Insurance & Wealth Protection

We protect families financially by preserving the value of your assets from the unexpected costs of a serious illness, disability, long term care need or premature death.

As your situation and plans change over time, we can work together to ensure that the proper protection is in place, complimentary to your existing coverage and based on a personal needs analysis that is specific to your objectives.

Careful consideration should be made when creating and implementing your wealth protection plan. We invite you to make an appointment with us today so that we can ensure your plan is structured to achieve your goals.

 

Smart Talk About Insurance

Life changes. In fact, change is a part of everyday life – a new career, a growing family, a health challenge, a new business opportunity, and so on. A key ingredient to securing financial success throughout your lifetime is your insurance. It provides financial protection for you and the people you care about. If faced with an unexpected illness, disability, or even death, insurance gives you options to cover your family’s ongoing living expenses and can help you build up a nest egg while it protects and grows the assets you can then pass on to your heirs.

Click here to check out a short video to learn about why insurance is important to have.

Source: PPI

Life Coverage

  • Losing a family member at any time is particularly devastating. There is nothing that can reduce the emotional impact of such a huge loss. We can, however, help the survivors with the resulting financial hardships.
  • The purpose of life insurance is to provide a measure of financial security for your family after your death. Before purchasing any life coverage you should consider your financial situation and the standard of living you want to maintain for your family.
  • Income replacement, mortgage and debt repayment, final expenses, education funds and leaving a legacy for your loved ones are some of the items we discuss when creating your estate plan.
  • AFor most families, life insurance needs change over time, this is why there are a variety of life coverage products available, we can review these together.

Income Replacement

  • For most of us, our largest asset is the ability to work and earn income for our families for years to come. Anyone who works to earn an income and depends on this income to pay for their living and lifestyle expenses faces a serious financial risk, if they are unable to continue.
  • The onset of a disability can negatively impact your financial goals and dreams by significantly reducing household income. Consequently, saving levels and debt repayments are affected, resulting in a financial shortfall for your goals and dreams.
  • By calculating your basic income needs and considering your Canada Pension Disability and/or Group coverage amounts we can determine a personal benchmark from which to start your plan. Benefits are usually provided on a monthly basis so that you can maintain your standard of living and continue to pay your regular expenses.
  • A personalized income replacement plan keeps families in their homes, children off to university, mortgage and debts repaid and retirement plans on track.

Serious Illness

  • Contracting a serious illness or disease can be devastating for both your emotional and financial health. If you find yourself unable to work due to failing health, you may be unable to pay for basic needs or necessary medical care, adding stress about money to worries about your health.
  • Critical illness protection is designed to alleviate some additional expenses should you find yourself facing a life threatening health problem. Unlike income replacement coverage, critical illness plans pay a lump sum tax free benefit to be used as needed upon diagnosis of an approved illness.
  • The use of this benefit is comlpetely up to you. It can be used for out-of-town family members to visit, house cleaners, medical treatments, medical equipment, home repairs/modification, living expenses, even final vacations with family or friends.
  • The majority of critical illness claims are for heart attack, stroke and cancer diagnosis but they also cover other health issues depending on the policy details.
  • These types of plans allow you to focus on getting well and being with family and friends rather than worrying about making ends meet when you have additional health care costs.

Long Term Care

  • Protecting your financial dreams against the costs of long term care is another way to assist you in achieving your goals.
  • With longer life spans, one threat to your estate is the risk of requiring long term care later in life. The cost of care in a facility or special treatment in your home can be substantial and is not likely to be fully covered through our provincial health plan.
  • Long term care insurance can help fund these costs without eroding your assets. Typically it pays a benefit for each week you qualify. This usually means you have an inability to perform at least two activities of daily living or because of cognitive impairment.
  • If you would like to have an open discussion about your health care planning, costs and coverage during retirement, please feel welcome to contact us and start the conversation.

Health and Dental

  • Personal and Group extended health and dental plans are available depending on your needs..
  • These plans are in addition to your MSP coverage, and can be customized to suit your coverage level requirements.
  • Additional coverage can be helpful in spreading out the costs for unexpected bills from the dentist, pharmacist, optometrist, chiropractor, therapist and many others.
  • Determining the current cost of your medical expenses and the type and amount of coverage you would like is a good place for us to start, when reviewing these options.
  • Manulife Financial offers Health, Dental and Extended Health Care benefits with the following options:
    1. Coverage for Individuals and Families
    2. Coverage for those whose group benefits have been terminated
    3. Coverage for those who are self-employed with potential for premium to be tax deductible
  • Flexcare offers 7 different health and dental plans (3 of which are guaranteed issue) and many add-on benefits so that you can design a health plan that best meets your specific needs. Click here to learn more about Flexcare and to apply online.
  • Manulife Financial offers Health, Dental and Extended Health Care benefits with the following options:
  • FollowMe offers 4 guaranteed issue plans which are designed to "bridge the gap" for people who are leaving a group plan due to job loss or retirement so that their health and dental coverage is not interrupted.  As long as you apply within 60 days of leaving your group plan, you are guaranteed acceptance with FollowMe. Click here to learn more about FollowMe and to apply online.
  • Association Health and Dental plans offer 8 different plan choices with options for Dental only and Dental + Drug benefits. Click here to learn more about the Association Health and Dental plans and to apply online.

 

Mortgage Life Insurance

  • What the banks don't want you to know about Creditor Mortgage Life Insurance
  • Did you know the following facts about mortgage and creditor insurance offered through banks and trust companies?
  • They are “age banded” and may increase your rates as you enter the higher age bands. The premium that the bank quotes you may be valid for only one year.
  • These insurance programs do not offer contractually guaranteed rates. The insurer may increase their rates at any time depending on the experience of the program; the insurance carriers expense factor, the market interest rates, etc.
  • The program can be cancelled with thirty days notice, potentially leaving you without mortgage life insurance coverage.
  • Coverage terminates if you move your mortgage to another lending institution due to more competitive rates. Once again, this may leave you without insurance coverage.
  • Creditor mortgage coverage does not leave you the option of taking the death benefit in a lump sum cash payment and continue paying the mortgage if due to high investment rates, it is more advantageous to invest the cash rather than pay off the mortgage.
  • It also does not allow you the option of retaining the insurance coverage past the point in time that the mortgage is paid off.
  • Unlike an individual Term Life Insurance contract, creditor mortgage coverage is not a legal contract that can only be terminated by you.
  • If a spouse dies prematurely, the other spouse is automatically no longer insured.
  • When a mortgage is retired early through a bank or trust company, a penalty is assessed. This penalty generally equals approximately three months interest. This penalty cannot be insured as part of the “creditor mortgage” coverage offered by banks and trust companies. However, it can be insured as part of an individual term insurance policy.
  • Under creditor life coverage “impaired risks” are not offered coverage at a rated premium should a health condition be present. Generally, if any of the health questions are answered “yes” on the creditor’s application, coverage is automatically denied – no additional underwriting takes place! Individual policies offer further investigation into the history and current status of the health condition and, in most cases, can often offer coverage at a slightly higher than normal premium.
  • What you should do
  • We recommend that you purchase Individual Term Life Coverage for your mortgage in the event of premature death.
  • The advantages to Individual Term Life are:
  • Premium remains consistent for the term of your policy.
    Coverage will never decline even as you pay down your mortgage.
  • In the event of premature death, your beneficiaries can either pay off the mortgage right away or invest the money – it’s their choice!
  • You can keep the coverage even after you pay off your mortgage.
  • Only you can cancel the policy – not the institution that holds your insurance.
  • The insurance company does a full underwriting before the policy is issued.
  • If policies are purchased on each person’s life and one spouse dies prematurely, the other spouse is still insured.
  • Free Quotes 
  • If you would like a free quote on Individual Term Life Coverage for your mortgage insurance, please contact our office.

Travel Insurance

  • Manulife Financial offers the following travel insurance options:
    • Out of province/out of country travel insurance for Canadians
    • Visitors to Canada travel insurance
    • Student travel insurance
  • Travelling Canadians can choose from the following options:
    1. Single-Trip Plan: Provides coverage for one trip for the number of days purchased. No age limit but you will have to answer medical questions if you are age 60 or over.
    2. Multi-Trip Plan: Provides coverage for an unlimited number of trips during the policy year for the number of days purchased. Options of 4, 10, 18, 30 or 60 day plans. No age limit.
    3. All-Inclusive Plan: Provides coverage for Emergency Medical, Trip Cancellation & Interruption, Baggage Loss, Delay & Damage, Flight Accident and Travel Accident. Available in single trip or multi-trip
    4. Travel Canada Plan: Provides Emergency Medical Insurance if all travel is within Canada at 50% off the regular Single-Trip Emergency Medical Plan rates.
    5. Trip Cancellation/Interruption Plan: Provides coverage if you are unable to travel or your trip is interrupted due to a covered event.  
  • Click here to purchase Manulife Travel Insurance for out of province or out of country travel.
  • Emergency Medical Insurance for Visitors to Canada is ideal for:
  • Visitors to Canada
  • Canadians who are not eligible for benefits under a government insurance plan.
  • Persons who are in Canada on a work visa
  • New immigrants who are awaiting government health insurance plan coverage
  • Click here to purchase Visitor's to Canada Insurance from Manulife Financial.
  • Student Travel Insurance is ideal for:
    • Full-time Canadian students studying abroad
    • Full-time Canadian students studying in a different province
    • Full-time International student studying within Canada  
  • If provides up to $2 million for emergency medical coverage and coverage for non-emergency medical benefits such as: annual medical examination, annual eye examination, maternity benefit, accident death or dismemberment.
  • Click here to purchase Student Travel Insurance from Manulife Financial.