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PHILADELPHIA, Sep 08, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — –Nearly 70 million Americans don’t have life insurance

–Evaluate personal life insurance needs during employer’s benefits enrollment period

Checklists, to-do lists, honey-do lists. They all equate to the same thing: Getting an important task done. While Americans are continuing to cut expenses and save money in a recovering economy, CIGNA(R) (CI 33.60, +0.12, +0.36%) suggests everyone, young and more seasoned individuals alike, pay attention to the life insurance options available during their employer’s benefits enrollment period. For many, this enrollment period takes place in the fall.

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, and for nearly 70 million Americans who don’t have life insurance(1), it’s a good time to add getting life insurance to the list. Life Insurance Awareness Month is a national campaign to educate people about the financial challenges their loved ones could face if they do not have enough life insurance or any at all.

Newbies to Life Insurance

“Life insurance offered through an employer’s benefits package is often a very affordable way of protecting a family’s long-term financial health,” said Diane Russell, assistant vice president, Group Insurance, for CIGNA. “A good place to start is deciding how much protection your family may need.”

While some employers offer life insurance coverage equal to an employee’s salary as part of the employee’s benefit package, family expenses now or in the future may often exceed this amount. Life insurance can help a family cover the cost of many one-time or ongoing expenses, including funeral costs, mortgage payments, household bills, college tuition payments, and can even help to fund a spouse’s retirement. Online tools, such as CIGNA’s online life insurance calculator can help people gauge how much insurance may be suggested for their family’s needs. CIGNA also offers additional helpful tips and information in an online toolkit at http://www.cigna.com/liam.

Established Policyholders

“For those who already have life insurance, it’s a good idea to periodically review their beneficiary designation, as well as reassess the family’s changing needs,” said Russell. “Aside from the annual benefit enrollment period, families should review and update a policy after every new life event, such as buying a home, getting an increase or decrease in income, going through a divorce, having a baby or sending a child to college.”

There are many life insurance options available to families. CIGNA offers two group coverage types — term and universal life insurance. Term and universal life insurance policies can help protect against the loss of a wage earner. Universal life insurance can also provide a way to build up funds for life events.

For more tips and information visit CIGNA’s “The Value of Life Insurance” webpage. CIGNA’s featured podcast for September, also linked on the webpage, speaks to both life insurance newbies and seasoned policyholders (http://www.cigna.com/podcasts).

About CIGNA

CIGNA (CI 33.60, +0.12, +0.36%) is a global health service and financial company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. CIGNA Corporation’s operating subsidiaries in the United States provide an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident and disability insurance. CIGNA offers products and services in over 27 countries and jurisdictions and has approximately 60 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about CIGNA, visitwww.cigna.com. To sign up for email alerts or an RSS feed of company news, log on tohttp://newsroom.cigna.com/rss. Also, follow us on Twitter at @cigna, visit CIGNA’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/cignatv and listen to CIGNA’s podcast series with healthy tips and information at http://www.cigna.com/podcasts or by searching “CIGNA” in iTunes.

“CIGNA,” and the “Tree of Life” logo are registered service marks of CIGNA Intellectual Property, Inc., licensed for use by CIGNA Corporation and its operating subsidiaries. All products and services are provided exclusively by such operating subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation. Such operating subsidiaries include Life Insurance Company of North America, CIGNA Life Insurance Company of New York, and Connecticut General Life Insurance Company.

(1) The Life Foundation’s Life Insurance Awareness Month,http://www.lifehappens.org/content/view/774/479/, July 19 , 2010

SOURCE: CIGNA Corporation

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OLDWICK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings of “a-” of Commonwealth Annuity and Life Insurance Company (Commonwealth) and its subsidiary, First Allmerica Financial Life Insurance Company (FAFLIC) (both domiciled in Southborough, MA), and Columbia Capital Life Reinsurance Company (Columbia) and its subsidiary, Charleston Capital Reinsurance LLC (Charleston) (both domiciled in Washington, DC). The outlook for all ratings is stable. Commonwealth and its affiliates are ultimately wholly owned subsidiaries of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (Goldman Sachs).

Commonwealth reinsures universal life, variable universal life and other types of policies, while FAFLIC reinsures traditional life, payout annuities and other types of policies. The entire book of business at Columbia and Charleston is currently comprised of blocks retroceded from Commonwealth.

The ratings recognize the consolidated solid risk-adjusted capitalization of the Goldman Sachs life reinsurance companies, the history of GAAP earnings (despite fluctuating statutory results) and strong liquidity. The ratings also consider A.M. Best’s expectation that the reinsurance group has access to capital, hedging expertise, deal flow and other Goldman Sachs resources, as needed. Commonwealth also has improved its risk profile by ceding its variable annuity business to a Bermuda affiliate.

Despite these positive attributes, A.M. Best believes the reinsurance group may encounter challenges in achieving meaningful scale efficiencies given the highly competitive nature of the life reinsurance market, which is dominated by companies with well established life reinsurance franchises. If additional blocks cannot be acquired at the expected pace, Commonwealth may not grow into the scale required to generate consistent and strong statutory profits. An additional challenge includes achieving favorable market investment portfolio performance in the current difficult economic climate.

The principal methodology used in determining these ratings is Best’s Credit Rating Methodology — Global Life and Non-Life Insurance Edition, which provides a comprehensive explanation of A.M. Best’s rating process and highlights the different rating criteria employed. Additional key criteria utilized include: “Risk Management and the Rating Process for Insurance Companies”; “Update to BCAR for Life & Health Insurers”; “Rating Members of Insurance Groups”; and “Assessing Country Risk.” Methodologies can be found at www.ambest.com/ratings/methodology.

Founded in 1899, A.M. Best Company is a global full-service credit rating organization dedicated to serving the financial and health care service industries, including insurance companies, banks, hospitals and health care system providers. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

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Life Insurance Awareness Month 2010

September 1, 2010

Share The nonprofit LIFE Foundation has joined forces with more than 100 of the nation’s top life insurance companies in an effort to increase awareness among Americans. Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM) was created in 2004 as an industry-wide effort held annually during the month of September. In addition to featuring actress Leslie Bibb as [...]

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Ownership of Individual Life Insurance Falls to 50-Year Low, LIMRA Reports

August 30, 2010

ShareARLINGTON, Va., and WINDSOR, Conn., Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ — Despite the fact that most American families have less to fall back on financially than when the economic downturn began, ownership of individual life insurance has hit a 50-year low, according to a new LIMRA study. The Trends in Life Insurance Ownership study, conducted every six years by LIMRA, found [...]

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Assurant Employee Benefits Launches New Suite of Voluntary Benefits

August 27, 2010

ShareKANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ — Assurant Employee Benefits now offers cancer, critical illness, accident and gap insurance as employee-paid, voluntary benefits. These products provide competitive benefits backed by Assurant Employee Benefits’ commitment to customer service. Initially available in 16 states, these products will be introduced to additional markets throughout the year. Currently, less [...]

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Lincoln Financial Group Launches New Hybrid Life Product – Lincoln Duration Guarantee

August 25, 2010

ShareKarachi, Aug. 23 — The Individual Life segment of Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE: LNC) today announced the enhancement of its comprehensive life insurance line with the launch of Lincoln Duration Guarantee(SM) UL. Issued by The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, this new hybrid product further expands Lincoln’s comprehensiveinsurance solution set by combining the flexibility and guarantees [...]

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Lincoln Financial Group Enhances and Expands Group Voluntary Product Suite

August 23, 2010

SharePHILADELPHIA, Aug. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The Group Protection segment of Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE: LNC) today announced, as part of its ongoing commitment to the voluntary market, the enhancement of its extensive group voluntary portfolio. These enhancements include: greater disability product flexibility to fit varying needs; streamlined enrollment strategies designed to maximize participation; and educational tools to help [...]

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Transamerica Presents “Unlocking Social Security”

August 20, 2010

ShareDENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–More than 78 million Baby Boomers will be entering retirement over the next 20 years,(1) and Social Security serves as the foundation of many of their retirement income plans. But there is a lot of confusion out there when it comes to maximizing benefits and calculating lifetime income. “It’s the first of many new [...]

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ICICI Prudential Life Launches iProtect – an Online Term Insurance Plan

August 18, 2010

ShareMumbai (OPENPRESS) August 18, 2010 — ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd (ICICI Prudential Life) today announced the launch of iProtect – a completely online term insurance plan that is extremely affordable. An individual can apply online for iProtect and the payment can be made either through his/her internet banking account or credit card. The [...]

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National Down Syndrome Society joins forces with Prudential

August 16, 2010

ShareNEWARK, N.J., Aug 16, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — The Prudential Insurance Company of America, based in Newark, NJ, will provide members of the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) support in the area of financial literacy as a result of an agreement the two organizations announced today. “We’re excited to work with Prudential to help people [...]

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