Get the Great-West Life advantage
What matters to us is the success of your group retirement and savings plans.
Your organization is unique. You have your own set of standards, goals and perspectives. That s why we take an individual approach to your group retirement and savings plans needs. Your needs and the needs of your members are what push us to be innovative and to provide superior products and services. That s why we measure customer satisfaction which dictates itself to continual improvement of our products and services. The high levels of satisfaction reported on our surveys prove we have the expertise and dedication you are looking for. We take that feedback and improve on our innovation, supporting you with the right people, in the right places at the right time. This brochure features QR codes. Scanning one of these codes with a QR-code reader on your mobile device will give you a direct link to more information on that product or service. www.brainshark.com/grs/psintro 1 1 1
Innovation To provide you and your members with the best support and service, we need to be innovators. So we re constantly using new technologies and platforms to connect with you and your members. GRS Access Member home page Members customize their home page to show the information that s most important to them. We can also customize it with custom content widgets and your logo. www.grsaccess.com Take a tour using this guest access ID: Access ID: Password: DEMO ONLINE4U Personal rate of return widget Plan members visiting GRS Access can see a dynamic personal rate of return widget on their home page. It s fun and easy for members to use and shows them what their investments actually earned within various time periods. By using an Internal rate of return (IRR) calculation, also known as dollar-weighted return, Great-West Life helps them see how their personal activities affect their investment returns, which we feel is a much more realistic picture than the time-weighted calculation many other financial firms offer. www.brainshark.com/grs/pspror 2
Dynamic, online member presentations This engaging format can include animations, quizzes, surveys and videos to keep members interested. www.brainshark.com/grs/pstfsa emagazines Smart retirement and Smart investing Members can flip through the Smart investing magazine and the Smart retirement guide on their home computer or certain tablets. www.brainshark.com/grs/pssmart_inv 3
Mobile My 1 per cent advantage This award-winning calculator helps members who prefer to get information to go. It s compatible with iphones, ipads, and most BlackBerry devices. www.my1percentadvantage.ca Member education when and how members want it. BlackBerry, RIM, Research In Motion, SureType, SurePress and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research In Motion Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. iphone and ipad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. 4
Member experience Exceptional member experience is a key to a successful group retirement plan. For that reason we provide members with plain speaking, engaging resources that are meaningful to members. Your retirement guide Your retirement guide is an all-in-one solution for members, containing everything they need to enrol in a convenient magazine-style format. www.brainshark.com/grs/psyrg Your retirement guide Your retirement guide Your company name Your logo goes here Your retirement guide Client Your company name goes name here Client name goes here Your company name Client Your logo goes here Your logo goes here Client logo goes here Member enrolment presentation Led by our knowledgeable and approachable education and communication managers, these presentations help your members start on the right foot when it comes to your retirement plan. Online enrolment An easier way for members to enrol in your group retirement plan. Making retirement planning easy for members 5
Retirement planning tool Helps members envision their retirement and what they need to save to get there. The information members fill in here powers their retirement income illustration on their statement. www.brainshark.com/grs/psrpt_video Access Line 1-800-724-3402 When your members call Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, they re greeted by a friendly client service representative, who can help them understand their investment options or answer their questions. They can use the automated service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, anywhere in North America. To prevent confusion for members whose first language isn t English or French, you can choose to include a service that offers interpretation in more than 150 languages. Investment and retirement specialists Non-commissioned Certified Financial Planners are available through Access Line to tailor an investment strategy that s in line with a member s retirement goal, investment personality and unique circumstances even to help members choose the retirement income product(s) that can work best. Customized posters Remind members of your plan services, benefits, education sessions or recent changes to your plan. Make yourself at home Watch a short video to learn how to personalize your group retirement savings plan home page. With just a few clicks, you ll be able to display the information most valuable to you like your portfolio balance, fund performance and get quick access to educational tools. Retirement planning at your service Make the most of the many services available to you Visit www.grsaccess.com Once registered on our interactive website, you can view or print your plan statement, complete transactions, view information about your current investment choices and plan online. Call Access Line at 1-800-724-3402 Take advantage of our automated phone service, available 24 hours a day, or speak directly with a client service representative Monday to Friday, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., ET. You can transfer retirement assets between funds, change future investment instructions, check plan balances, and much more. Client logo goes here Service at your fingertips Scan this code with your smartphone or visit http://www.brainshark.com/grs/mhpp-e to see the video. 6 Great-West Life and key design are trademarks of The Great-West Life Assurance Company (Great-West), used under licence by its subsidiary, London Life Insurance Company (London Life). As described in this poster, the group retirement and savings products are issued by London Life. 00-0000-0/00
Member meetings Gives members the opportunity to receive in-depth education on a variety of investment and retirement related topics. Simply speaking news This semi-annual newsletter tells your members about new tools, updates and reminds them to regularly increase their contributions. SimplySpeakingneWS Winter 2012 GRS Access member home page wins 2011 ifca award The GRS Access member home page is easy to use and innovative. You can personalize the information you see when you sign in to this secure website. The latest enhancements to the member home page have been recognized by the Insurance and Financial Communicators top up Your rrsp the deadline before if your plan has an rrsp, save on the 2011 income tax you pay by making an Association (IFCA) in their 2011 awards competition. Members have shown they re most interested in account balances and the performance of their funds. additional contribution to your rrsp before the february 29, 2012 deadline. GRS Access home page gets even more personal now you can get a quick picture of your personal rates of return, from your first contribution to your Great-West Life group retirement and savings plan(s). It s easy with the new GRS Access home page widget to look at your one-, three-, five- and 10-year personal rates of return. This new section of your home page has additional information about your personal rate of return and what it means to your overall retirement and savings goal just by clicking Learn more. Like the other widgets on your GRS Access home page, you can move, delete or collapse the new widget to suit your preference. Try out the new widget today on GRS Access and view a quick demonstration at www.brainshark.com/grs/newpersonalrorwidget. Gen Y slow getting started As a plan member, you ve already taken a big step towards reaching your savings goals, whether they are retirement, education or buying a home. The earlier you start saving, the more money you ll have for making future choices. You ve got a jump on many of your peers when it comes to having choices later in life. Less than 50 per cent of those born between 1983 and 1991, called Generation Y, have started to save for retirement and fewer than a quarter (21 per cent) are actively participating in planning for retirement, according to a survey by Scottrade*. If you re a Gen Y plan member, contributing to your future, you re ahead of a lot of your peers: 60 per cent of Gen Y saved nothing toward retirement last year 40 per cent plan to save nothing this year By participating in your group plan, you re giving yourself choices many of your peers won t have for the future. Plus, as a member of a group plan, you get the advantage of lower fees than those traditionally available with individual savings plans. See how much more you can save by simply consolidating all your savings into your group plan at GRS Access > Smart tools > Calculators > my group advantage. $500,000 $400,000 $300,000 $200,000 $100,000 $0 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 this chart demonstrates how saving $2,000 at the beginning of each year from age 20 versus age 35 can make a significant difference in retirement savings. Age $480,197 $179,779 *Source: Plansponsor.com The sandwich generation You might think your group retirement and savings plan is focused on having choices during your retirement. You may however find there are additional expenses you hadn t considered; your parents may depend on you for financial help and care giving and your children may look to you for education and other support. Being sandwiched between different generations of your family can be challenging at the best of times. Have you considered this as one of your potential future financial obligations? Your parents probably wouldn t put you in this sandwich intentionally. They may have: been overly optimistic about what the government and their investments could deliver under-planned for things like medical issues Put off saving If you are in the serious stage of investing, you understand the importance of considering all potential financial obligations, revisiting your choices and growing your contributions. Active aging: Redefining retirement The first of the baby boomers hit the magic age of 65 this year. Baby boomers, now more commonly called zoomers, are the generation that lobbied, protested and engaged the world in important issues like human rights and healthy environments. They redefined life in the second half of the 20th century and now they re redefining retirement. One thing has become very clear retirement no longer means you re old. The retirement stereotype doesn t define how the retired population is spending their time; the individuality that defined the 1960s and 1970s is now being reflected in the active lifestyles of those over 65. no matter what age, zoomers don t feel old. When asked what age old actually is, they consistently reply with a number that is 10 years older than they are. Old is a moving target. As the zoomers age, the number that represents old gets higher. This active attitude of zoomers is a benefit to every community. A survey on retirement found those polled, all retired people, were concerned for the well-being of their children, their parents and their communities. Zoomers are 10 times more likely, according to the poll, to put others first (43 per cent). They re staying actively involved in their communities and their families; they re actively involved in their health and wellness. Retirement has taken on a new look. It s one that benefits from good planning. Make the most of your group retirement plan by comparing how much you could save by bringing all your savings to your group plan. Visit the My group advantage calculator on GRS Access to see what a difference the fee structure on a group plan can make to your bottom line compared to individual savings. MCC# 89160 We designed the dynamic member home page to include these personalized items, giving you easier access to what you consider most important. You can choose what to display by moving, deleting or closing containers of information called widgets. You can: Get a quick picture of your investment portfolio balance by plan and asset class review the types of investment options you ve chosen Compare your investment performance over time using charts and graphs review your investments Get fund reports find useful educational tools like videos, calculators and articles Feedback indicates we ve hit the mark and we ll continue to introduce useful new widgets, such as the new personalized rate of return widget. Check the notice of Assessment you received after filing your 2010 income tax return for your available contribution limit. Contribute as much as suits you within that limit. You can also top up your regular savings if you still have room so your retirement savings grow even faster. Make sure to leave time to mail in your cheques; contributions must be postmarked by Feb. 29, 2012. Complete a lump-sum contribution form and mail it to Great-West Life. Call Access Line if you need assistance. Get a quick picture of your personal rates of return. See inside to learn how > Statements With our statements, members get a clear idea of where they are and what they need to do to reach their goals. They don t need to work to get this information statements clearly show action items in smart messages and the smart retirement income illustrations show if they re on track to reaching their savings goals. Your logo goes here Your logo goes here 7
Pay inserts A convenient way to communicate to your members. Give members a quick reminder to keep an eye on their retirement savings, or let them know about new services and products. At your service at your convenience Are you making the most of the many member services available to you? Visit our web site at www.grsaccess.com. Once registered, you can: view or print your plan statement at any time; change the direction of your future deposits and maturing investments; complete transactions; and view information about your current investment choices. Call Access Line at 1-800-724-3402 and speak directly with a client service specialist, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., eastern time. With Access Line you can: transfer retirement assets between funds; change future investment instructions; check plan balances; and much more. Call today! Smart tools Centralizes online education resources and tools into one convenient online portal. It s updated regularly with articles, tools and resources such as our award-winning education videos. Education and enrolment videos Even when one-on-one education isn t possible for members, we can provide award-winning education videos on Smart tools or through dynamic online presentations. www.brainshark.com/grs/psed_videos 8
Simply speaking articles One page articles that give members quick and valuable information on investing for retirement. Hold on during volatile times Since no one can accurately predict when the market will decline or recover, it's wise to simply stay invested in the market to ensure that you capture the days when the market performs at its best. Staying the Course: S&P/TSX Composite Annualized Performance from June 30, 2006 to June 30, 2011 The market often rewards those who stay invested through market fluctuations. The chart below shows that holding on to your investments can pay off over time. As you can see: missing the best 10 days over the past five years results in a 11.75 per cent decrease (rate of return decreases from 2.75 per cent to -9.00 per cent) missing the best 20 days over the past five years results in a 18.44 per cent decrease (rate of return decreases from 2.75 per cent to -15.69 per cent) By thinking long-term, you avoid the headaches of moving in and out of the market and missing some of the biggest daily gains. Source: Yahoo Finance. It's time in the market and not timing the market that counts. The information provided is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of the date of publication. This information is general in nature, and is intended for educational purposes only. Oct. 6, 2011 My group advantage calculator Members get a clear idea of the advantage their group plan offers with My group advantage calculator. It demonstrates the difference lower investment management fees can have on their retirement savings and income. www.brainshark.com/grs/psgroup_calc Smart Smart investing investing Smart investing Provides insights into investing for retirement and practical advice on how members can get the most out of their savings. Take control of your future Where Will your retirement income come from? Planning and setting goals diving into The investment Pool strategies for success 9
Acquaint Financial Having a healthy financial plan isn t limited to retirement. Our exclusive agreement with Acquaint Financial allows you to help members develop their overall financial plan through interactive seminars and the iacquaint website. www.brainshark.com/grs/psacquaint Online cash withdrawal This optional service makes withdrawing funds convenient allowing members to make secure online withdrawals with direct deposits to their personal bank account. Smart retirement Guides members in turning their retirement savings into retirement income. Retirement income solutions Members can count on Great-West Life support even after they retire with our dependable retirement income solutions. Smart retirement Smart retirement Retirement income solutions sponsored by <YourCompany logo> We know your standards extend well beyond your career. When you retire, you might relax but your standards won t. That s why we ve established a group registered retirement income fund (RRIF) and life income fund (LIF) to meet the needs of retiring members and their families. Through the YourCompany group retirement income plan you have access to retirement income products such as non-registered savings plan, the registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) and a tax-free savings account. > Countdown to retirement > Sources of retirement income > Investing to minimize tax > Quick tips Three to five years before retirement The group advantage? Lower-than-typical retail management fees (see Think of the savings for an example) An impressive array of investment options from professional investment managers Access to free, personalized assistance from an investment and retirement specialist Better interest rates on guaranteed investment accounts Online access to your account and important information No administration or transfer fees Retirement road map Review investment portfolio Revisit your investment strategy and consider shifting to more conservative or lower-risk investments. Understand your plan Learn how plan rules and government legislation affect withdrawals of your retirement savings. Re-evaluate lifestyle needs List possible lifestyle changes that will occur upon retirement. Consider things such as travel, part-time work or downsizing to a new home. Estimate living expenses Track current spending and use this information to estimate retirement income needs and develop a realistic budget don t forget about inflation. Estimate retirement income Take inventory of all potential income sources. Remember that personal savings, company retirement plans and government benefits will determine retirement income. One year to go Six months to go Use this checklist to prepare for your retirement Verify pension eligibility Contact Great-West to ensure you meet age requirements for receiving company or government pensions. Think about estate planning Review your will, powers of attorney and investment plans. Ease into retirement Review your retirement options and obtain a personalized retirement illustration that details the income you can expect from your personal savings. Update beneficiary information Contact the benefits administrator at your workplace and at Great-West to ensure your company pension plan and personal savings plans have updated beneficiaries. Apply for government benefits Verify your eligibility for Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and old age security (OAS) benefits. Call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 or visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca. For the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP), call 1-800-463-5185 or visit www.rrq.gouv.qc.ca. Apply for company pensions Contact the benefits administrator at your workplace to let him/her know when you d like to start receiving pension payments. Sources of income for Canadians age 65 + Pensions and RRSPs 34% Personal investments 11% Other sources 13% How much can I expect to receive in retirement income from my personal savings? Check out the retirement income examples on the back of this page. CPP/QPP and OAS 42% Source: 2007, HRSDC calculations based on Statistics Canada 10
Investments One of the benefits of partnering with Great-West Life is your access to the most extensive investment line-up in the group retirement industry in Canada. It gives you choices and greater flexibility to create an investment menu to meet the needs of plan members at every stage of their lives. Asset allocation funds a single fund solution We offer the most extensive asset allocation fund solution in the industry: three target risk and four target date asset allocation funds. Our suite of asset allocation funds offer plan members a simple yet sophisticated investment solution to help reach their retirement goals. Two types of asset allocation fund programs Target risk asset allocation funds based on risk profiles determined by our Investment personality questionnaire. The spectrum of target risk funds includes conservative, moderate, balanced, advanced and aggressive profiles. Target date asset allocation funds based on a selected retirement date, also referred to as the member s investment time horizon. Custom target date funds are available for plans with $20 million or more in assets. Fund reports Highlight the information members need to know to make sound investment decisions and help them keep track of their investment performance. Asset allocation funds Simple yet sophisticated Through Great-West Life you have access to two types of asset allocation fund solutions: target risk and target date asset allocation funds. Both offer plan members simple investment solutions built on sophisticated and proven investment management principles. A comparison of target date fund solutions * The investment manager review, a quantitative and qualitative review process, is applied on a semi-annual basis to every investment manager and each investment fund accessible in our core investment lineup. The process is performed by the Investment Manager Review Committee. Great-West Life offers the most extensive target date fund lineup in the group retirement industry. The chart below compares our four target date fund solutions. BlackRock Canadian LifePath Fidelity ClearPath Cadence Series Funds Continuum Target Date Funds Index Funds Retirement Portfolios 2006 2008 2007 2004 Launched Number of ranging from ranging from ranging from ranging from funds Nine funds, 2010 to 2050 Nine funds, 2010 to 2050 Eight funds, 2010 to 2045 Eight funds, 2010 to 2045 Key characteristic Option to tailor the funds to members Use mostly institutional investment Index-based First institutional target date fund in risk tolerance managers Canada Investment Multi-manager Multi-manager Passive Active approach Multi-style Multi-style Single-manager (BlackRock) Single-manager (Pyramis Asset Allocation Team, a division of Fidelity) Portfolio Diversified investments Modelled after Continuum Funds BlackRock index funds Fidelity institutional pooled funds construction Managed by Great-West Life Managed by Great-West Life Constructed by BlackRock Constructed by Pyramis Asset Allocation Portfolio Solutions Group Portfolio Solutions Group Designed to emulate the performance Team Underlying funds consist of primarily Underlying funds consist of primarily of certain equity and fixed income internal managers external managers indexes Asset class Canadian equity Canadian equity Canadian equity Canadian equity Canadian bond Canadian bond Global equity U.S. equity U.S. equity U.S. equity Canadian bond International equity International equity International equity Canadian inflation-linked bond Fixed income Money market funds Alternative Real estate Real estate Global infrastructure High yield bonds investments Mortgages Mortgages Real estate Global real estate Global bonds Global bonds Emerging markets Equity allocation Thirty six per cent equity and Thirty six per cent equity and Forty per cent equity and Retirement phase - Shifts from at maturity 64 per cent fixed income at target date 64 per cent fixed income at target date 60 per cent fixed income at target date 40 per cent equity and 60 per cent fixed and thereafter and thereafter and thereafter income into the post-retirement phase. Post-retirement phase - 10 years after retirement. Set at 30 per cent equity and 70 per cent fixed income. Asset mix Actively managed and regularly Actively managed and regularly Reviewed and rebalanced quarterly Regularly rebalanced using cash flows rebalancing rebalanced to maintain a rebalanced to maintain a to maintain a daily target asset mix pre-determined threshold pre-determined threshold Due diligence These funds and their associated These funds and their associated These funds are monitored by BlackRock These funds are monitored by Pyramis investment managers are monitored investment managers are monitored and are subject to our investment Asset Allocation Team and are subject to by Great-West Life Portfolio Solutions by Great-West Life Portfolio Solutions manager review process. our investment manager review process. Group and are subject to our investment Group and are subject to our investment manager review* process. manager review process. Consideration for Cadence Plus (counterweight funds) N/A N/A N/A risk tolerance Automatic investment rebalancing service This optional service automatically re-adjusts a members investments to ensure the investment options remain in line with that member s risk tolerance. Member investment selection service This optional service helps members choose their investment options. Members get help by calling Great-West Life plan investment consultants. Our non-commissioned, qualified investment professionals provide unbiased investment advice and help members select investments that best suit their retirement and savings goals. As an additional benefit, automatic investment rebalancing is included in this service. Investment manager reviews As a value-added service, the investment manager reviews ensure the quality and consistency of our investment options, allow you to spend less time monitoring investments offered in your plan and help to meet your plan governance responsibilities. The results of the reviews are easily accessible on GRS Access. National investments services team Our national investments services team are experts on all of our investment managers and their funds and are here to help you with additional investment expertise and support. 11
Sponsor services Good working relationships aren t created they re earned. We re eager to earn your trust and respect. When you work with us, you work with a dedicated team who knows you and knows your plan. Your very own customer service specialist will be with you every step of the way. National service program Created annually and specific to each client, our national service program sets high standards for quality service and continuous improvement through a structured, disciplined service delivery. GRS Access (www.grsaccess.com) Your online hub for the information and tools you need to manage your plan. You can generate your most recent client statement, create reports and transfer files. Access to information by your plan administrators can be restricted at your discretion. Take a tour of the sponsor view using this guest access ID: Access ID: Password: ADMIN ONLINE4U Client reporting Stay up-to-date on your group retirement plans when you need it with GRS Access, where you can create reports on demand. We ll also work with you to create custom reports that give you information in the format you want it. The Link online newsletter To save you time, we deliver timely and relevant information directly to your inbox six times a year. Our sponsor newsletter lets you know about important services, products and legislation that could make a difference to you and your members. 12
Measurement Client satisfaction is an important part of our corporate culture. We post quarterly client satisfaction posters in our offices to keep us focused on the goal of exceptional customer service. That ability to continually build and improve the client and member experience is one of our key qualities. We follow a cycle of innovation. If it s worth doing, it s worth measuring. Gathering feedback from clients and members Providing platforms for feedback including surveys in the call centre, member meetings, client meetings Analyzing their needs during quarterly reviews Implementing through the right people at the right time Innovating and creating solutions Our group products n Registered retirement savings plans (RRSP) n Registered pension plans (RPP) (defined contribution) n Deferred profit sharing plans (DPSP) n Simplified pension plans (in Quebec and Manitoba) n Non-registered savings plans (NRSP) n Tax-free savings accounts (TFSA) n Investment-only plans 13
Implementation First impressions count. So during the implementation process, we take it very seriously. We offer: n A project management approach that makes for a simple implementation for you and your members n People who are dedicated to the success of your plan and willing to hear and understand your perspective n A foundation in experience that allows us to be flexible enough to meet your unique needs n A dedicated customer service specialist who s there for you as your first point of contact for your day-to-day plan needs Working with you to understand your unique needs Our commitment to you Your trust and confidence is vital to us. So we won t compromise when it comes to safeguards and compliance. Our business processes are matched with careful plan design and ongoing education to help you meet your obligations. Privacy guidelines Independent audits CAP guidelines tools and support Business continuity plans Investment manager reviews Legislative updates We ve got you covered. 14
Our experience your advantage Get the advantage of a leading provider of capital accumulation plans in Canada Group retirement services n More than 17,500 plans administered n Over 1.3 million plan member accounts n $37.6 billion in assets under administration n $5.3 billion in annual contributions for 2013 n 13 offices across Canada n More than 130 retirement specialists ready to help you and your members Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life n Over $42.2 billion in pension and group savings assets n Over $341 billion in assets under administration n Serve the financial security needs of more than 12 million people across Canada n Members of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies As at Dec. 31, 2013 In the U.S. Great-West Financial* n US$386.8 billion in pension and savings plan assets n Second largest retirement plan provider based on participant count * Numbers as at Dec. 31, 2013 and including amounts from the pending acquisition of J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services, scheduled for the third quarter of 2014, subject to U.S. regulatory approval. If each of our members took only one second to introduce themselves to you, it would take them almost two weeks, 24 hours a day, to do so. 15
Begin your partnership with Great-West Life by contacting your local Group Retirement Services representative. 16
The Great-West Life Assurance Company, the key design and Retirement solutions that never stop working are trademarks of The Great-West Life Assurance Company (Great-West Life), used under licence by London Life Insurance Company (London Life) and The Canada Life Assurance Company (Canada Life) for the promotion and marketing of insurance products. London Life and Canada Life are subsidiaries of Great-West Life. As described in this brochure, the group retirement and savings products are issued by London Life and the payout annuity products are issued by Canada Life. The Link is a registered trademark of London Life Insurance Company. 46-3094B-5/14