ING Launches Managed Retirement Accounts From Morningstar Associates

CHICAGO, June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Morningstar, Inc.
(Nasdaq: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, today
announced that ING is now making available Morningstar(R) Retirement
Manager(SM), including a managed retirement account service, to more than
26,000 retirement plan sponsor clients and 1.8 million plus participants. This
"do it for me," fee-based discretionary account management service option
expands the breadth of services offered by Morningstar Associates to ING
clients, which include plan investment line-up selection and a free
participant investment advice option. The addition of discretionary managed
accounts helps meet a wider range of participant needs, and may be used as a
qualified default investment alternative (QDIA) under the provisions of the
Pension Protection Act of 2006.
"Investing for retirement can be a challenge for many individuals who may
be overwhelmed by the complex decisions they face in their employer's plan,"
said Rick Mason, president, ING Retirement Services Market Segments. "These
investors recognize that retirement is not a 'do-it-yourself' project they can
handle on their own," he adds.
With Morningstar Retirement Manager, participants receive a personalized
retirement strategy, including a retirement income goal assessment,
recommended savings rate, and construction of an appropriate portfolio
strategy based on individual goals. Participants who enroll in the managed
account service will also benefit from professional asset management, ongoing
account monitoring, and quarterly progress reports to help them track their
advancement toward their goals.
"Plan sponsors and their fiduciary advisers increasingly seek services
like Retirement Manager that can give participants the added confidence they
need in their investment decisions to help them remain invested," added Mason.
"Investors can panic during times of economic uncertainty and sabotage
their retirement goals. Having a long-range plan and staying the course
through bull and bear markets can help investors save enough to provide income
after they leave the workforce," said Patrick Reinkemeyer, president of
Morningstar Associates. "Consequently, we're focused on helping people create
a retirement strategy that establishes long-term savings, contributions, and
income goals. Once a strategy is established, our investment professionals can
then create and manage an investment portfolio that is designed to meet those
long-term objectives, and move investors closer to a successful retirement."
"By working with Morningstar, we are taking an extra step in providing our
customers with an objective, third-party solution across the entire spectrum
of defined contribution products, which includes plans for employees of
small- to mid-sized corporate employers, government, healthcare and education
entities," said ING's Mason.
ING began making online investment advice available from Morningstar
Associates in 2002, and assistance with plan investment line-up construction
and ERISA 3(21)(a) liability through Portfolio Blueprint in 2003.
About Morningstar, Inc. and Morningstar Associates, LLC.
Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research
in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company offers an extensive
line of Internet, software, and print-based products and services for
individuals, financial advisors, and institutions. Morningstar provides data
on more than 270,000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual funds, and
similar vehicles. The company has operations in 18 countries and minority
ownership positions in companies based in three other countries. For more
information about Morningstar, visit http://www.morningstar.com.
Advisory services are offered through Morningstar Associates, LLC, a
registered investment advisor and wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc.
As of March 31, 2008, Morningstar Associates' retirement services were
available to more than 8 million people through approximately 76,000
retirement plan sponsors and 22 plan providers.
About ING
ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking,
investments, life insurance and retirement services to over 75 million
private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a
diverse workforce of about 125,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of
prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.
Insurance products and Retirement plan funding issued by ING Life Insurance
and Annuity Company and are distributed through ING Financial Advisers, LLC
(member SIPC). C08-0618-001R
(C) 2008 Morningstar Associates, LLC. All rights reserved. The Morningstar
name and logo are registered marks of Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar(R)
Retirement Manager(SM) is offered by and is the property of Morningstar
Associates, LLC, a registered investment advisor and wholly owned subsidiary
of Morningstar, Inc., and is intended for citizens or legal residents of the
United States or its territories. Morningstar Associates is not affiliated
with ING.
Media Contacts:
Alexa Auerbach, 312-696-6481, alexa.auerbach@morningstar.com
Deborah Pont, 860-580-2678, deborah.pont@us.ing.com
SOURCE Morningstar, Inc.

Alexa Auerbach of Morningstar, Inc., +1-312-696-6481,
alexa.auerbach@morningstar.com; or Deborah Pont of ING, +1-860-580-2678,
deborah.pont@us.ing.com