Brookfield Annuity Company
Complaints Resolution Procedure (28 July 2022)

From time to time concerns or complaints arise and, when they do, Brookfield Annuity Company takes them seriously. Timely, accurate and courteous complaint resolution is important and this Complaints Policy Resolution Procedure describes how we will handle complaints.

If you have a complaint about a product or service from Brookfield Annuity Company, you can address the issue by following the steps below.

Initial Steps

Group Annuity Policy Members

Often, a simple correction or explanation from front-line staff at the Company can quickly and easily resolve the problem. Call or write to your usual contact (if you are a policy member, the Member Services Centre and if you are a pension plan sponsor your usual contact at Brookfield Annuity). Where we receive your complaint in writing, we will acknowledge receipt within one day. Where you contact us by telephone, we may ask you to confirm your complaint in writing if we are not able to resolve it on the initial call. In all cases we will seek to resolve the issue within 5 days.

Association Annuity Policy Members

Advantages Retirement Plan™/OMA Members

In the event of a problem or concern, contact a member of the OMA Insurance team at info@omainsurance.com or 1.800.758.1642 (option 1). They are your first line in resolving problems related to the annuities under the Advantages Retirement Plan™.

Senior Management Review

If front-line staff are not able to resolve your complaint, it will be referred to our Complaints Liaison Officer for further review. Where this is the case, you will be informed in writing that your complaint has been escalated for further investigation. Equally, if you are not satisfied with the results of your initial contact, you can request further review by contacting the Complaints Liaison Officer.

Ali Khan, Chief Operating Officer
333 Bay Street, Suite 1200
Toronto, Ontario M5H 2R2
Email: ali.khan@brookfieldannuity.com

At this stage you may be asked to:

Confirm your complaint in writing or provide additional information in writing; and/or
Provide supporting documentation.

Through the course of our investigation, we will provide you with periodic updates on our progress. You can also contact the Complaints Liaison Officer at any time for information on the status of your complaint. We will undertake to reach a final decision within 30 days of the date you initially contacted us.

Once our investigation has been completed we will provide you with a written explanation of our final position and information on other resources available to you if you wish to have your concern reviewed by an independent third party.

External Recourse

If, after following our complaint resolution procedure, you remain dissatisfied and wish to pursue your complaint further, you may contact the OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance (“OLHI”). The OLHI is a national industry-based dispute resolution system for consumers of financial services. They deal with concerns about life insurance products and services that have not been resolved through the a company’s internal complaints resolution procedure. It is important that you first attempt to resolve your complaint through the Initial Contact and Senior Management Review channels above, as the OLHI will ask to see the written explanation of our final position in order to further investigate your complaint.

The OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance
2 Bloor Street West, Suite 700
Toronto, Ontario M4W 3E2
Toll-Free in Canada 1-888-295-8112
Toll-Free in Quebec 1-866-582-2088
Website: www.olhi.ca

If you reside in the Province of Quebec, as an alternative to OLHI, you can contact the Autorité des marchés financiers (“AMF”) to have your file transferred to them. The AMF regulates life insurance companies in Quebec and provides assistance to consumers of financial products and services.

Note that the filing of a complaint with the AMF does not interrupt the prescriptive period for civil remedies against the Company.

Autorité des marches financiers
800, square Victoria, 4e étage
C.P. 246, Place Victoria
Montréal (Québec) H4Z 1G3
Montréal Telephone: 514-395-0337

Place de la Cité, tour Cominar
2460, boul Laurier, bureau 400
Québec (Québec) G1V 5C1
Québec City Telephone: 418-525-0337
Toll-Free Telephone: 1-877-525-0337
Website: https://www.lautorite.qc.ca/en/index.html

Other Information

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (“FCAC”) supervises federally regulated financial institutions to ensure that they comply with federal consumer protection laws. The FCAC focuses on compliance and enforcement but does not get involved with individual complaints or disputes.

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
427 Laurier Avenue West, 6th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 1B9
Toll-Free Telephone English: 1-866-461-3222
Toll-Free Telephone French: 1-866-461-2232
Website: http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca

Your Privacy
Brookfield Annuity may collect or access your personal information in order to resolve your complaint. You can consult our Privacy Policy for information on how we handle your personal information. Visit our website at www.brookfieldannuity.com/en/policies/privacy-policy.html.