ING's Taking Control(R) Helps Retirement Plan Sponsors Empower Their Employees in...

ING's Taking Control(R) Helps Retirement Plan Sponsors Empower Their Employees
in Transition

Suite of comprehensive services provides counseling, retirement planning and
customized benefits solutions

WINDSOR, Conn., June 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ING's U.S. Retirement
Services operations announced today that its large corporate and government
retirement plan clients can now take advantage of a new suite of services
designed to help employees navigate the complexities of workplace transitions.

The program, known as Taking Control(R), is offered as a value-added resource
for plan sponsors. Employers can leverage this unique package of services at
no additional cost to assist employees who are approaching retirement, leaving
their jobs or who are impacted by a corporate action, such as a workforce
reduction, the termination of a benefit plan, or the sale of a business.

Taking Control(R) focuses on educating and assisting participants as they
transition to retirement or another employer. The program also helps reduce
many of the administrative burdens faced by employers while enabling employees
to make more informed decisions about their benefits and finances during the
outplacement process.

"In today's environment, addressing the needs of transitioning workers has
become an enormous responsibility for employers and their human resources
departments. Employees leaving a job often have questions about their
retirement accounts, their benefits and other financial matters," said Randy
Ciccati, president of ING Financial Solutions Group. "That's why ING is
pleased to be offering Taking Control(R) as a resource for our large corporate
and government clients. We see this as an opportunity to make a plan
sponsor's job easier, while providing employees with meaningful, workable and
immediate financial solutions."

"Taking Control(R) is a powerful complement to our overall
Direction-for-Life(R) strategy," said Sandra McCarthy, president of ING
Institutional Plan Services. "This program enhances a sponsor's ability to
choose a level of service appropriate to their corporate-action strategies and
employee demographics, while enabling participants to benefit from
individualized, objective support for their own personal life situations and
goals."

Three Services, One Comprehensive Approach

ING's Taking Control(R) program is a menu of three distinct services for
sponsors or employees depending on their specific situations or needs:

1. Transition Counseling: ING's Transition Counseling services are
available to all participants who experience a transition in their
retirement plans. A dedicated team of registered, phone-based
financial
professionals can provide employees with objective education,
personalized guidance and counseling on the benefits and risks
associated
with all of their transition options. This includes staying within
their
plan, rolling assets into another plan or an IRA, taking cash
distributions or exploring other income and withdrawal choices.
Counselors may assist employees in implementing a sound financial
strategy and addressing a broad range of topics, such as how to better
understand any tax implications associated with their transition
options
and how to continue contributions on a tax-deferred basis.
2. Retirement Readiness: Upon request, employees who are planning for or
entering retirement can take advantage of ING's Retirement Readiness
services. ING established these services to ensure that plan
participants are receiving valuable education and support for managing
their retirement nest egg. ING's focus is on participants who are
50 years or older, as well as those within 5 years of retirement. The
goal is to improve participants' financial well-being by helping
them understand and meet their retirement income needs and goals.
Education and tools include targeted electronic and print materials as
well as webinars and online workshops. ING's phone-based Transition
Counselors are also available to explain retirement plan distribution
options and assist in developing strategies and determining retirement
income needs.

3. Benefits Solutions: ING's Benefits Solutions services are designed
specifically for employers undergoing corporate actions such as large
workforce reductions, the closing or sale of a business, retirement
plan
terminations and other complex transitions. ING partners with a plan
sponsor's human resources department and, when appropriate, outside
vendors to create a flexible and customized solution. A dedicated team
of ING Benefit Solutions specialists are available to provide
personalized attention for plan sponsors and their affected employees.
These specialists are available for group and individual meetings as
well
as by phone and e-mail. Their focus is on addressing employees'
most pressing concerns, such as comparing COBRA to other health
insurance
alternatives, evaluating life insurance options, managing severance
packages and other income sources, reducing expenses, taking advantage
of
company stock opportunities and maximizing 401(k) plan benefits. The
Benefits Solutions services also include user-friendly and
action-oriented workbooks and materials.

ING developed Taking Control(R) after conducting extensive research and
surveying over 1,000 employers to find out what resources were most important
for retirement plan participants in the process of transition. Nothing
existed that served all three areas of transition counseling, retirement
preparation and total benefits support.

"We believe our holistic and consultative approach differentiates ING from
other retirement plan providers," noted Julie Kozlowski, vice president of ING
Financial Solutions Group. "It also lets our plan sponsors show they care by
demonstrating professionalism, courtesy and respect as they help employees
take control of their benefits and finances during what can be a difficult
process."

ING's U.S. Retirement Services operations holds top rankings in the defined
contribution industry today with over 52,000 plans, more than 6 million plan
participants, and over $230 billion in assets under administration and
management. ING serves all sizes and segments of the defined contribution
market, including corporate, government, K-12, higher education and healthcare
clients.

The Taking Control(R) program is currently available to the large and
mega-sized corporate market, as well as ING's government clients. Transition
Counselors and ING Benefit Solution specialists are registered representatives
of ING Financial Advisers, LLC (member SIPC).

SOURCE ING Americas

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