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  1. [pdf] Investment Direction - Legacy products
  2. Important notice: Funds with Deferred Sales Charges The Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators (CCIR) is requiring all insurance companies to discontinue the sale of segregated funds with deferred sales charges (DSC) effective June 1, 2023. This also impacts ongoing or new deposits to some existing segregated fund accounts. Please contact any Equitable Life clients who may be impacted.
     
    How this impacts clients:
    In response to the insurance regulator’s recommendation, Equitable Life® will be making changes to the administration of certain segregated fund products, which may impact clients. The details are outlined below:
     
    Pivotal Select™ segregated fund product
    On or about May 29, 2023:
    • Funds with DSC or Low Load (LL) sales charge options will be closed to additional deposits. Future deposits must be allocated to the No Load (NL) sales charge option of the funds available within the policy.
    • Any existing amounts held in DSC or LL funds are not impacted and will retain the existing deferred sales charge schedule outlined in a client’s contract. The annual 10% available (20% for RIF policies) for withdrawal without fees continues to apply through to the expiry of the fee schedule.
    • If the default deposit instructions that a client previously provided include funds with DSC or LL sales charge options, these instructions will be automatically updated to the NL sales charge option of the same fund for all future deposits.
    • If a client has pre-authorized scheduled deposits into funds with the DSC or LL sales charge options, these instructions will be automatically updated to the NL sales charge option of the same funds for all future deposits.
    • In alignment with our current administrative rules, if a client has DSC or LL funds, they will not be able to make deposits into No Load Chargeback funds (NLCB and NLCB5) within the same policy.
     
    Legacy segregated fund products
    Ongoing deposits to DSC funds are permitted when a segregated fund product does not have an alternative sales charge option available within the contract. This applies to the following products:
    • Personal Investment Portfolio
    • Pivotal Solutions II
    • Pivotal Solutions DSC
    As a result, clients who own these types of products may continue to make new deposits to the DSC funds within their policy. Any new segregated fund deposits, as well as any existing segregated fund amounts within their policy will retain the deferred sales charge schedule outlined in their contract.

    If a client plans on making additional deposits, they may be interested in alternative sales charge options that do not include DSC. For example, Equitable Life offers “No Load” (NL) and “No Load Chargeback” (NLCB and NLCB5) sales charge options within the Pivotal Select segregated fund contract. In these situations, a new application would need to be completed and submitted.

    Please note that draft regulation in Quebec is currently under review which may impact Equitable Life’s approach for Quebec clients with legacy segregated fund products.

    Equitable Life will continue to monitor provincial regulatory developments and adjust our approach as needed.
     
    Client communication
    We will be sending clients a letter within their December 31, 2022, statement describing their options, and the impacts to their policy (if applicable). We recommend that you contact clients to discuss the contents of Equitable Life’s letter and provide any advice that they may need regarding ongoing deposits to their segregated funds. You can access a copy of the client letter here:

     If you have any questions, please reach out to our Advisor Services Team at 1.866.884.7427.

    December 23, 2022

    ™ or ® denote registered trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.

  3. [pdf] Agency Application For Contract
  4. Retirement Savings Plan (RSP, LIRA, RIF, LIF)
  5. [pdf] Request for Direct Deposit Plan
  6. [pdf] B2B RSP Loan Product Brochure
  7. Supporting plan members affected by the British Columbia and Northwest Territories wildfires

    Wildfires across Canada are disrupting the lives of many Canadians. During this difficult time, Equitable Life is providing additional support to help affected clients and plan members.

    Prescription refills

    Plan members who have been evacuated and/or lost their medication due to the wildfires will be able to make early refills until September 17, 2023, through TELUS Health, our pharmacy benefit manager.

    Replacement of medical or dental equipment and appliances

    Plan members who need to replace eligible medical or dental equipment or appliances due to the wildfires should first call 1.800.265.4556 to confirm coverage.

    Disability or other benefit cheques

    Plan members receiving disability benefits or other benefit reimbursements via cheques can visit www.equitable.ca/go/digital for instructions on how to sign up for direct deposit. It just takes a few minutes. Plan members can also call us at 1.800.265.4556 if they need help, a replacement cheque or assistance arranging a different mailing address.

    Mental health support

    Unpredictable, large-scale natural disasters can cause people to experience intense reactions, putting a lot of pressure 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.  

    For plan sponsors who have purchased Homewood Health’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), 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 will receive the most appropriate, most timely support for the issue they’re dealing with. 
     

    Plan Administrator support

    We realize that the fires are having a profound impact on regular business operations in B.C. and N.W.T. If you have clients that are unable to carry out day-to-day plan administration, they can call us at 1.800.265.4556. They can also contact their Customer Relationship Specialist for support.
     
    This is a challenging time for advisors, plan sponsors and plan members. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide additional updates as appropriate. 

    Questions?

    If you need more information, contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.

  8. Claims payments and notifications will go fully digital on July 1, 2023 We are committed to providing a better benefits experience. We have secure and convenient digital options to make it easier for plan members to access and use their benefits plan, including EquitableHealth.ca and the EZClaim Mobile app.

    Most plan members are already using these tools to set up email claim notifications and direct deposit. They get their claim updates faster and their claims paid more quickly, right into their bank account.

    To help ensure that all plan members benefit from faster claim payments and notifications, we are making these services fully digital as of July 1, 2023. That means, in most cases, we will no longer mail paper claim cheques or explanation of benefits (EOB) notifications.**

    Plan members who haven’t already activated direct deposit and email notifications will need to activate these services via their plan member account on EquitableHealth.ca

    How we’ll help plan members get set up

    Fortunately, it’s simple for plan members to set up these features. And it only takes a few minutes. To make it even easier, we’ve created a Plan Member Guide to Getting Started Online. It includes simple instructions to help plan members use our digital features and get the most from their benefits plan. 

    We have also created a toolkit that plan administrators can email to their plan members to walk them through the simple steps. Access the toolkit here.

    And we’re available to guide plan members who may need help. They can call us at 1.800.265.4556 and select “Plan Member Web Support”. Our Client Care Centre Team is happy to help them activate these services. 

    How we’ll communicate with plan members

    We will start communicating this change to plan members in April. For plan members who aren’t taking advantage of these convenient features, we will send them an email to let them know about the change, with instructions and support on getting set up.

    We will also include an insert with all mailings of paper cheques and EOB notifications sent out. And we will post an announcement and banner on EquitableHealth.ca to let plan members know about the change.
     

    How we’ll support plan members who need extra help or accommodations

    After July 1, 2023, we will follow up with plan members who have not yet activated direct deposit or email notifications for their claims and provide any extra help and support they may need. And, of course, we’ll make exceptions for plan members who aren’t willing or reasonably able to use these features. 

    Questions?

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

    ** Disability claimants will continue to receive paper Explanation of Benefits notifications in the mail. Some pay-direct drug claims will also continue to be paid by cheque.
  9. [pdf] Choice, flexibility, guarantees (Which plan type is right for you?)
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