Segregated Funds
Learn the benefits of segregated funds and how they can be used to plan for your future
Segregated funds
Segregated fund policies are insurance products with investment features.
- You pay premiums to an insurance policy, and allocate them to segregated fund investment options selected by you and your advisor.
- The premiums in these segregated funds are then invested by the investment manager in stocks, bonds or other assets, depending on the fund's investment objectives.
- And because they are available through an insurance policy, you can take advantage of unique benefits to bring more certainty and flexibility to your financial plan for your family and business.
Our products make it easy for you to diversify your investment holdings with a wide range of investment options from guaranteed interest terms to aggressive international equity funds.
Benefits of Segregated Fund Policies
Put the benefits of segregated fund policies to work for you. They have unique features that make them different from mutual funds.
Lifetime income benefit option
Take control of your retirement and income by guaranteeing your income for life. With the lifetime income benefit option, your income won’t decrease regardless of how the segregated funds perform unless excess withdrawals are taken. You get protection against the risk of outliving your money, market volatility and inflation.
You can choose to receive guaranteed income for life on selected policies—speak to your advisor to learn more.
Maturity guarantees
Segregated fund policies provide guarantees of either 75% or 100% of the premiums paid (less a proportional amount of redemptions), depending on the product selected. These guarantees allow you to plan more effectively for life events such as your retirement.
Death benefit guarantees
Segregated fund policies provide a principal guarantee in the event of death. This death benefit guarantee is usually either 75% or 100% of the premiums paid (or policy value if you’ve locked in market gains with policy resets) less a proportional amount of redemptions, depending on the product selected.
Potential protection from creditors
Laws may protect a segregated fund policy in the event of bankruptcy or other action by creditors. It’s important to note that creditor protection may depend on court decisions concerning such laws, which can be subject to change and can vary for each province. This protection cannot be guaranteed.
Speedy estate settlement
Segregated fund policies can help speed up estate settlement with protection for you and your family. If you name a beneficiary, the death benefit isn’t subject to the delays and expenses of the probate process. For non-registered policies (where the beneficiary is not the estate), several estate planning options are available to help organize future income payments for your beneficiary, in addition to the traditional option of a lump-sum payout.
Named beneficiary
You can choose one or more beneficiaries. These designations can be your estate, your children or other individuals, or associations such as charities.
Features vary by age and product. Ask your advisor for more information.
Estate Protection
Keep your hard-earned money in the family
With Canada Life Estate Protection policies, the death benefit proceeds go directly to your named beneficiaries and avoid estate administrative costs. This product provides an immediate 100% guarantee on notification of death of the last annuitant for all premiums applied to the policy prior to age 91 of the annuitant (less any redemptions). Estate Protection policies are available to annuitants between age 80 and 90.
Benefits
- You can name your beneficiaries.
- You may save on estate costs.
- You can keep the details of your estate private.
- Your money passes to your beneficiaries immediately.
- You can choose how your beneficiary receives the death benefit proceeds—as a lump sum or as an income stream.
- You have a wide choice of investment options.
A description of the key features of Canada Life’s Estate Protection contract is contained in the information folder, available from your advisor.
Note: Any amount that is allocated to a segregated fund is invested at the risk of the policyholder and may increase or decrease in value.