Actra Fraternal Benefit Society

What Actra Fraternal Benefit Society does

Actra Fraternal Benefit Society (AFBS) is a Canadian not-for-profit fraternal benefit society headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with a secondary office in Vancouver. Founded to serve members of the Alliance of Canadian Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) and the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), AFBS operates as a closed, mutual-style organization governed jointly by the ACTRA Executive Council and the WGC Board of Directors. Eligibility for membership is structurally tied to work performed under ACTRA or WGC collective agreements, and the organization's remit is therefore limited to Canadian entertainment industry performers, writers, and their families.

The company offers two integrated product lines. The Members' Insurance Program provides tiered Bronze, Silver, and Gold level coverage spanning extended health care, prescription drugs, dental care, and life insurance, with a benefit year running March 1 to February 28/29. The retirement savings line comprises Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP), Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSA), and Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIF), with contributions remitted by employers ("engagers") under collective agreement mandates and invested in two internally managed funds — the Fixed Income Fund and the General Fund, the latter capturing over 90% of member allocations. Members access services through a web-based Member Portal supporting online registration (Form 18, Form 23), electronic signatures, claims submission, statement retrieval, and SMS-verified authentication.

AFBS generates revenue through a subscription-recurring model: recurring insurance premiums from enrolled members and investment returns on managed retirement assets. Distribution is conducted exclusively through the ACTRA and WGC union/guild channels, with no third-party or commercial sales motion. Member engagement is supported through a quarterly CFO-authored newsletter ('Your Money Matters') and educational video content featuring Canadian actors. The organization employs between 11 and 50 people across its two offices and does not publicly disclose financial results, consistent with its fraternal benefit society structure.

Name

Actra Fraternal Benefit Society

Legal name

Actra Fraternal Benefit Society

Website

https://afbs.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Actra Fraternal Benefit Society is a Canadian not-for-profit fraternal benefit society providing tiered health, dental, and life insurance plus RRSP/TFSA/RRIF retirement savings exclusively to ACTRA performers and Writers Guild of Canada members and their families, governed jointly by the two parent unions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fraternal Insurance and Retirement Benefits

NAICS

Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Health and Welfare Funds (52512), Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251)

SIC

Accident & Health Insurance (6321)

akta.pro primary industry

Eligibility, Enrollment & Benefits Administration (HLAEALAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ancillary Benefits TPA (Dental/Vision/Life/Accident/Critical Illness) (HLAEALAN)

Keywords

• Fraternal insurance benefits
• Retirement savings plans
• Group health insurance
• Entertainment industry benefits
• Registered retirement income

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retirement Savings Plan Management: AFBS operates Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP), Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSA), and Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIF) for members. Contributions are remitted by employers ('engagers') based on percentage of gross earnings as specified in ACTRA and WGC collective agreements. AFBS invests these contributions in offered funds (Fixed Income Fund, General Fund) and earns returns on the managed assets.
2. Members' Insurance Program: Insurance benefits including extended health care, prescription drugs, dental coverage, and life insurance. The benefit year runs March 1 to February 28/29, with new members eligible for Bronze Level Benefits at a 10% discount if they buy into coverage within the time-limited window. Members must meet work hour requirements under ACTRA or WGC agreements to earn eligibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Actra Fraternal Benefit Society (AFBS) is a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society that provides group insurance benefits (extended health care, prescription drugs, dental coverage, life insurance) and registered retirement savings plans (RRSP, TFSA, RRIF) exclusively to members of ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Television and Radio Artists) and the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC). Members access a tiered insurance program (Bronze, Silver, Gold levels) and contribute to retirement funds via employer remittances mandated under collective agreements.

Product overview

Actra Fraternal Benefit Society offers a unified member benefits platform combining insurance and retirement savings products for ACTRA and WGC entertainment industry members. The core offering includes the Members' Insurance Program (with Bronze/Silver/Gold tiered health, dental, and life coverage) paired with registered retirement savings vehicles (RRSP, TFSA, RRIF). Members access benefits through an online Member Portal that consolidates account management, statements, claims submission, and fund allocation tools. Fraternal Benefits provide additional no-cost perks to eligible members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Members' Insurance Program
• RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan)
• TFSA (Tax-Free Savings Account)
• RRIF (Registered Retirement Income Fund)
• Fraternal Benefits

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Modern Woodmen of America: U.S. fraternal benefit society providing life insurance, annuities, and retirement planning; comparable structural and operational model to AFBS as a member-owned fraternal insurer.
• Knights of Columbus: Large fraternal benefit society offering life insurance, disability income, and retirement annuities to members; shares AFBS's fraternal, member-benefit-driven governance and not-for-profit orientation.
• Sun Life Financial: Leading Canadian group benefits and retirement provider; offers comparable group insurance and RRSP/TFSA products and serves as a benchmark for AFBS's digital servicing and fund performance.
• Canada Life: Major Canadian insurer and retirement/investment manager offering group benefits, RRSPs, and TFSAs; competes for the same member wallet, particularly for voluntary contributions outside collective-agreement remittances.
• Manulife Financial: One of Canada's largest insurers and group benefits providers; competes with AFBS for retirement savings and group insurance products, especially in the entertainment and broader creative professional segments.
• Catholic Order of Foresters: Fraternal benefit society providing life insurance and annuities to members; operates the same mutual-benefit, community-oriented model as AFBS, though without an industry-specific mandate.
• Foresters Financial: Canadian fraternal benefit society offering life insurance and member benefits; same fraternal benefit society structure and not-for-profit orientation as AFBS, though not entertainment-industry specific.

Direct peers

• Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans (MPIPHP): U.S. multi-employer pension and health plans for entertainment industry workers under IATSE and other guild agreements; highly comparable in administering jointly-bargained retirement and health benefits for entertainment workers.
• SAG-AFTRA Health Plan: U.S. health and welfare benefits plan for SAG-AFTRA performers; the closest functional analogue to AFBS as a collectively-bargained benefit fund serving entertainment industry union members.
• Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) Benefit Plans: Benefit plans administered for Canadian directors and production crew under DGC collective agreements; directly comparable model of collectively-bargained benefits for a Canadian creative-industry union.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AFBSCanada
• Facebookfacebook.com/enrichingcreativelives
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/actra-fraternal-benefit-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Actra Fraternal Benefit Society