SmartApp

BMO Smart App is an online electronic application that allows you to:

• Prepare quotes and applications for selected insurance products using any personal computer or tablet device.
• Get more accurate and complete applications with built-in edits.
• Complete medical questions with your clients or have a paramedical professional complete later.
• Get an instant underwriting decision with SmartDecision powered by VUE – our Virtual Underwriting Engine.
• Review missing information at a glance.
• Manage eSignature easily, either in person or remotely.
• Electronically submit applications to BMO Insurance.
• Protect your clients with a free Temporary Accidental Death Benefit of up to $1 million dollars while they are being underwritten.

Smart App is available on Advisor Support, BMO Insurance’s secure web site for advisors. Enter your User ID and password to log in to Advisor Support and access your Smart App Dashboard. Login to BMO Smart App now.

There are no restrictions on the type of devices which can be used to complete a Smart App. Ideally, we recommend a touch-enabled ipad, tablet, laptop or personal computer. Of course, other laptops and personal computers can be used. We don’t recommend completing a Smart App on a smartphone due to screen limitations.

In order for all Smart App features and functions to work properly, we recommend that you have the latest version of Chrome, Firefox or Safari (for OSX and iOS users, included with operating system updates).

In order to eSign a SmartApp application, each owner and insured party must have a unique email address and mobile phone number, where an SMS can be received. This is required for the OneSpan eSign authentication process.

Your personal Smart App Dashboard provides you status of all your Smart Apps and helps you navigate through the application. Key actions like running a quote, starting a new Smart App, playing with Practice Apps or opening an In Progress Smart App are all done through the Dashboard.

An application can have one of the following statuses: In Progress, Awaiting eSignatures, Awaiting Advisor Report, Documents Required, Ready to Submit and Submitted.

A Practice App cannot be submitted to BMO Insurance but it gives you the full experience of completing a Smart App and trying out the eSignature process. We recommend that you complete a Practice App on your own life and discover how easy it can be. Application information completed on Practice App cannot be copied over to a real Smart App.

Note that Practice App does not support the SmartDecision process and will not display an instant underwriting decision.

An application can be started by either selecting New Application or Quote.  For Term and Critical Illness insurance products, the best place to start is with Quote. For Universal life, BMO Insurance Whole Life, and Term 100, you can also start a New Application without running a quote, but a signed illustration prepared using Desktop Wave is required to be uploaded to SmartApp prior to submission of the application. The plan details and premium amount will be validated while you are completing the application.

Yes, you can run multiple quotes for the same client by clicking Add Scenario in the Quote screen. Scenarios can be deleted too. You will need to pick one scenario your client wishes to apply for and launch Smart App. You can only submit one scenario at a time.

A policy number is assigned when an application is created and key details entered.  This number should be used when ordering corresponding requirements from Dynacare and other service providers.

Yes. You can always attach riders to the base coverage of a policy that your client is applying for. When your client wishes to apply for 2 different policies, you need to submit 2 separate Smart Apps. The good news is you can easily clone applications in Smart App in a click.

In your dashboard, choose the Smart App that you want to clone from the In Progress or Submitted list, check the radio button and click on the “Clone Application” button. A new Smart App will be created for you instantly with essential data pre-filled from the original application. You can then work on this new Smart App without having to re-enter common data for both applications. You can use this same "Clone Application" feature when you are setting up family coverages. Insurability Questionnaire details are not copied from one application to another and must be entered in each application.

To Delete an application, check the radio button associated with the application that you want to delete and click on the Delete button.

Pre-screen questions are designed to help you determine if a proposed insured is eligible to apply for life insurance with BMO Insurance using Smart App. These questions mainly cover the insured’s:

• understanding of the language in which the application is written, and
• status of residency for Canadian income tax purposes.

You can use SmartApp to apply for all of BMO Insurance Life and Critical Illness plans including term, critical illness, whole life and universal life plans.

Yes, you can use Smart App for Non Face-to-Face applications. In the Pre-Screen section, when you answer “No” to “Did you personally meet with your clients?”, a message will be displayed to inform you of the coverage limits and submission requirements.

When you set up eSignature for Non Face-to-Face, Remote eSign will become the only method. When the Remote eSign process is initiated, each signer’s identity is verified using a one-time verification code sent via SMS to their mobile phone. This multi-factor authentication is required to access the signing ceremony.

Dual Process of Verification of Identity is required to be completed when you are not able to view the government-issued photo ID of the policy owner in person for applications for Universal Life or BMO Insurance Whole Life Plan with Additional Payment Option selected. Send the client the form for completion (click here to download).

The policy owner will complete the form and send you a copy of two types of personal identification documents from a reliable source. The first required document must show their name and address. The second document must have their name and financial account. When you received the completed form, verify the attached identification documents and complete the Advisor Declaration on the form. Keep the identification documents for your record and upload the form with Smart App for submission.

Yes, Insured(s) applying for coverages through SmartApp has to be aged 18 or above. For applications with Insured(s) aged 17 or below, feel free to use our fillable PDF application to meet your needs.

You can upload additional documents for submission with a Smart App at any time. Go to the eSignature tab, scroll down to the bottom and click open Upload Additional Documents under the Documents section. Locate the file(s) on your device that you want to upload, for example Financial Report or Replacement Form. 

Physician details are captured on the Underwriting Questions tab of SmartApp.  This ensures BMO has this information as soon as possible in the event an Attending Physician Statement is necessary.  The Underwriting Questions tab may also include lifestyle or simplified medical questions depending upon the product, age and amount of the application.

Applicants have the option to answer the detailed insurability questionnaire as part of the application process. Life insurance applications that do so and meet BMO Insurances accelerated underwriting criteria will receive an immediate underwriting decision.

Alternatively, the insurability questionnaire can be completed through a tele-interview with Dynacare later, or, if eligible, via a Paramedical or by providing shared evidence from another carrier.

Yes, the Insurability Questionnaire can be skipped in the SmartApp process. If skipped on SmartApp, Medical History questions must still be completed with a service provider later, either through a Tele Interview, Paramedical or by providing shared evidence, as indicated by the age and amount requirements. 

The initial premium can be paid by:

• Credit Card (FIRST ANNUAL premium only using Visa or MasterCard), or 
• Pre-Authorized Debit (annual or monthly), or
• Online Payment (annual or monthly), or
• Cheque (annual premium only).

Subsequent premiums can be paid by:

• Monthly Pre-Authorized Debit, or
• Annual Billing.

If selecting Pre-Authorized Debit through a new PAD agreement, ensure that the Payor provides accurate banking information and upload a copy of a void cheque with the SmartApp.

No, it is not mandatory to send us a VOID cheque. Be sure to double check the bank information carefully and follow the cheque guide in the Payment Info section.

Tip: You can also take a photo of your client’s cheque and upload it as an additional document to be submitted with SmartApp. Go to the Signatures and Documents tab, and select “Add” in the Upload Additional Documents section.

Yes, online payment is acceptable and can be completed at the time the settlement requirements are requested.

No. There is no TIA or need to submit a payment with SmartApp. Instead, BMO Insurance provides a no cost Temporary Accidental Benefit on every SmartApp for the face amount applied for. The benefit amount is limited to a maximum of $1,000,000 or the amount of coverage applied for, whichever is less.  This benefit covers all proposed insureds in the event of an accidental death while the applicant is being processed.

Client and coverage details can be modified prior to initiating the Insurability Questionnaire.  Once that questionnaire is launched, client and coverage details will be locked.

Yes. Once you completed the Pre-Screen, Insured and Plan Selection section, you will be able to create, save and retrieve a Smart App. Complete the remaining sections with your clients at your own pace and submit once eSignatures are acquired.

An important step before proceeding to eSignature is the SmartApp Review. Helpful green and red indicators at the section headers show the completeness of the application. A list of missing mandatory information and links to the respective sections is also displayed. You can also review key data or preview a copy of the application PDF. Once you acknowledge the application is complete and in good order, you can proceed to complete the eSignature.

Yes, there are 2 ways to retain a copy of the SmartApp.

1. Before the app is submitted for eSignature but after it has been successfully reviewed under the “Review” tab, you can view and save the application PDF; or
2. After you submitted the SmartApp, the record is available on the Submitted tab and a copy can be downloaded from the Signatures and Documents tab.

Yes, you are required to attach a copy of the sales illustration signed by the client when you submit a Smart App on a universal life plan or BMO Insurance Whole Life Plan. These plans involve projections of policy values based on a series of financial assumptions that the client needs to acknowledge. An application status of ‘Document Required’ indicates the application is complete but the illustration has not yet been attached.

An exciting benefit of submitting life insurance applications through SmartApp is the instant underwriting feature, SmartDecision, powered by our VUE – our Virtual Underwriting Engine.  

SmartDecision provides one of the industry’s most flexible point-of-sale instant underwriting decision solutions and is available on any life insurance application that falls within BMO Insurance’s accelerated underwriting parameters, whether completed in person or non-face-to-face.

No. SmartDecision is only available when the total life insurance coverage per insured does not exceed our Accelerated Underwriting Limits.

For situations where there is more than one insured and the applicants want to take advantage of the insurant underwriting decision from SmartDecision, both insureds need to complete the Insurability Questionnaire in SmartApp.

Refer to the Accelerated Underwriting FAQ for full details on eligibility.

"Tentatively Approved Standard" indicates the applicant has been approved standard. The SmartDecision is conditional upon application submission and may be randomly selected to provide additional underwriting evidence to finalize the decision.

SmartApp would render a SmartDecision at the insured level as well as at the policy level, both of which are visible to the advisor.

"Referred to Underwriter" means that further underwriting review is required to determine the final underwriting decision.  Additional underwriting evidence may be needed and, if so, will be communicated to you on the Decision and Requirements tab or later after underwriting review.

An Insured Underwriting Decision is generated for each individual insured after completing their questionnaire and reflects the underwriting assessment of that individual

A Policy Decision is generated after all insureds have completed the questionnaire. The Policy Decision considers the insured decision of all insureds and other aspects of the application that may require underwriting review.

After application submission, A "Tentatively Approved Standard" decision may be changed if additional underwriting evidence results in a different risk assessment.  A ‘Referred to Underwriting’ decision will be finalized after further underwriting review and BMO Insurance’s underwriting department will communicate the final underwriting decision to you via email.

In these cases, the SmartApp will need to be reviewed by an underwriter and falls within our traditional underwriting service standards. Depending on the nature of the ""Referred to Underwriter"", additional evidence may be requested from the underwriter.

Within 2 business days, Advisors can expect to receive a notification from the underwriter with a status update of the case, including any additional requirements.

Yes, even with a "Tentatively Approved Standard" decisions, additional evidence can be randomly requested upon application submission.

Yes. All or a portion of the other application details can be captured upfront, and the insurability questionnaire can be completed at a time that is convenient for the applicant(s). 

Yes, you will still have the ability to clone the application. Note that the pre-screen section and the advisor info section cannot be modified when a SmartApp is cloned, but the remainder of the SmartApp can still be modified. The Insurability Questionnaire information is not cloned and a SmartDecision is rendered per application, and that decision is not cloned to the cloned application. 

Submitted applications are viewable from the SmartApp dashboard Submitted tab and the SmartDecision is viewable on the "Requirements/Decision" tab.

SmartDecisions are also communicated to the advisor via email and SMS text when SmartApps with a SmartDecision are submitted.

In-progress SmartApps remain accessible for 180 days.

No. In order for an application to qualify for SmartDecision, all applicants must complete the insurability questions as part of the application process.

The privacy and security of your client’s data is important to BMO Insurance. eSignatures are powered by OneSpan, a solution chosen by some of the world’s most trusted and security-conscious organizations. Your clients can choose to securely esign Smart App In Person using your touch-enabled tablet or laptop; or Remotely on their own touch-enabled device. Non touch-enabled devices can esign using a mouse or smartphone.

Smart App’s In Person Now eSignature allows your clients to review and esign the application on your device with you by their side. Touch-enabled devices like a tablet or iPad are ideal. But you can also complete the eSignature ceremony on a traditional laptop using a mouse or in conjunction with the signer’s smartphone.

No. If your client is not available to esign in person, a secure email with a link to OneSpan will be sent to them for their eSignature. When the Remote eSign process is initiated, each signer’s identity is verified using a one-time verification code sent via SMS to their mobile phone. This multi-factor authentication is required to access the signing ceremony. Each signer on an application needs to provide their own personal email address and mobile phone number to receive their personalized email invite and access the platform to eSign.

When the signer is prompted to apply their signature during the eSign process, they can choose to sign with their mouse or select "Sign with a mobile device".

To sign with a mouse, the signer will draw their signature using a mouse. The signer can review the quality of the signature before applying it to the signature box on the application on the laptop.

To sign with a mobile device, OneSpan will send an email invite to the signer instantly. The signer will open the email using their smartphone and click on the link to turn the smartphone into a wireless signature pad. The signer will sign on the smartphone using a stylus or finger, and then review the quality of the signature before applying it to the signature box on Smart App on his laptop.

SmartApp and OneSpan keep you, the Advisor, informed about the status of the eSignature ceremony. Here are some helpful tips on how to deal with status changes. These statuses include: Completed, Expired, Declined, Locked and Error with Signer’s Email Address.

The SmartApp status will be ‘Ready to Submit’ when the application is ready to be submitted.

Before a signer starts the eSignature process, they must review and "Accept" an eSignature Consent. The signer can either click on "Accept" to proceed or “Decline” to terminate the process.

If the signer declines because they prefer signing a paper application for submission, you will need to return to the eSignatures section on Smart App and "Cancel eSignatures". From there, click on Print for Wet Signature for a hard copy and collect the wet signatures. Complete the Advisor Report and submit the application to your MGA as you would do for a paper application.

If a signer declines during the remote eSignature process, you will receive an email notification from OneSpan. Follow up with the signer and determine if you need to change the signing method to Print for Wet Signature following the same steps above.

Once You submitted a Smart App, it will be available in 2 places:

• On your Smart App Dashboard under the Submitted tab (available for 90 days); and
• On Advisor Support under the Portfolio tab for sales tracking throughout the life of the application (Pending) or the life of the policy after settled (Inforce).

In most cases, your clients should receive an email from OneSpan directly in their inbox. However, in some cases due to the settings of ISP and email providers, this email may end up in the Junk Box. In such case, simply advise your clients to look for OneSpan email in the Junk Box, retrieve this email and move it to their inbox and complete the next steps.

The default document reader on your iPad may not be optimized to read an e-signed PDF.

Please follow the following steps to view the document in a compatible PDF reader:

1. Download and install the free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from the App store.
2. Return back to SmartApp to open the document you are trying to view.
3. Once the document is open, on the top left (in landscape mode), you will see the “More…” option.
4. Click on “More…” a list of app will be presented, select the Adobe Viewer app that you have just downloaded and installed.
5. This will open your application PDF in the Adobe Acrobat Reader where you will now see the client’s signature.

Yes. The client can cancel or decline an eSignature request if the client found an error on the application which needs to be changed. You will get an email alert. You can re-open that Smart App and in the eSignature tab “cancel” eSignature. Then, make the change and “send for eSignature” to restart the process. All signers will receive email notifications to re-sign the application.

Yes, the eSignature process will expire when a signer or all signers fail to complete the eSignature ceremony within a total of 10 days. You will receive an email alert. You can re-open that Smart App and in the eSignature tab click “send for eSignature” to restart the process.

After 3 tries the signer is locked out from access to OneSpan. You will receive an email alert. You can re-open that Smart App and in the eSignature tab you can “unlock” the app and “send for eSignature” to restart the process for this signer. If there are multiple signers, their signing status will not be affected. 

Yes, Click Forgot your password? on the login page and you can get a new temporary password instantly. This feature is available if you have previously completed your challenge questions for the Automated Password Reset service.