Industrial Alliance's new group savings and retirement statement ranked first in Canada

QUEBEC CITY, April 9, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Industrial Alliance is proud to announce that its new group savings and retirement statement has been ranked first in Canada by Dalbar, an internationally recognized independent financial services market research firm. According to Dalbar's 2013 Trends & Best Practices in Defined Contribution Pension Plan Statements report, the Industrial Alliance statement leads the industry in overall statement content and design quality.

Industrial Alliance has succeeded in providing its members with a group savings and retirement statement that is simple, easy to understand, and educational. With its outstanding visual layout, personalized messages, and simplified approach, the Industrial Alliance statement has set a new industry standard for best practices and has proven to be a cutting-edge planning tool that helps members keep an eye on their retirement objectives.

"In redesigning our statement, we listened to what all our clients had to say—members, sponsors, and advisors alike—and we dared to innovate, both with respect to form and educational and planning functions. We're very pleased to have been ranked first by Dalbar because the statement benefits our clients, and that is our greatest motivation," said Renée Laflamme, Vice-President, Group Savings and Retirement.

"The competition is fierce in the group savings and retirement segment and the statements are amongst the best we've seen across North America", said Anita Lo, Dalbar's Vice-President of Canadian Operations. "Our report specifically mentions the Industrial Alliance statement's streamlined look, personalized information, attractive graphic design, and superb retirement indicator tool that encourages members to get more involved in their retirement planning", added Ms. Lo.

Industrial Alliance recognizes the importance of offering its clients top quality solutions and has proven it once again by putting innovation, accessibility, and service at the core of its strategy. The new statement launched in January 2013 reflects this commitment and is a prelude to a series of actions aimed at improving the client experience.

About Dalbar Inc.
Dalbar Inc. is one of the world's leading independent financial services market research firms with offices in North American and Europe. It develops standards and measurement tools to help improve service quality, customer satisfaction, and communication efficiency for the financial services industry. Dalbar's proprietary business design techniques, combined with its specialized industry knowledge and behavioural research expertise, enable companies to anticipate changes in customer priorities and the competitive environment, and then design their businesses and improve operations to seize opportunities created by those changes.

About Group Savings and Retirement
Group Savings and Retirement offers a wide range of products and services adapted to the needs of savings and retirement plan members. It offers savings products, such as defined contribution plans, as well as institutional money management services and disbursement products. It provides its plan members with a large choice of investment options, such as segregated funds and guaranteed interest investments. With regional offices across Canada, the Group Savings and Retirement sector is one of the largest group savings and retirement service providers in the country.

About Industrial Alliance
Founded in 1892, Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. is a life and health insurance company with operations in all regions of Canada as well as in the United States. The Company offers a wide range of life and health insurance products, savings and retirement plans, RRSPs, mutual and segregated funds, securities, auto and home insurance, mortgage loans and other financial products and services for both individuals and groups. The fourth largest life and health insurance company in Canada, Industrial Alliance contributes to the financial wellbeing of over three million Canadians, employs more than 4,300 people and manages and administers more than $83 billion in assets. Industrial Alliance stock is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IAG.

SOURCE: Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc.

Pierre Picard, Public Relations Manager
Office: 418-684-5000, ext. 1660
Email: [email protected]