WATERLOO, ON, March 20 2007 – Manulife Financial is clearly a leader in providing Canadians with the best statements to help them understand their segregated fund and universal life plans, according to an industry survey by DALBAR Inc.
Manulife Financial’s universal life statement was the only one designated as “excellent” in a cross-country review of nine industry statements that explain Canadians’ universal life insurance policies. Manulife’s universal life statement scored 83.79 compared to an industry average of 70.4.
Manulife’s segregated fund statements also ranked first among 12 surveyed across the investment industry, with a score of 74.79 compared to an industry average of 64.81.
“Manulife continually strives to be a leader helping Canadians understand their finances and to make better financial decisions,” said Bruce Gordon, Senior Executive Vice President and General Manager, Canada. “We’re very proud once again to be recognized by DALBAR.”
“Congratulations to those at Manulife producing these high-quality statements,” added Jody Bullen, Director of Public Relations and Business Development for DALBAR Inc. in Toronto. “Manulife is clearly the leader and by placing first among companies evaluated, their statements are raising the standards of excellence in the financial services industry.”
DALBAR is a recognized leader for its reports on how statements measure up to standards for investor communications in Canada, United States and the U.K.. The company grades customer statements based on how well companies meet various needs and preferences.
Key strengths
Manulife’s Universal Life statements:
- Variable, customized information based on product options
- Enhanced rate of return details, including 1, 3, 5 & 10-year policy returns
- At-a-glance tables on changes in policy values
Manulife’s Segregated Fund statements:
- Plain language (to explain complicated segregated fund features)
- Detailed guarantee information and details of how guarantees work
- Clear graphs and bar charts
“One of our goals is to take the complexity out of universal life insurance by providing clients and advisors with a statement that’s easy to understand and is customized to the client’s needs,” said Michael Doughty, Senior Vice President, Individual Insurance for Manulife. “This recognition from DALBAR confirms our belief that these statements are an important tool to help Canadians understand and manage their insurance needs and to get the maximum benefit from their policy.”
“On the investment side, it’s all about making these statements engaging and easier for clients to keep track of their investments,” added J. Roy Firth, Executive Vice President, Individual Wealth Management, Manulife Financial. “We have been recognized before by DALBAR for our leadership role and this is a very rewarding achievement.”
DALBAR Inc.
DALBAR, Inc. is a leading financial services research firm with offices in Toronto, Boston and the U.K., specializing in measuring the performance of institutions and financial professionals in areas such as communications effectiveness, client satisfaction, and service quality. DALBAR can be found on the Internet at www.dalbar.ca.
About Manulife Financial
Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$414 billion (US$355 billion) as at December 31, 2006.
Manulife Financial Corporation trades as ‘MFC’ on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under ‘0945’ on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.