National Television Documentary Finds Fear Mixed With Newfound Optimism Among Americans...

National Television Documentary Finds Fear Mixed With Newfound Optimism Among
Americans Approaching Retirement
MassMutual data also finds recession has sparked dramatic changes in
retirement planning

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- As millions of Americans near
retirement they have less confidence in the economy and new fears about
whether they can afford the high cost of growing older. But in a nationally
broadcast special to air this fall on PBS, television news anchor Paula Zahn
reports on new glimmers of hope and dramatic changes people are making to help
ensure they can afford to retire. Zahn will share the deeply personal stories
of several families on Retirement Revolution: The New Reality(R), premiering
September 15, 2009 on PBS, and sponsored by Massachusetts Mutual Life
Insurance Company (MassMutual).

"For millions of Americans, the recession has effectively eliminated their
plans to retire," says Zahn. "They're up against lost jobs, diminished
retirement plan investments and rising health care costs. The New Reality will
help them navigate these troubling waters by offering solid advice, opinions
and insight about money, health and Medicare from a host of economists and
financial planning experts."

The New Reality is the second installment of the Retirement Revolution((R))
series, which debuted last spring, with support from Massachusetts Mutual Life
Insurance Company (MassMutual) as the exclusive national underwriter. The
series is co-produced by PBS affiliate WTTW National Productions in Chicago
and Boyer Productions, Ltd.

"The recession has been a wake-up call for many people who are just now
realizing they may not have the right plan in place for a successful
retirement - but the good news is they're starting to do something about it.
The New Reality allows MassMutual to help bring national attention to the
importance of planning and saving for retirement; MassMutual is committed to
education regarding retirement, helping individuals achieve their definition
of a successful retirement," said Elaine A. Sarsynski, Executive Vice
President MassMutual Retirement Services and Chairman and CEO MassMutual
International, LLC.

MassMutual research shows the recession is causing seismic shifts in the way
many Americans view and prepare for retirement. Traditional retirement
vehicles remain immensely popular. According to MassMutual, the vast majority
of participants are staying the course and have not stopped contributing to
their 401(k) plans, despite the volatile financial markets.

This conservative approach by some investors is underscored by the move to
whole life insurance by many Americans. Sales for this stable and secure
product increased a record 16% for MassMutual in 2008; sales remain strong
this year, above industry averages. The trend indicates younger Americans are
just now learning what 79-year old Texas lawyer Jack Leon realized 40 years
ago when he bought his first whole life policy.

"The best value for the buck was whole life; I've stayed away from more exotic
investments with all their bells and whistles," said Leon.

Leon has been a litigator in San Antonio for fifty years. Married with seven
children, the death benefit of whole life appeals to him - but he says there's
more to it than that.

"In the long run that's what you're looking for - slow build of cash value.
It's a buffer from the volatility of the stock market. Stocks go up and they
go down - I can't predict what the market is going to do. But the cash value
of my whole life policy has always grown, in good times and bad," said Leon.

For boomers on the brink of retirement to millennials just entering the job
market, the new retirement reality is grounded in sound planning and
foresight. There are more than two dozen free calculators at
http://www.massmutual.com/calculators to help people plan for their retirement
determine their net worth and make realistic savings goals.
CRN201107-122690

About Paula Zahn
As a journalist and anchor, Paula Zahn has distinguished herself in the field
of broadcast news. Her insightful interviews with newsmakers from the worlds
of politics, sports, business, science, and entertainment have made her a
reliable and trusted source for breaking news and current affairs. Currently,
Zahn is the host of On the Case with Paula Zahn, an investigative series in
production for Investigative Discovery. The series will premiere in the Fall
2009. She also co-hosts Sunday Arts, a weekly arts showcase for WNET in New
York.

Zahn is well-known for her work anchoring CNN's weeknight prime-time evening
news program Paula Zahn Now, and her previous role hosting the network's
flagship morning news program American Morning with Paula Zahn, which she
helped launch in fall 2001. Zahn's professional career includes high-profile
roles with the Fox News Channel and a decade of work at CBS News, where she
co-hosted the CBS This Morning and anchored the CBS Evening News Saturday
Edition. She began her national television news career with ABC in 1987 after
working for several local stations. Zahn has received numerous honors and
awards for her work, including seven Emmys.

About MassMutual

Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is
run for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders. The
company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and
although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to
eligible participating policyholders every year since the 1860s. With whole
life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet
the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income
insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and
annuities. In addition, the company's strong and growing network of financial
professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life
Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales
representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts
and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset
Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile
Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, Inc.,
member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust
Company, FSB.

For more information, visit massmutual.com.

SOURCE MassMutual

Paula Tremblay of MassMutual, +1-413-744-0885, ptremblay@massmutual.com; or
Angela Giovanello of Mullen for MassMutual, +1-617-999-6105,
angela.giovanello@mullen.com