The 3 most common mistakes that make renewals jump
Plan structure, plan design and eligibility: the decisions behind most big renewal increases.
Resources for employers
Understand your benefits before you decide.
Straightforward explanations of group insurance, renewals, retirement and benefits decisions that matter to Canadian businesses.
- Renewals
- Group Insurance
- Small Business
- Healthcare Spending Accounts
- Group Retirement
- Executive Benefits
Guides by Your Friend With Benefits, dated so you know how current they are.
Guides for Toronto & Ontario employers
Group Health Benefits for Small Businesses in Toronto: What to Include in 2026
What a group health plan costs a 10-person Toronto business in 2026, what to include first, and the mistakes small employers make.
Healthcare Spending Accounts in Ontario: How HSAs Work and When They Make Sense
How Healthcare Spending Accounts work in Ontario: CRA rules, what is eligible, costs, and when an HSA makes sense for your business.
How Employee Group Benefits Work in Ontario: A Complete Guide for Business Owners
A plain-English guide to group benefits in Ontario: what is covered, what it costs, how renewals work, and how to choose an advisor.
How to Tell If Your Employee Benefits Advisor Is Overcharging You (Toronto 2026)
Five signs your benefits advisor is not shopping the market at renewal, and what Toronto employers can do about it in 2026.
Setting Up Group Benefits for a Toronto Business with Under 25 Employees
Setting up group benefits for a Toronto business under 25 staff: the timeline, costs for a 15-person team, carriers and advisor fees.
Coming soon
Why did my group benefits renewal increase?
Causes, questions for your insurer, options and timelines.
Review my renewalSeven questions to ask before you accept your renewal
A practical meeting checklist and what documents to gather.
Request a renewal reviewPooled vs. experience-rated plans: what employers should know
Definitions, claims exposure, trade-offs and exceptions.
Discuss plan designGroup benefits for a company with fewer than 10 employees
Eligibility, coverage choices, alternatives and realistic questions.
Start a benefits conversationHealthcare Spending Accounts vs. group insurance
What each does and does not protect against.
Discuss HCSA optionsWhat does a group benefits advisor actually do?
Carrier versus advisor, strategy, selection and renewal.
Meet KavenAsk it directly.
If a decision is coming up and the answer isn't here yet, start with a conversation.