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  1. Resource Hub
  2. EZcomplete enhancements for segregated fund applications

    When we launched EZcomplete® for segregated funds back in January we heard a lot of positive comments from our advisors. We also heard that we could do better. So that's just what we did.

     

    1. FUNDSERV CODE 

    Advisors with an active FundSERV code no longer need to remember to select the FundSERV code when starting a new segregated fund application. EZcomplete will now default to the FundSERV code.


    2. LOAN DEPOSIT OPTION
    Under the Contributions section of the segregated fund application for Non-registered, TFSA, RSP or Spousal RSP, Loan is now a deposit option under Deposit Types. If Loan is selected, EZcomplete will ask for amount and Lending Company name. Equitable Life® has partnered with B2B Bank to provide investment and RSP loans at competitive rates. Details can be found on EquiNet® under "Loans".


    3. LIMITING SUCCESSOR ANNUITANT
    Applicable to TFSA, RIF and Spousal RIF applications only, EZcomplete will now use validation to prevent advisors from accidentally naming the same person as both successor annuitant and beneficiary, reducing the instances of "not in good order" applications.


    4. ONGOING PAD FUND SELECTION
    If Ongoing PAD is selected as a Deposit Type, an advisor can allocate the Ongoing PAD to a fund allocation that is different than the rest of the deposit options.


    5. TRANSFER FORM NOTIFICATION
    The MGA and advisor confirmation emails now include text to confirm that a Transfer Form has been uploaded and submitted as part of the segregated fund application. This additional information will act as a reminder to the Advisor/MGA to send the Transfer Form to the relinquishing institution.

     

    6. POPULATING FIELDS
    Advisors will no longer need to keep entering the same advisor and MGA information on new segregated fund applications. The first time an advisor code is used on an EZcomplete segregated fund application, the advisor will populate all the required fields. Each subsequent time a new segregated fund application is created with the same advisor code, the following fields will pre-populate with the values that were last entered.

    a) Advisor Email
    b) Dealer/MGA Name
    c) Branch Number
    d) MGA Email

  3. New Dividend Scale effective July 1, 2021 The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada Board of Directors has approved a change to the dividend scale for the period July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. 
       
    *The dividend scale interest rate is not the same as the participating account rate of return in any given calendar year. The dividend scale interest rate smooths out the ups and downs experienced by the participating account.
      
    Policyholder dividends in the next dividend scale year would be approximately $85 million, compared to $67 million in the prior dividend scale year.
     
    The sustained low interest rate environment continues to put downward pressure on the experience in the participating account. If low interest rates continue, investment returns in the participating account will also be lower, and we may need to decrease the dividend scale in the future. 
     
    Your participating whole life clients will receive a notice of the dividend scale change with their annual policy statement. The Equitable Sales Illustrations system will be updated to reflect the new dividend scale. Updated illustration software will be available for download after 9 a.m. ET on June 25, 2021.

    Find out more
  4. Dialogue Virtual Healthcare now available to add to Equitable Life benefits plans

    We’re pleased to announce we are partnering with Dialogue, Canada’s leading virtual health provider, to offer unlimited and on-demand virtual access to primary healthcare practitioners.
     
    Virtual Healthcare is the latest addition to our HealthConnector suite of health and wellness services. It is available to add to all Equitable Life benefits plans for an additional cost as of July 1, 2023.

    Features of Dialogue Virtual Healthcare
    Available 24/7, 365 days a year, Dialogue Virtual Healthcare provides access to unlimited non-urgent medical care for a wide range of health concerns. Plan members get fast access to the largest, most experienced and bilingual medical team in Canada for non-urgent medical issues. They also benefit from in-app prescription renewals and refills, personalized follow-ups after every consultation, and concierge-level navigation support for all referrals to in-person specialists when needed.

    Dialogue’s industry-leading platform provides an all-in-one patient journey to address health issues, reducing long wait times and time away for doctor appointments. Plan members and their families can access Dialogue Virtual Healthcare through the secure web portal or mobile app. The Dialogue medical team includes doctors, nurse practitioners and nurses. Plan members can use the service even if they’re already receiving care from a family doctor.


    Benefits of Virtual Healthcare

    For your clients
    By providing access to Virtual Healthcare, plan sponsors can help to:

    • Drive employee engagement;

    • Reduce absenteeism related to in-person medical appointments;

    • Manage chronic health issues;

    • Attract and retain top talent; and

    • Build a healthier workforce.

    For their plan members
    By providing easier access to primary healthcare practitioners, Virtual Healthcare can offer extra health and wellness support for plan members. It also supports members that may experience barriers to accessing in-person healthcare, such as:

    • Living in a remote location;

    • Work or family obligations during standard medical clinic hours;

    • Mobility challenges related to a disability; and

    • Transportation challenges.

    Learn more about bringing Dialogue Virtual Healthcare to your clients
    Click the link to learn more about Dialogue Virtual Healthcare : Welcome to Dialogue!

    Questions?
    To learn more about how your clients can add Virtual Healthcare to their benefits plan, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
  5. EAMG Market Commentary July 2023


    July 17, 2023

    Rates & Credit     - The rates market was volatile in Q2 as investors focused on inflation, central bank interest rate decisions, and recession probabilities. Persistent strength in U.S. consumer spending and labour markets have surprised investors and prompted further interest rate tightening from central banks. In Canada, corporate bonds outperformed government bonds and the broader FTSE Canada Universe Index during the quarter, with a total return of 0.2%, versus a loss of 1.0% for government bonds and 0.7% for the overall Index. The corporate bond outperformance was driven by a broad risk-on tone to the market, most notably in April as the market recovered from the banking sector liquidity crisis that developed during March. That said, the market tone remained cautious, with the improved risk premium on corporate bonds tempered by lingering concerns around sticky inflation, high interest rates, and the potential for slower economic growth into the latter half of the year.

    Dominance of U.S. Equities – U.S. equity markets posted another strong quarter with the S&P 500 returning 8.7%, outperforming Canada and other major international equity markets. The S&P/TSX Composite, returned 1.2% in CAD. Major developed economies from Europe, Australasia, and Far East (EAFE) returned 3.2% in local currency terms. The highly anticipated re-opening of the Chinese economy has failed to materialize with economic data indicating less strength than previously forecasted. Amid sluggish Chinese growth, closely interconnected economic partners such as the European Union, as well as commodity-driven markets like Canada, have all underperformed the U.S. on a relative basis.

    U.S. Fundamentals – Earnings continued to contract versus prior year, albeit at a slower pace than forecasted. Forward earnings guidance improved quarter-over-quarter with corporate sentiment returning to neutral levels. Based on our analysis, we observed that 31% of major companies expect deteriorating financial performance, while 33% expect improved performance, with the remaining expecting no material change. Overall, major U.S. companies remain well capitalized with strong operating margins. However, company guidance indicates a prioritization of cost controls amid increased consumer indebtedness and concerns about the health of the consumer.

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) Mania – Despite concerns that the U.S. economy is at a late stage in its economic cycle, that monetary tightening by central banks could go too far, and the fact that earnings contracted on a year-over-year basis, equity markets became more expensive during the quarter with price-to-earnings multiples expanding. This expansion was driven by investors crowding into AI focused technology companies, with the seven largest AI/technology themed companies averaging a 26% return while the other 493 members gained only 3%. Investors rewarded businesses with contributions to AI development (hardware and software components), as well as those with the ability to implement synergies from leveraging the technology. A crowded market surge is not uncommon at this point in the economic cycle, where positive economic surprises, in this instance, strong employment and consumer spending can lead to an upswelling in investor confidence.

    U.S. Quant Factors – Using our investment framework, we currently favour exposures to large cash-rich companies with innovative product offerings, which we believe offer the strongest risk-adjusted returns in the current market environment. While the valuation of AI companies seems to defy traditional rationales, the momentum has continued to push the group higher. Consequently, the Quality factor (companies with higher return-on-equity, strong operating performance, and healthy leverage levels) participated in the AI trend and consistently outperformed throughout the quarter. The Low Volatility factor (stocks with lower sensitivity to broad market movement, and lower price volatility) underperformed through the quarter. While the Low Volatility factor typically performs well at this stage of the economic cycle, the fact that a small number of stocks were responsible for much of the market’s return hurt this factor. Lastly, the Momentum factor (stocks with a recent history of price appreciation) initially underperformed during the quarter before rebounding in June. This factor’s recent outperformance suggests that the market is becoming complacent and possibly signals that rotations within the market are slowing as current trends remain in favour.

    Canadian Fundamentals – Top line revenue missed forecasts while bottom line earnings were consistent with expectations. Softer-than-expected results out of Canadian financials, as well as underwhelming results from the materials sector, dragged on the aggregate index performance. Earnings forecasts for the rest of the year have been revised downward with analyst expecting index aggregate earnings to detract 2% to 3%. Meanwhile, the Bank of Canada raised its overnight interest rate by 25 basis points, bringing it to 4.75% on the backdrop of robust economic data releases including Q1 GDP and April CPI.

    Canadian Quant Factors – The most notable dislocation in Canada was the convergence of the dividend yield of High-Dividend ETFs and Equal-Weight Bank ETFs. We believe that the drag from Canadian banks following the U.S. regional banking concerns in March resulted in a discount of the Quality factor as the performance of the group is sensitive to the movements of banks. While banks did recover around 35% of their SVB-induced underperformance, the nature of banking has attracted investor scrutiny given the view that we are in the late-stage of the economic cycle. That said, this environment is an attractive environment to add variants of the Quality factor, which would gain exposure to a rebounding industry that offers a similar dividend yield to the high dividend stocks.

    Views From the Frontline

    Rates – On an outright basis, bond yields across the curve continue to look attractive. Economic data remains strong however we are beginning to see the first signs of weakness in spending, jobs and inflation. Slower growth, a more balanced labour market, declining inflation, and tighter credit conditions will likely drive interest rates lower throughout 2023. Market participants remain focused on the extent of interest rate hikes and the duration of a pause required to bring inflation back to the 2% target. With inflation remaining more persistent than previously expected forecasts around the timing, pace and extent of the removal of monetary policy have been pushed into 2024.

    Credit – The uncertain economic outlook and risks around slower economic growth later this year merit caution about corporate bonds and a bias towards higher-quality, shorter-dated credit where we think the risk / reward dynamic are more favourable. That said, the “soft-landing” narrative, now more pervasive in the market, could continue to provide support to risk assets, which we view as an opportunity to further pare down higher beta exposure.

    Equities – Given the direction of the current economic and company fundamental data, we continue to favour high quality growth segments of the market with strong operating margins. As such, the late cycle conditions in the market reinforce our preference for large cap stocks over smaller, more U.S. domestically focused businesses. The U.S. Low Volatility factor’s underperformance is unlikely to reverse in the short term given the resilience of the U.S. economy. Furthermore, after a steep decline last quarter, we expect that cyclical value will find support in the near term, echoing the increased chance of slowing inflation without stalling economic growth. In Canada, equities are typically more cyclical in nature, which coupled with the potential for an earnings contraction, makes us view the Low Volatility factor as more likely to outperform. Like the U.S., we prefer Canadian high-quality companies to navigate through the late cycle environment. On the heels of poor Chinese economic data and underwhelming stimulus, we are maintaining our overweight to the U.S. relative to Canada and EAFE.

    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.

    Posted July 27, 2023
  6. Digital tools for your clients and their plan members

    In this issue:

    • Digital tools for your clients and their plan members*
    • QDIPC updates terms and conditions for 2024*
    *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients.
     

    Digital tools for your clients and their plan members*

    Do your clients know how to use all the available digital tools in their Equitable® benefits plans? With useful features for both plan administrators and their members, it’s even easier for your clients to access their plans online. 

    Tools for plan administrators

    • Our online plan member enrolment tool lets groups and administrators add new plan members online without completing paper forms
    • The EquitableHealth.ca plan administrator portal makes it easy for plan administrators to manage their plan anytime and anywhere. Helpful features include:
      • A premium calculator to calculate monthly costs for plan members
      • A simple process for updating plan member information
    • Digital welcome kits provide personalized information directly to plan members through email
    • Easy, automated payment options help plan administrators avoid missed payments by offering pre-authorized debit or electronic funds transfer

    Tools for plan members

    • Our plan member portal at EquitableHealth.ca provides secure, 24/7 access to claims history and coverage details. It also lets members submit claims, and includes health and wellness resources
    • Electronic notifications and claims payments give plan members claim updates via email and deposit payments directly into their bank account
    • The Equitable EZClaim® mobile app lets plan members submit claims quickly and securely on-the-go from their mobile device
    • Digital benefits cards give plan members the convenience to access their benefits cards easily from a mobile device

    Help with digital benefits tools

    We’ve created a brochure and video guide to help plan members use digital tools for a smoother, more convenient benefits experience. 

    Plan members can contact us at 1.800.265.4556 and select the option for Web Support if they need further assistance.
     

    QDIPC updates terms and conditions for 2024*

    Every year, the Quebec Drug Insurance Pooling Corporation (QDIPC) reviews the terms and conditions for the high-cost pooling system in the province.

    Based on its latest review, QDIPC is revising its pooling levels and fees for 2024 to reflect trends in the volume of claims submitted to the pool, particularly catastrophic claims. These updates take effect January 1, 2024. You can view the updates here.

    We will apply the new pooling levels and fees to future renewal calculations that involve Quebec plan members.

    If you have any questions, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Account Executive.

     
  7. Enhancing the Transfer Process: Equitable's New Signature Guarantee Service Equitable® is making transfers even easier with EZcomplete®.

    This enhancement will help advisors and clients by reducing the number of rejections from other institutions that need a signature guarantee. Reducing transfer rejections means less time and effort for advisors, and faster transfers from other institutions. 

    Signature Guarantees
    Equitable will now offer signature guarantees on most transfers requested through EZcomplete. 

    When is a signature guarantee not available?

    •  For entity owned accounts
    •  If a Power of Attorney is signing on behalf of an owner
    •  If the transferring account has an irrevocable beneficiary 

    Watch the quick Identity Check with Persona video or read through instructions below. 





    To offer a signature guarantee, Equitable first needs to check the identity of all owners using Persona, a third-party service provider.
    The advisor starts by selecting a signature guarantee in EZcomplete. An email link is sent to all proposed owners.


    Clients can click the link within the email to Persona's verification process.
    They will be prompted to take a picture of their photo ID and a selfie, turning their head slightly left and right by following the prompts.
    Their identity can then be confirmed in seconds.






    Sending Transfer Forms:
    •  If all owners' identities are verified, Equitable will send the transfer form with a signature guarantee stamp and the e-signature audit log to the transferring institution.
    •  If ID verification fails, clients will be prompted to try up to three times. If still unsuccessful, the transfer form and e-signature audit log is sent to the transferring institution without the signature guarantee stamp.

    Handling Issues:
    •  Advisors’ obligations to verify ID is not affected by this process; ID verification is still required.
    •  If the client times out or loses the email to access Persona, the advisor can resend the link.
    •  If the client’s name or email changes after ID verification, the advisor will need to redo the ID verification with the updated information to get a signature guarantee.

    This update strives to make processes smoother and more efficient for everyone. Just another reason to do business with Equitable. When we work together, success is mutual.

    For more information or assistance, please contact your Director, Investment Sales.

    ​​​​​​Date published: May 7, 2025
  8. Market Commentary October 2025 Key Takeaways

    • Market sentiment improved significantly in Q3 as economic uncertainties eased.
    • Both U.S. and Canadian stock markets posted strong gains. The rally was supported by sector-specific earnings strength and structural growth drivers in AI and digital infrastructure. Equity valuations remain elevated, which could become a potential headwind for future performance.
    • Canadian bond markets delivered positive returns in Q3. Returns were largely from underlying interest income, supported by modestly lower interest rates and continued strong performance from tighter credit spreads.
    • Both the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve restarted easing in Q3. Each central bank cut rates by 25 basis points in September, responding to rising risks to labour markets.

    Economic and Market Update

    Economic Summary: In the U.S., economic activity has remained relatively steady through 2025. However, while business investment remained robust, the pace of hiring slowed. Inflation has increased in recent months, but overall price pressures appear contained. Trade uncertainty eased in the third quarter as the U.S. reached agreements on tariffs with several key trading partners. Countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia, as well as the European Union, negotiated compromise deals. These deals typically involved U.S. tariffs in the range of 15% to 20% in exchange for market access or investment commitments. However, other nations faced higher tariffs of 30-50% following failed negotiations. Mexico and China are currently in a 90-day pause on tariff hikes, which will expire on October 29 and November 10, respectively. At its September meeting, the U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”) lowered its policy rate by 25 basis points to a range of 4.00%– 4.25%. The Fed also signaled that additional interest rate cuts will likely be required to support the economy. Chair Jerome Powell highlighted increasing risks to the labour market and decreasing risks to inflation. He emphasized that the Fed remains data dependent and that interest rate decisions will be made “meeting-by-meeting”. The October 1 shutdown of the U.S. government added further uncertainty to the economic outlook. Key data releases are expected to be delayed, and the White House has warned of mass layoffs of federal workers.

    The Canadian economy experienced a modest rebound in July following weak growth in the second quarter. However, U.S. tariffs and ongoing trade policy uncertainty continue to present risks to the economy. The labour market continues to weaken while inflationary pressures have eased in recent months. On July 31, the U.S. increased tariffs on Canadian imports from 25% to 35% for those products not exempted under USMCA. In addition, the U.S. has expanded its list of sector-specific tariffs. This is expected to place further strain on Canadian exporters. In response to these developments, the Bank of Canada cut its policy rate by 25 basis points to 2.50% during its September meeting. Governor Tiff Macklem indicated that the Bank is prepared to take further action if the balance of risks shifts to weaker growth.

    graph1.png

    Bond Markets: During Q3, the FTSE Canada Universe Bond Index returned 1.5%. Yields on Canadian bonds with maturities of 10 years or less declined. That reflected increased expectations for interest rate cuts by the Bank of Canada. Yields on bonds with maturities of greater than 10 years increased moderately, as investors continued to demand a higher risk premium for long-term debt.

    Overall, corporate bonds saw a positive return for the quarter and outperformed government bonds. This outperformance was due to the higher interest rate on corporate bonds relative to government bonds, with an assist from modestly tighter credit spreads. Corporate issuance was robust during the quarter with strong investor demand, as investors were willing to look past U.S. tariffs and their potential impact to global growth. There were 99 corporate bond issuances during Q3 that combined to raise $45 billion for issuers, a new record. Indeed, the new issuance market is tracking ahead of last year, the previous high-water mark for issuance.

    Notwithstanding the continued strong performance from corporate bonds, we have maintained a bias towards shorter corporate bonds where the risk and reward are better balanced. We remain ready to invest in longer corporate bonds as valuations become attractive.


    Stock Markets: Equity markets posted strong gains in Q3. The S&P 500 returned 8.1% for the quarter, led by Information Technology and Communication Services. Investors focused on the expansion of AI infrastructure and a more favourable regulatory environment for blockchain technology. These themes supported risk appetite despite valuations remaining high relative to historical averages. The Canadian market returned 12.5% in Q3, outperforming the U.S. by more than 4%. This was driven mainly by strong returns in the Materials sector. Meanwhile, the Europe, Australasia, and Far East Index (EAFE) returned 5.4%, as international investors re-evaluated the “Sell America” trade trend.

    graph2.png

    U.S. Equities: In Q3, U.S. equities rose on strong momentum in AI infrastructure investment and growing interest in blockchain innovation. Mega-cap tech stocks led the rally. Major announcements such as NVIDIA’s $100 billion investment in OpenAI and Oracle’s $300 billion multi-year cloud deal highlighted the rapid growth of hyperscale data centers and the deepening commitment to AI development. A more supportive regulatory environment for blockchain technology also boosted investor interest in digital assets. This was reflected in robust IPO activity from crypto-focused companies such as Figure Technology and Gemini. Both stocks saw sharp gains following their public market debuts. That said, the S&P 500 continues to trade at nearly 23 times its forward earnings, roughly 20% above its 10-year average.

    Canadian Equities: Canadian equities rose on better-than-expected economic data and sector-driven earnings, outperforming the U.S. by more than 4% in Q3. The Materials sector drove the rally, contributing nearly half of the gain for the TSX in Q3, as the price of gold surged past US$3850/oz (+45% YTD). The Technology sector also posted solid results, highlighted by Shopify’s continued strong performance. Shopify’s AI-driven product expansion and scalable digital commerce growth pushed the stock to trade around 85 times its forward earnings over the next twelve months. Positive sentiment extended to the Financials sector, where better-than-expected provisions for credit losses helped support a revaluation of bank stocks.

    Overall, Q3 marked a risk-on environment across North American equities, underpinned by sector-specific earnings strength and structural growth drivers. In the U.S., enthusiasm around AI and digital infrastructure continued to dominate. In Canada, the rally was driven by surging gold prices and better-than-expected bank earnings. These catalysts helped sustain broad-based market strength across both markets.

    Bottom line:  Overall market sentiment improved in the third quarter following the volatility earlier in the year caused by tariffs. Investors benefited from resilient performance in North American equities and positive performance in fixed income. In the U.S., the Federal Reserve resumed its rate-cutting cycle, while strong consumer demand and continued capex-spending acted as key drivers for the market strength. In Canada, gold prices continued to surge amid persistent safe-haven demand driven by geopolitical risks. Looking ahead, we will continue to closely monitor valuation levels and underlying economic data for signals of inflection as the cycle progresses.



    Downloadable Copy
     
    Mark Warywoda, CFA
    VP, Public Investments    		 Ian Whiteside, CFA, MBA
    AVP, Public Investments    		 Johanna Shaw, CFA
    Director, Public Investments    		 Jin Li
    Director, Equity Investments    		    
     
    Wanyi Chen, CFA, FRM
    Sr. Quantitative Analyst    		  
    Andrew Vermeer, CFA
    Senior Analyst, Credit    		  
    Elizabeth Ayodele 
    Analyst, Credit    		  
    Edward Ng Cheng Hin
    Analyst, Credit
    Kate (Huyen) Vinh
    Analyst, Equity
    Francie Chen
    Analyst, Rates

    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® 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.
  9. Choosing the right funds
  10. Step Up Your Wealth Qualification Requirements