We are pleased to launch and welcome you to our newest communication tool: Underwriting Connexion! The goal is to give you a ''behind the scenes'' view of iA underwriting, where we will share insights and information to better serve you and your clients.
Each edition will highlight a variety of different topics:
What’s new in underwriting?
Understanding our processes and our philosophy.
Underwriting tips.
Quiz – test your knowledge.
Meet our team.
What’s next in the future of underwriting?
These topics will help you see the advancements iA is making in our underwriting guidelines and procedures. We are always using your valuable feedback and monitoring national and global industry trends and advancements to work on being the Center of Underwriting Excellence you can rely on.
Serving you better
Changes to financial underwriting requirements | >$5,000,000 applications
Great news! We heard your requests to makeiA’sfinancial guidelines easier. Effective November 24, 2023, we have simplified our financial requirements.
$5,000,001 - $10,000,000
The Inspection Report is replaced by the newly enhanced Financial Questionnaire (Q2A)
$10,000,001+
The Inspection Report can be replaced by all of the following: 1. Cover letter, 2. Financial Questionnaire, 3. Financial Statements/Notice of Assessments and 4. Third-party verification of assets.*
*iA must be notified if this is the information you will be providing so we don’t order an inspection report unnecessarily.
We believe that these changes will simplify the collection of financialinformation and allow us to obtain the best financial information that underwriters need to analyze your client’s file.
Changes to the VIP program
Effective October 23, 2023, we have changed the requirements for VIP. The new requirement is $10,000+ in annual premiums. Our VIP service offers a full suite of benefits:
Data entry and verification within 24 hrs
Frequent follow-ups with service providers for outstanding medical requirements
Decision within 24 hours when all requirements on a case have been received
Policy contract issuance within 24 hrs after approval
Access to advanced financial and tax solutions services
Access to a Senior Underwriter and VIP Case Coordinator
Dedicated VIP mailbox and telephone number
Behind the scenes
Underwriting Centre of Excellence
We are a team of Head Underwriters, with a combined 150 years of underwriting experience. One of our mandates as the Underwriting Centre of Excellence is to be the source of underwriting innovation and continuously make iA’s underwriting rules competitive. We do this by working closely with the Underwriting Operations, Claims Operations and Partnership teams to gather information from our advisors and clients on how we can best serve their needs. We use this information to continuously improve our guidelines, train underwriters and enhance our electronic underwriting rules.
Meet our Team
Each edition we will introduce you to members of our Underwriting Team.
Marcel P | Chief Underwriter
Marcel is the Chief Underwriter and Claims Risk Officer at iA Financial Group. As head of the Underwriting Centre of Excellence, it is his mandate to lead iA’s underwriting innovation initiatives to create the underwriting of the future. Prior to his current role, he was Director of Underwriting Operations where he led the Risk Selection teams in production. He is a licensed interior designer and is passionate about travel photography.
Suzie F | Partnership Consultant
Suzie has been working as an underwriter since 2008, with a longstanding career at iA. She enjoys supporting our clients, agents and underwriters with her knowledge of life, CI and disability underwriting. She enjoys underwriting all types of risks and finds that each client file presents a new person’s unique story. She is an avid dancer—her team having received an honourable mention at the Candance National Championship in July 2023. When Suzie isn’t stepping her way into a dance competition (hip hop and production), or enjoying time playing sports, or watching sports or music shows, she calls iA’s Partnership team home.
Philippe S | Head Underwriter
Philippe began underwriting in 1998 and has experience in all aspects of underwriting—production, training, auditing, improving guidelines and electronic underwriting rules. He has a love of learning and breaking down complex concepts into understandable parts. For this reason, he loves learning about new impairments, and researching and developing better guidelines to serve our clients and iA underwriters. When he’s at home, he’s learning Japanese, growing his extensive board game collection, playing ball hockey, and reading military, history, political and sci-fi books.
iA Financial Group, 1080 Grande Allee West, PO BOX 1907, Station Terminus, , Quebec, Quebec G1K 7M3 (Canada).
To stop receiving commercial electronic messages from iA Financial Group, manage your preferences. To stop receiving all commercial electronic messages from Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc., unsubscribe from all.
