“Small Steps, Big Rewards” Contest Official Rules

CONTEST PERIOD

The " Small Steps, Big Rewards” (the “Contest”) begins on September 28, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. ET and ends on December 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET (the “Contest Period”). Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (the “Contest Sponsor”) sponsors the Contest.

ELIGIBILITY

The Contest is open to legal residents of Canada. Residents must be the age of majority in the province/territory they live. To be eligible for the Contest, you must be an active member of an eligible employer- or association-sponsored group retirement and/or savings plan with the Contest Sponsor1 (the “Eligible Entrant”, collectively the “Eligible Entrants”).

Being an active member means you have completed all actions necessary to enroll in the group retirement plan and have not ended either your membership in the plan or the employment for which you accumulated contributions under the plan.

A plan member whose only group plan relationship with the Contest Sponsor is through a Group Choices plan is not an Eligible Entrant.

Employees, representatives, or agents of the Contest Sponsor or its affiliates cannot enter the Contest. Immediate family or those living in the same household as those employees, representatives or agents cannot enter the Contest. The expression “immediate family” means spouse, parent, sibling or child.

1 Subject to any exclusions elected by the sponsor of the group retirement or savings plan.

HOW TO ENTER

To be eligible to win, an Eligible Entrant must complete one or more of the following actions within the Contest Period (each a “Qualifying Action”) and/or the Alternative Entry method (outlined below):

1. Contribute: Complete one or both of the following transactions during the Contest Period.

i. During the Contest Period make a voluntary lump sum contribution or set up a new recurring lump sum contribution (“Cash Contribution”). Regularly scheduled contributions via payroll, employer contributions or existing recurring lump sum contributions do not qualify as Cash Contributions.

ii. During the Contest Period transfer-in funds from a financial institution that is external to the Contest Sponsor or any of its affiliates (“Transfer-In”).

Each of a Cash Contribution and Transfer-In are independent Qualifying Actions through which an Eligible Entrant may earn an Entry.

To be considered a Qualifying Action the Cash Contribution and/or Transfer-In must be deposited to any eligible group retirement plan with the Contest Sponsor.

2. Sun Life One Plan: sign in to mysunlife.ca or call the Client Contact Centre  (1-866-733-8612) and either:

i. Create a new Sun Life One Plan during the Contest Period, or

ii. Update an existing Sun Life One Plan by opening your plan and automatically refreshing your plan data or adding a goal and saving the updated plan during the Contest Period.

3. Asset Allocation Review: sign in to mysunlife.ca or call the Client Contact Centre (1-866-733-8612) and

i. Initiate “Update asset allocation” for any investment product. Complete page 2 and select next for an entry to be registered during the Contest Period.

4. Education: 

i. Sign in to mysunlife.ca and read the designated article “What can you do about U.S. tariffs affecting your finances?” during the Contest Period.

ii. Sign in to mysunlife.ca and read the designated article “5 Ways to Master Your RRSP Strategy Before Next Year” during the Contest Period.

Eligible Entrants will earn one (1) entry for each Qualifying Action during the Contest Period (each an “Entry” and cumulatively “Entries”). Eligible Entrants will not earn additional Entries for completing the same Qualifying Action multiple times. 

Eligible Entrants may earn a maximum of four (4) Entries by completing Qualifying Actions. If you stop being an active member, any Entries you have earned as of the last day of the month you stop being an active plan member will stay in the draw, subject to the contest rules. You may not earn any more Entries once you are no longer an active plan member.

Each Entry will be granted automatically to the Eligible Entrant based on Qualifying Actions.  If an Eligible Entrant wishes not to participate in the Contest they may opt-out by notifying the Contest Sponsor by email GRS.Contests.Concours.RCR@sunlife.com or by phone through Client Contact Centre (1-866-733-8612) Once the opt-out is processed, the Eligible Entrant’s existing Entries will be removed, no further Entries will be issued and they will not be eligible to win any Prize.

ALTERNATIVE ENTRY

Alternatively, during the Contest Period an Eligible Entrant may enter the Contest by submitting an essay of at least 250 words about why planning for retirement is important. This alternative method (“Alternative Entry”) will only earn the Eligible Entrants one (1) Entry in addition to any Entries earned through Qualifying Actions. The date received by the Contest Sponsor will serve as the date of entry to determine which Contest Window(s) the Entry qualifies for. Eligible Entrants must include their full name, address, phone number and email address on the essay for the Alternative Entry. Essays must be mailed to:

2026 Small Steps, Big Rewards Contest
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada
227 King St S
Waterloo, ON N2J 1R2

The Contest Sponsor is not responsible for any lost emails, emails bounces, or misdirected/lost mail. All contest dates and deadlines apply. Alternative entries must be received by December 20, 2026.

Only one Alternative Entry per Eligible Entrant will be accepted during the Contest Period.

PRIZES

The Contest Period is divided into five (5) periods (each a “Contest Window”) with one (1) prize of $10,000 awarded for each Contest Window with one (1) additional prize of $50,000 awarded at the end of the Contest Period (the “Grand Prize”).

The dates for each Contest Window and their applicable draw (“Draw Date”), as well as the Draw Date for the Grand Prize are as follows:

  1. Mon Sept 28 – Sun Oct 11
    • Draw Date (2026): Thu Oct 15
    • Prize (CAD): $10,000
  2. Mon Oct 12  – Sun Oct 25
    • Draw Date (2026): Thu Oct 29
    • Prize (CAD): $10,000
  3. Mon Oct 26 – Sun Nov 8
    • Draw Date (2026): Thu Nov 12
    • Prize (CAD): $10,000
  4. Mon Nov 9 – Sun Nov 22
    • Draw Date (2026): Thu Nov 26
    • Prize (CAD): $10,000
  5. Mon Nov 23 – Sun Dec 6
    • Draw Date (2026): Thu Dec 10
    • Prize (CAD): $10,000
  6. Grand Prize: Mon Sept 28 – Sun Dec 20
    • Draw Date (2026): Wed Dec 23
    • Prize (CAD): $50,000

The Prizes must be accepted as awarded. No substitutions will be available. 

THE DRAW

The draw for each Contest Window and the Grand Prize will occur at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on the applicable Draw Date indicated above. The draws will occur at the Sun Life office located at 1 York Street, Toronto, Ontario.

Entries for each Draw Date will be determined as of the end of the applicable Contest Window and as of the end of the Contest Period for the Grand Prize. Each draw will occur only after the Contest Sponsor has completed its validation of Eligible Entrants and Entries for the applicable Contest Window.

Non-winning Entries earned during one Contest Window will be carried forward to the next Contest Window. Entrants with a winning Entry will not be eligible for more than one Prize including the Grand Prize, during the Contest Period. All Entries have an equal chance of winning. The odds of winning depend on the number of Entries accumulated to the particular Draw Date.

On each Draw Date the Contest Sponsor will randomly select one (1) Entry (the “Potential Prize Winner”) among all certified Entries.

The Contest Sponsor will make three (3) attempts to contact Potential Prize Winner within ten (10) business days of the Draw Date. Attempts will be by phone or email. If a Potential Prize Winner does not make contact with the Contest Sponsor within ten (10) business days, they will forfeit their Prize. The Contest Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to pick an alternate Entry at random. The foregoing provisions of this section shall apply to such new Potential Prize Winner.

BEFORE BEING DECLARED CONFIRMED PRIZE WINNER (Confirmed Prize Winner means the Potential Prize Winner who has fulfilled all the requirements), the selected Potential Prize Winner will be required to:

a) correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question; and

b) sign and return within ten (10) business days of notification, the Contest Sponsor’s Declaration and Release form, which:

i. confirms compliance with these Rules;

ii. acknowledges acceptance of their Prize as awarded;

iii. releases the Contest Sponsor, its parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, Prize suppliers, advertising/promotion agencies and any entity involved in the development, production, implementation, administration, judging or fulfillment of the Contest, and each of their respective officers, directors, agents, representatives, successors and assigns from any and all liability in connection with this Contest, their participation therein and/or the awarding and use/misuse of the Prize or any portion thereof; and

iv. agrees to the publication, reproduction and/or other use of their name, address, voice, statements about the Contest and/or photograph or other likeness without further notice or compensation, in any publicity or advertisement carried out by or on behalf of the Contest Sponsor in any manner whatsoever, including print, broadcast or the internet.

In addition to the above, if the Qualifying Action to which the Potential Prize Winner’s Entry relates was a Cash Contribution or Transfer-in, the transaction must have been successfully completed within sixty (60) days following the Draw Date.

If the selected Potential Prize Winner:

a) fail to correctly answer the mathematical skill-testing question;

b) fail to return the properly executed Contest documents within the specified time;

c) fail to successfully complete their Cash Contribution or Transfer-in (if applicable) within  sixty (60) days; and/or

d) cannot accept the Prize as awarded for any reason;

then they will be disqualified (and will forfeit all rights to their Prize) and the Contest Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to randomly select an alternate Eligible Entrant from among the remaining eligible Entries (in which case the foregoing provisions of this section shall apply to such new selected Potential Prize Winner). 

PRIZE PAYMENT

Each Prize will be awarded to the Confirmed Prize Winner in the form of a lump sum deposit to the Confirmed Prize Winner’s Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) or Non-Registered Account with the Contest Sponsor, subject to the Confirmed Prize Winner speaking to a Financial Services Consultant (or Financial Security Advisor in Quebec) to discuss suitability and in the case of deposit to a RRSP or TFSA to confirm they have available contribution room and direct that the deposit be made as a contribution by them. Any account opening remains subject to normal suitability and enrolment requirements. Receiving financial advice is not a condition of receiving the Prize.

The Confirmed Prize Winner is solely responsible for ensuring that they have available contribution room for a deposit to a RRSP or TFSA.  The Confirmed Prize Winner is solely responsible for obtaining any independent tax advice they consider necessary.

If, after speaking to a Financial Services Consultant (or Financial Security Advisor in Quebec), it is determined that the Confirmed Prize Winner does not opt to make a deposit to a RRSP, TFSA or Non-Registered Account, the Prize will be paid in the form of a cheque made out to the Confirmed Prize Winner and mailed to their home address.

CONTEST GENERAL RULES

All Entries become the property of the Contest Sponsor. This Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws. The decisions of the Contest Sponsor with respect to all aspects of this Contest are final and binding on all Eligible Entrants without right of appeal, including, without limitation, any decisions regarding the eligibility/disqualification of Entries and/or Eligible Entrants.

The Contest Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to withdraw, amend or suspend this Contest (or to amend these Rules) in any way without prior notice.

By entering this Contest, each Eligible Entrant expressly consents to the Contest Sponsor, its agents and/or representatives, storing, sharing and using the personal information submitted with their Entry only for the purpose of administering the Contest and in accordance with the Contest Sponsor’s privacy statement, unless the Entrant otherwise agrees.

The Contest Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, and without prior notice, to adjust any of the dates and/or timeframes stipulated in these Rules. The extent of adjustments can be based on:

a) Purposes of verifying compliance by any Eligible Entrant or Entry with these Rules, or because of any technical or other problems.

b) In light of any other circumstances which, in the opinion of the Contest Sponsor, in its sole and absolute discretion, affect the proper administration of the Contest as contemplated in these Rules.

c) For any other reason.

In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the terms and conditions of these Rules and disclosures or other statements contained in any Contest-related materials, the terms and conditions of these Rules shall prevail, govern and control to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

All intellectual property, including but not limited to trade-marks, copyrights, patents, trade names, logos, designs, promotional materials, web pages, source code, drawings, illustrations, logos, slogans and representations are owned by the Contest Sponsor. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized copying or use of any copyrighted material or intellectual property without the express written consent of its owner is strictly prohibited.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

The Contest Sponsor and/or its agencies or affiliates will not be responsible for lost, late, invalid, delayed, or misdirected entries. The Contest Sponsor and/or its agencies or affiliates will not be responsible for invalid, expired, unchecked email addresses.

The Contest Sponsor and/or its agencies or affiliates will not be responsible for any unavailability of or interruptions to any service or equipment used in connection with the Contest, including and without limitation to:

a) Interruptions to any network, server, Internet, website, phone, satellite, computer or other connections.

b) Failures of any hardware, software or other equipment.

c) Garbled, misdirected or jumbled transmissions or traffic congestion.

d) Other errors of any kind, whether human, technical, mechanical or electronic.

e) The incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry or other information or the failure to capture any such information.

TAX INFORMATION

All applicable government taxes, if any, on the prize won are the sole responsibility of the Confirmed Prize Winner of such prize.

RESIDENTS OF CANADA

Any litigation must be commenced in the City of Toronto, Ontario.

APPLICABLE LAWS

The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws.

PRIVACY

Personally identifiable information of Eligible Entrants that is collected, used or disclosed during the Contest will be used to administer the Contest, select the Eligible Entrant and fulfill the Prize and will be treated in accordance with the Contest Sponsor’s privacy policy accessible on the Contest Sponsor’s website at Your privacy at Sun Life in Canada. Personal information collected during the Contest entry process is temporarily stored by a third-party vendor and may be in a jurisdiction different than the one the user is in, and their personal information may be subject to the laws of the local jurisdiction.