ING Announces Intention to File As a Section 403(b) Prototype Plan Sponsor

Continues to lead the way in helping educators plan for a successful
retirement

WINDSOR, Conn., May 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ING U.S. Retirement Services
(ING), a leading provider of K-12 and higher education 403(b) retirement plan
products and services through its constituent companies since 1967, has
notified the IRS of its intention to file an opinion letter application as a
Section 403(b) prototype plan sponsor. ING anticipates that this letter would
be filed as soon as the IRS begins accepting applications from retirement plan
providers seeking favorable determinations on their prototype plan documents.

"ING has been at the forefront of the industry's response to the new IRS
403(b) regulations and we continue to leverage our expertise and leadership
position in this market," said Linda Segal Blinn, vice president of Technical
Services at ING. "School systems across the country can be confident that the
prototype we develop will satisfy the Internal Revenue Service's written plan
requirements and be updated as needed to reflect tax law changes, helping to
meet the ongoing retirement needs of our school systems."

The 403(b) prototype plan program will allow eligible employers to adopt a
pre-approved plan and have assurance that the form of the plan meets all
403(b) regulatory requirements. The IRS will announce the date when it will
begin accepting applications for opinion letters and expects to open the
403(b) prototype program after a public comment period.

ING serves nearly 650,000 educators in all 50 states and, according to
industry data, has the largest number of K-12 retirement plan participants
among financial services providers.(1) With its commitment to teachers and
the education market, this is just the latest step taken by ING to help public
schools reduce the stress and complexity of complying with the new IRS 403(b)
regulations:

-- In March 2008, ING was one of the first providers to release sample
plan
documents specifically designed to meet the IRS final 403(b)
regulations
that became effective in January 2009.
-- Before the latest IRS draft procedures were issued in April, ING had
already informed sponsors using its specimen 403(b) plan document that
ING would automatically be sending updates to that plan necessitated
by
any statutory or regulatory changes.

-- Last summer, ING was the first 403(b) vendor to reach out to public
schools with a toolkit to help them meet the new IRS information
sharing
requirements that went into effect on September 25, 2007.

About ING
ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking,
investments, life insurance and retirement services to over 85 million
residential, corporate and institutional clients in more than 40 countries.
With a diverse workforce of about 125,000 people, ING is dedicated to setting
the standard in helping our clients manage their financial future.

In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING) family of companies offers a comprehensive
array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which
includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts,
alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management,
annuities, employee benefits, financial planning, and reinsurance. ING holds
top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves over 29 million customers
across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com/us.

1. LIMRA Not-For-Profit Sales and Assets survey Q4 2008, based on K-12 sales
and participants.

This material was created to provide accurate and reliable information on the
subjects covered. It is not intended to provide specific legal, tax or other
professional advice. The services of an appropriate professional should be
sought regarding your individual situation.

IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: Any tax advice contained in this release was not
intended by the author of this document to be used, and cannot be used by the
audience or any other person, for the purpose of avoiding any Internal Revenue
Code penalties that may be imposed on such person. Any tax advice contained in
this document was not intended by the author of this document to be used or
referred to, and cannot be used or referred to, in promoting, marketing, or
recommending the transaction(s) or matter(s) addressed herein.

SOURCE ING Americas

Press inquiries: Joe Loparco, ING Americas, Office: +1-860-580-2677, Cell:
+1-860-462-6525, joseph.loparco@us.ing.com