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1. New Year, New Opportunities—Explore Equitable’s Competitive Term Life Solution The new year brings new opportunities to help clients feel confident about their financial future. Equitable’s term rates are among the best on LifeGuide in key markets*, combined with our flexibility and support, making us a great choice for clients. Run an illustration now!

   Why choose Equitable for term life insurance?

   • Great rates – we’ve recently repriced! On average, we reduced our monthly term rates by 5%. Check out our great term rates for yourself.  Tip! For best term rates, choose monthly premiums.
   • Flexibility to change the term plan** – life is always changing, and so do life insurance needs. Offer clients the flexibility to:
        • Exchange term plans: from Term 10 to Term 20 or Term 30/65. They can also exchange from Term 20 to Term 30/65.
        • Convert to permanent coverage: Offer clients the security of changing their term plan to any of our permanent plans without underwriting.
   • Partial term conversion with term rider carryover: Convert part of the term coverage into permanent protection and carry over the remaining coverage as any term rider plan.
   • Extra support when it matters most – our KIND^® program offers a suite of benefits for clients and their families. This reflects our deep commitment to standing by them when it matters most. 
   
   
   
   
   Build client relationships with trusted protection
   This year, and every year, strengthen your client relationships by choosing Equitable for term life protection. With our flexible solutions, innovative features, and unwavering support, you can help clients move forward with confidence.
   
   Start the year off by helping clients meet their insurance needs with a term plan.
   
   Run a quote today!
   
   Contact your Equitable wholesaler today to learn more!
   
    *Effective November 22, 2025. Our monthly term rates are ranked among the best on LifeGuide when compared against top carriers in key markets. 
   ** Administrative rules and age limits apply to exchanges and conversions. Please see the policy for details. The policy governs in all cases.
    
2. Fiera Capital
3. Insights from a pandemic: COVID-19 and group benefits plans

   We’ve received numerous questions about the impact of COVID-19 and what it will mean for benefits plans in the months ahead. Below is a summary of what we’re seeing so far. In the coming weeks, we’ll explore each of these topics in greater depth.

   Disability

   Initially, as COVID-19 started to spread, we saw STD claims ramp up quickly. Since then, we’ve seen the number of COVID-19-related STD claims slow significantly. As for LTD, we believe both the incidence and duration of those claims will increase in both the short term and medium term due to COVID-19.

   Health and Dental Claims

   We saw an overall spike in the volume and paid amounts for drug claims in March as plan members rushed to stock up on their medications. This was followed by a drop in April after most provinces put 30-day refill limits in place. One exception was claims for asthma drugs which surged in March but had no drop in April. Overall, the April plunge will be short-lived; drug costs have already begun to rise in May.

   While paramedical and dental claims are down, we are seeing an increase in claims for virtual treatments and emergency dental services. We expect that claims will spike once the current pandemic restrictions are lifted. We’ve already started to see claims rise in provinces that are allowing health providers to re-open.

   Despite the shift to more virtual services, we haven’t seen an increase in fraudulent activity. But we continue to be vigilant. Our investigative practices – verifying with the plan member that they received the treatment and have a valid receipt, and that the practitioner has treatment notes – remain the same whether treatment is provided in person or virtually.

   Technology

   During this time of physical distancing, people are looking for ways to interact with their providers virtually. Fortunately, our business model is almost entirely electronic, and we have several convenient digital options available for plan members and plan sponsors. Our focus in recent weeks has been to remind clients and plan members about these tools and make it as easy as possible for them to activate and use them. And we are continually adding functionality that will allow us to serve our customers even better.

   Mental Health/Wellness

   Usage of i-Volve, Homewood’s online cognitive behavioural therapy tool, increased significantly in March before levelling back down in April and May. And while EFAP cases fell in April and early-May, the number of cases has begun to climb in recent weeks, particularly for anxiety. In the coming weeks and months, we expect an eventual increase in marital and family issues, as well as depression. We’ve also seen an increase in mental-health-related prescriptions.

   Plan Design

   It’s too early to predict how the COVID-19 pandemic will impact benefits plan design and how it will change in the coming months. We would love to get your feedback and insights about how benefit plans will evolve and what new features or provisions they should include.

   Please share your thoughts and suggestions with your Group Account Executive or myFlex Marketing Manager. Or, you can email your ideas to GroupCommunications@equitable.ca.

4. A year of celebration - 100 years of protecting what matters most to Canadians We’re proud to be celebrating 100 years of experience in the insurance industry. Over the last 100 years, through significant historic and financial challenges – two World Wars, the Great Depression, economic crises in the 80s and 90s, regulatory challenges and significant growth and expansion in the face of stiff industry competition – Equitable Life of Canada^® has become one of Canada’s largest and most financially stable mutual companies. 
    
   2020 marks our 100^th anniversary and we want to thank everyone who has been a part of this journey. A special 100^th anniversary website, www.equitable100.ca, highlights the company’s historic milestones and shares information about the anniversary-related activities. Special celebrations will be taking place including:
    
   • The Equitable Gives Back Contest that will award five charitable organizations in Canada a grant of $10,000 each based on their winning entries;
   • The $100 a day giveaway where randomly selected clients will receive $100. In addition, there will be three grand prizes awarded to randomly selected clients at the end of the year; and
   • The 100^th Anniversary Legacy Donation, that will be announced in May, to an organization in  Waterloo Region that helps strengthen our community.
   You provide us with the support we need to keep our promises to Canadians. We’ve built Equitable Life^® together over the last 100 years and, together, we’ll thrive for the next 100. We’re proud of our past, and we’re excited for the future as we begin the next chapter for Equitable Life of Canada.
    

   ® denotes a registered trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.

5. Update - Travel Assist Coverage*

   Last Friday, we announced that plan members with Travel Assist on their benefits plan will not be eligible for coverage if they departed the country after the Government of Canada issued its Global Travel Advisory.

   When the Government issued its advisory late Friday afternoon, we felt an obligation to let prospective travellers know as soon as possible so they could make informed choices about their travel. Since then, we have been made aware of a number of situations where plan members were unable to change their travel plans and need our continued support.

   To provide that support, we have revised our position. We will continue to cover plan members for all eligible emergency medical expenses, including those related to COVID-19, for trips outside Canada. Given the global situation is evolving quickly, we will continue to monitor developments and update you accordingly.

   In spite of this, we strongly urge your clients to advise their employees not to travel outside of the country at this time. The risk is high and the options for returning to Canada are becoming limited. Further, we urge your clients to advise their employees who are outside the country to return to Canada earlier than scheduled, if possible.

   If a plan member is currently travelling abroad and is experiencing symptoms or is hospitalized with suspicion of the coronavirus, they should contact Travel Assist at the numbers listed below for assistance and to confirm their coverage.

   • Toll-free Canada/USA: 1.800.321.9998
   • Global call collect: 519.742.3287
   • Allianz Global Assistance ID #9089

   We will continue to update you as the situation develops.

   We will update the announcement on our Plan Member website to reflect this change.

   We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience our earlier announcement may have caused.

   *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients

6. Most employers staying the course on benefits during COVID-19

   With businesses suffering hardship due to COVID-19, employers are turning to you for advice on their benefits plans during these difficult times. We’ve received numerous questions from advisors about changes our clients are making to their plans during this crisis.

   So far, the vast majority of clients are standing pat and taking a wait-and-see approach. Plan amendments have been the exception – fewer than 1% of our clients have made COVID-19-related amendments as of mid-April. Almost all are clients with fewer than 50 lives.

   We know that many of our clients have experienced layoffs, but hardly any have cancelled benefits. Fewer than 0.1% have terminated benefits to date.

   Below is a snapshot of plan amendments and terminations relative to our overall block, and an overview of the types of amendments we’re seeing.

   
   
   
   
   
   COVID-19-related plan changes on Equitable Life’s block of business

   As of April 15, 2020
   

   Have clients who need to make a change?

   We know this is a difficult time for Canadian employers. If you have a client who needs to make a change to their plan, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager. We have a range of options to help them manage, and changes can be made quickly. The average turnaround time for COVID-19-related amendments is currently about four days.

   We’re happy to work with each employer to understand the options that suit their specific situation best.

7. Take emotions out of investing
   Taking the emotion out of investing can be easier said then done. Most of us at one time or another have decided upon something strictly because of how we felt at the time, not because it was logical or made good financial sense. I am sure most of us have a good story to tell.
   
   When it comes to financial planning, you always want to encourage your clients to be a rational investor and accept that market fluctuation is part of the investment journey. Over the last few months, even the hardiest rational investor has been challenged to accept the market fluctuations. History shows us that this too, shall pass and markets will rise once more. The biggest question asked is always, when?
   
   While no one has a crystal ball with that answer, the best we can do is help our clients understand that when building portfolios, risk is always at the forefront of any good investment strategy. The level of risk is just one of the building blocks to constructing a financial portfolio that will see the client through good times and bad.
   
   Need more help? Equitable Life has created an emotional investing brochure to help your clients manage through these extraordinary times. To download a copy, click here. We have also included a template letter that you can personalize and use to reach out to your clients. To download an editable copy, click here.
   
    
8. New segregated fund sales charge option from Equitable Life of Canada
   On December 7, 2020 Equitable Life® will add a new No Load CB5 (NL-CB5) sales option with a 60-month chargeback schedule to the Pivotal Select™ segregated funds lineup. This new sales charge option complements the recently launched No Load CB (NL-CB) option which has a 36-month chargeback schedule.
   
   This new sales option for Pivotal Select gives you and your clients five sales charge options to choose from: Low Load (LL), No Load (NL), No Load CB (NL-CB), No Load CB5 (NL-CB5) and Deferred Sales Charge (DSC). The addition of NL-CB5 provides an option for those advisors who want to increase the upfront portion of their commission. The benefit to clients is no Deferred Sales Charge to contend with.  If your client chooses to withdraw funds within 5 years after purchase, there is a chargeback of commission to you.
   
   By offering five sales charge options, the choice between three distinct guarantee classes (Investment Class (75/75), Estate Class (75/100) and Protection Class (100/100)), and a diverse selection of investment funds, the Pivotal Select contract provides the flexibility to build an investment solution that meets the needs of your clients.
   
   Need to meet with your client online? Our EZcomplete® application makes it easy to process your non-face-to-face applications and do business with Equitable Life. EZcomplete gives you the option to conduct your non face-to-face business easily and quickly, enabling your clients to provide their signature remotely on their own device.
   
   For more information about Equitable’s NL-CB5 or any of Equitable’s products, contact your local Regional Investment Sales Manager or our Advisor Services team at 1.866.881.7427 Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET or email savingsretirement@equitable.ca.
    

   To learn more, click here. 

9. 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

10. 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