Great-West Life and Acquaint Financial offer independent plan member financial education and counseling services

LONDON, ON, May 3, 2004 – Group Retirement Services, a division of The
Great-West Life Assurance Company, London Life Insurance Company and The
Canada Life Assurance Company, today introduced independent third-party
financial educational services for members of its group savings plans. Through
an exclusive partnership with Acquaint Financial Inc. at nominal additional
cost, Group Retirement Services now offers iAcquaint, a financial planning and
education website, and financial planning seminars led independently by
Acquaint.

The iAcquaint website is available to applicable members 24 hours a day
through the Learning Centre on www.grsaccess.com, Group Retirement Services’
website dedicated to its plan members. iAcquaint allows members to create a
comprehensive and customized personal financial plan. Other highlights of the
site include responsive financial planning and debt and credit counselors,
over 20 interactive financial calculators, a comprehensive learning library,
an interactive classroom and a detailed financial glossary. iAcquaint uses
cutting edge technologies and adult learning principles to deliver an
interactive learning experience.

Through Group Retirement Services, Acquaint also offers financial
education seminars. Plan sponsors have the versatility of choosing from
Acquaint’s CareerStages(TM) Program or tailoring a solution from Acquaint’s
Customized Program. In both programs, seminar topics and lengths may be
customized to meet the plan sponsor’s specific mandates. Group Retirement
Services and Acquaint work together with the plan sponsor to best accommodate
their particular needs and the needs of their members.

“Our services, iAcquaint and Financial Education Seminars – help plan
members improve their personal financial lives and take charge of their
financial future. As a result plan members can feel more confident about a
brighter financial future,” says Asaf Shad, President and CEO of Acquaint. “As
a fee-based and independent financial educator, we are not tied to any
investment products nor do we share in the revenue from the sale of such
products. Our sole mandate is financial education for plan members. We are
very impressed at the high level of importance that Group Retirement Services
places on plan member services and especially educational materials. In our
opinion, this unique offering further shows that Group Retirement Services is
truly dedicated to plan member and plan sponsor services.”

“Our exclusive relationship with Acquaint will allow plan sponsors to
help plan members look to their overall financial picture. Educated plan
members are likely to make smarter and better financial decisions,” says Bill
Kyle, Senior Vice-President, Group Retirement Services. “By offering a
proactive and holistic approach to financial planning that reaches beyond
retirement saving – in varying mediums to suit different learning styles –
Group Retirement Services proves once again to be an industry leader.”

About Group Retirement Services

Together, Great-West and its subsidiaries, Canada Life and London Life,
serve the financial security needs of more than 12 million Canadians. Group
Retirement Services, a division of Great-West, London Life and Canada Life,
has a significant presence in the Canadian capital accumulation plan
marketplace with over:

  • 12,000 plans
  • 1.1 million plan members
  • $22 billion in assets
  • $3.5 billion in annual deposits

About Acquaint Financial Inc.

Acquaint Financial Inc., is an independent provider of fee-for-service
financial education and counseling solutions for employees across Canada.
Acquaint provides dynamic financial educational services to make it easier for
employers to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities while helping their
members prepare for a financially secure future. Acquaint is headquartered in
Toronto.