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‘Desjardins Insurance is connected to the voice of clients and advisors – that drives our experience and our enhancements’

In the world of life and health insurance, moving quickly and evolving with the times is essential – not only to best serve your clients but also to keep your products and services relevant. At Desjardins Insurance, this mindset drives an intention to empower advisors and supports a continuously evolving offering that brings together a wide range of life and health insurance solutions – creating a one-stop-shop experience. And, with extensive solutions, advisors can offer life and health insurance that can make them a much bigger part of their clients’ lives. In a recent interview with Insurance Business, Aris Christodoulou, regional sales director, revealed that the approach to all things at Desjardins Insurance is underpinned by a deep commitment to client experience.

Desjardins Insurance offers a wide range of life and health insurance and savings and investment solutions through its extensive distribution networks. More than five million Canadians are counting on our solid expertise and our people-focused approach at every stage of their lives. Choosing Desjardins Insurance means choosing Desjardins Group, the largest financial cooperative group in North America with over 125 years of experience.

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Desjardins Insurance: an innovative landscape for 2026

Term Life is now more flexible and affordable.3 For example, policies are renewed every 5 years after the initial term

“Our term life insurance policies are now renewed every five years after the initial term. We’ve also extended the term exchange option for a policyowner to seven years, giving them even more flexibility to meet their longer-term insurance needs”

Aris Christodoulou, Desjardins Insurance

“Desjardins Insurance is connected to the voice of clients and advisors – that drives our experience and our enhancements,” he told IB. “We continuously analyze industry best practices; we conduct targeted research to inform and guide our product development. All of this ensures that our solutions remain relevant and aligned with the real-world needs of Canadians.”

At its core, Desjardins Insurance is a client-centric organization – meaning innovations aren’t just about product features but also about creating meaningful value for the communities it serves while simultaneously supporting advisor growth. “We’re focused on equipping advisors with the right tools and the best practices to serve their clients more efficiently,” added Christodoulou. “As an organization, we have over 75 years of experience in life and health insurance in Canada1 – and we’re backed by a very stable financial group with over 125 years of history and $470.9 billion in assets.2 That makes us the largest financial cooperative in North America.”

And the enhancements don’t stop there. Desjardins Insurance's participating life insurance has also evolved, offering greater flexibility than before with the recent introduction of the tax-efficient additional deposit option (ADO). “It’s not only very flexible but it also allows clients to maximize the value of their policy. It’s been met with strong enthusiasm from both advisors and clients so far. ADO enables the potential for accelerated tax-deferred, cash-value growth, which can create added value for the beneficiaries right away.” The ADO means that clients can now maximize the value of their life insurance policies. Voluntary deposits are used to purchase paid-up additions, on top of those purchased with dividends. This can potentially increase the cash surrender value of the policy and the death benefit payable upon death. Furthermore, clients can adjust their deposits freely to match their financial capacity and personal goals, as well as stop and restart deposits at their convenience. All in all, it’s a highly flexible solution designed to fit their insurance needs on their terms.

“This is really targeted towards clients with surplus funds – Canadians who have growing wealth, business owners, high-net-worth clients – as it offers a great avenue for tax-efficient wealth accumulation in addition to helping protect them,” said Christodoulou. “With respect to the features, advisors really appreciate the flexibility to contribute additional amounts at their discretion. The first-year deposit sets the permitted annual deposit amount for the rest of the policy, but clients have the freedom to start or stop additional deposits at any point in the future during their lifetime.”

Over 75 years of shaping flexible and value-driven insurance solutions

Flexibility to meet a client’s unique journey with participating life insurance

Published January 28, 2026

“ADO enables the potential for accelerated tax-deferred, cash-value growth, which can create added value for the beneficiaries right away”

Aris Christodoulou, Desjardins Insurance

Desjardins Insurance, your one-stop shop for a wide range of life and health insurance products, enhanced several of its products in 2025.

Source: Desjardins Insurance

Over 75 years of experience in life and health insurance in Canada

Desjardins Insurance: proudly part of north america's largest financial cooperative

Backed by a stable financial group with over 125 years of history and $470.9 billion in assets

At Desjardins Insurance, the team of advisors is growing alongside their clients’ needs and expectations – transforming their range of product offerings to suit their clients’ evolving needs. “We’ve enhanced our term life insurance to essentially create more flexibility and affordability3 than before,” said Christodoulou. “Our term life insurance policies are now renewed every five years after the initial term. We’ve also extended the term-exchange option for a policyowner to seven years, giving them even more flexibility to meet their longer-term insurance needs.” “In addition, we’ve introduced more competitive3 premiums for $2 million and $10 million rate bands of insurance,” explained Christodoulou. “We’ve established a more simplified underwriting

Inside Desjardins Insurance’s term life coverage

process with the possibility of point-of-sale approval for life insurance coverage of up to $2 million.”

Desjardins Insurance’s ADO maximum annual amount is based on first-year deposits that are limited to the amount set in the policy.4 The improved annual statement clearly shows the allowable ADO contribution and includes an educational section to help clients understand the dividend scale and calculation of the accumulated paid-up additions.

A commitment to ongoing product innovation

With Desjardins Insurance, advisors can be the ones their clients trust with life’s big decisions – and that really begins with being flexible. “On the disability insurance front, we’ve revised the maximum monthly benefit by occupational class for new SOLO loan insurance and SOLO disability income products,” said Christodoulou. “We’ve also looked at the maximum benefit amount by income. At Desjardins Insurance, we’re providing more flexibility, more coverage, and opportunity that’s advantageous for our clients.”

Improved disability insurance, community-first solutions

Furthermore, to better align with employment insurance rules, Desjardins Insurance has added a 180-day waiting period in addition to the other waiting periods. “Other changes we’ve made to the plan include allowing all insured persons aged 60 and under to apply for benefits without proof of income, both at time of enrolment and during the term of the policy. The criteria for upgrading classes have been eased at the time of policy issue, and it’s possible to apply for an upgrade within the first five years of the policy without any medical evidence.”

Simplicity, long-term value

Looking to the future, Desjardins Insurance continues to remain competitive – evolving their products and offerings alongside client needs and expectations. And for Christodoulou, it’s a case of aligning innovative solutions around one core component – community.

“These product enhancements reflect Desjardins Insurance’s broader commitment to community-first solutions and beyond by prioritizing flexibility, simplicity, and helping with long-term value creation for clients,” added Christodoulou. “That’s across various life stages and various financial situations. We’re continuously evolving to make it easier for advisors to do business with us.”

1 Our story - DFS - Desjardins Life Insurance - DFS - Desjardins Life Insurance. 2 Quick Facts about our Cooperative | Desjardins as of January 1, 2025. 3 “Affordability” and “more competitive” refer to pricing that may be competitive within the market based on specific coverage amounts, client profiles, and underwriting criteria. Actual premiums may vary. 4 The deposit amount is limited to the amount set in the policy. The permitted annual deposit amount may change. 5The maximum insurance coverage amount of $4 million applies across all insurers combined. Desjardins Insurance refers to Desjardins Financial Security Life Assurance Company. Desjardins®, Desjardins Insurance®, all trademarks containing the word Desjardins, as well as related logos are trademarks of the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec, used under licence. 200 Rue Des Commandeurs, Lévis QC G6V 6R2 / 1-866-647-5013

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Every single one of these changes has improved the advisor experience by helping to streamline processes, deepen support, and align Desjardins Insurance with community needs – something that really can’t go amiss in the current, increasingly fast landscape. For example, on the critical illness insurance side, the maximum coverage amount option is now $4 million,5 and Desjardins Insurance has also introduced enhancements to its disability products.

Participating Life offers a flexible and tax-efficient Additional Deposit Option (available for Accelerated Growth and Estate Enhancer)

Improved disability insurance – for example, all insured persons aged 60 and under can apply for benefits without proof of income

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About us

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Asia

New Zealand

United States

United Kingdom

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IB Markets - Contact Us

Providers

Line of Business

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Cannabis

Catastrophe

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Commercial Solutions

Construction & Engineering

Cyber

Environmental

Hospitality

Legal Insights

Life & Health

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Motor & Fleet

Non-Profits & Charities

Professional Risks

Property

SME

Transformation

Travel

Specialty

Best in Insurance

Business Strategy

E-mag

Editorial Panels

Events

Guides

IB Talk

Industry Insights

Insurance Companies

Legal Advisory Board

Opinion

Premium Content

Webinars

White papers

Resources

Reinsurance

Risk Management

Insurance News

Industry News

Columns

Diversity & Inclusion

Mergers & Acquisitions

Legal Advisory Board

News

RSS

Sitemap

About us

Conditions of Use

Cookie policy

Terms & conditions

Glossary

E-Newsletter

Authors

Regular Contributors

Advertise

IB Markets - Contact Us

Providers

Line of Business

IB Markets

Cannabis

Catastrophe

Claims

Commercial Solutions

Construction & Engineering

Cyber

Environmental

Hospitality

Legal Insights

Life & Health

Marine

Motor & Fleet

Non-Profits & Charities

Professional Risks

Property

SME

Transformation

Travel

Specialty

Best in Insurance

Business Strategy

E-mag

Editorial Panels

Events

Guides

IB Talk

Industry Insights

Insurance Companies

Legal Advisory Board

Opinion

Premium Content

Webinars

White papers

Resources

Reinsurance

Risk Management

Insurance News

Industry News

Columns

Diversity & Inclusion

Mergers & Acquisitions

Legal Advisory Board

News

Asia

New Zealand

United Kingdom

Canada

United States

Australia