Transaction will add approximately 300,000 participants and USD $7.5 billion in plan assets
WINNIPEG, June 26, 2006 – Great-West Lifeco Inc. today announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, has reached an agreement to acquire from Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and its affiliates several parts of their full service-bundled, small and midsize 401(k) as well as some defined benefit plan business. The acquisition also includes the associated dedicated distribution group, including wholesalers, relationship managers and sales associates. The acquisition nearly doubles both Great-West Life & Annuity’s participants in the 401(k) full service segment, and its distribution capacity.
The agreement includes nearly 2,600 plans, representing approximately 300,000 participants and $7.5 billion USD in retirement plan assets. The transaction is scheduled to close in the fourth quarter of 2006, subject to regulatory approval in the U.S. Lifeco expects the transaction will be accretive to earnings in 2007 and subsequent years.
“This acquisition advances our strategy to position Great-West Life & Annuity as a top provider of retirement plans and services in the U.S.,” said Raymond L. McFeetors, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lifeco. “It gives us a significantly broader presence in our target market, the midsize 401(k) segment, where we’ve already established ourselves as an innovative and growing player.”
In addition to its full-service 401(k) business, Great-West Life & Annuity provides a range of retirement products and services to the corporate, government, healthcare, and education markets and to institutional clients. Great-West Life & Annuity, which offers products and services for 401(k), 401(a), 403(b) and 457 retirement plans will, following the transaction, provide these services to more than 20,100 plans representing more than 3.2 million participants with in excess of $94.1 billion USD in assets.
Products and services are provided by Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, FASCore LLC, and First Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company and their subsidiaries and affiliates. Insurance products and related services are sold in New York State by First Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company of White Plains, New York.
Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, headquartered in metro Denver, serves its customers through a full range of retirement savings products and services, annuities, life and disability insurance and health care plans. It is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco Inc. and a member of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies.
Great-West Lifeco Inc.
Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSX:GWO) is a financial services holding company with interests in the life insurance, health insurance, retirement savings, and reinsurance businesses. Lifeco has operations in Canada, the United States and Europe through The Great-West Life Assurance Company, London Life Insurance Company, The Canada Life Assurance Company and Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company. Lifeco and its companies have $182 billion in assets under administration. Great-West Lifeco is a member of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies.
