructure assets, producing new investment opportunities. 
    • Lots of flexibility - broad ranges for sector allocation and geographical allocation 
    
    For more information, check out the Equitable Life ClearBridge Sustainable Global Infrastructure Income Fund Select or contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager.  
    
    Date posted: July 20, 2023
    
    ™ or ® denote registered trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.