Guaranteed Daily Interest Account (GDIA)
Get higher interest rates with CDSPI.
No monthly balance requirements
Unlike other financial institutions which require you to keep a certain amount in your account at all times, the CDSPI GDIA is flexible with no account minimums.
No maintenance fees
Investors can feel confident watching their savings grow without any annual or monthly service charges.
Your assets are liquid
GDIA was designed to look, act and feel like a money market fund. The account invests in securities that are very close to maturity, and interest is accrued daily. As such, it provides clients with daily liquidity without any market value adjustments.
FAQs
The current annual yield is 3.56% - effective today December 20, 2024 - subject to change). The rate is reviewed on an ongoing basis and could change frequently based on market and competitive conditions.
The credited interest will be calculated as a base rate plus an enhancement. The enhancement is negotiated on a client specific basis. There is no specific benchmark for this fund, as it represents assets held at the member level, held in Sun Life’s general account (not a segregated fund). For illustrative purposes, we can compare the Guaranteed Daily Interest Account against the Sun Life Money Market fund and the 91 day Treasury Bill (which can be used as a benchmark by money market funds).
Interest on the Guaranteed Daily Interest Account is calculated and accrued daily based on a daily compounding interest factor that assumes a 365-day year. That is, the daily interest factor = (1+i)1/365, where i = annual interest rate applicable for that day.
Like money market funds, the main risk that clients would be exposed to in the account would be credit risk, but the level of exposure is low. This is because Sun Life guarantees investors’ principal and credited interest in the GDIA, and Sun Life fully bears the risk of the underlying investment performance. As such, investors in the GDIA would only suffer credit losses if Sun Life were to default. This is a low risk event as Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada has a financial strength rating of AA- (or equivalent) from most rating agencies. Even in the unlikely event that Sun Life defaults on its obligations, members are eligible for coverage under Assuris for up to $100,000 each.
Investors in money market funds are not eligible for coverage under Assuris or CDIC. Depending on fees, net returns in a money market fund can be negative, whereas returns for the Guaranteed Daily Interest Account cannot be negative.
The GDIA is governed by Sun Life’s robust investment and risk management practices. Money deposited in the GDIA would be backed with investment grade fixed income securities. This can include fixed income assets that traditional money market funds may not invest in to generate additional yield. Given the GDIA is a general account fund, the exact details of our underlying investments are proprietary and confidential.
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*The current annual yield is 3.56% (as of December 20, 2024 - subject to change). The rate is reviewed on an ongoing basis and could change frequently based on market and competitive conditions.
Contributions to the Sun Life Guaranteed Daily Interest Account are guaranteed, within certain limits, by the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Compensation Corporation (Assuris). Generally, coverage is provided up to $100,000 per investor including principal and interest. Please refer to the Assuris website at www.assuris.ca for further information.