ING Named to Hispanic Magazine's List of '100 Best Companies for Hispanics'

ING, with its U.S. and Americas headquarters based in Atlanta, has been named to Hispanic Magazine's "Hispanic Corporate 100: One Hundred Companies Providing the Most Opportunities for Hispanics." The annual survey from Hispanic Magazine evaluates the number of minority employees, diversity training, minority business initiatives and philanthropic funding that helps Hispanics and minority leader representation. ING was recognized as a company whose commitment to the Hispanic community runs deep-from its business strategy and employment opportunities, to its community support.

The national publication cited ING as a company that integrates its Hispanic-focused efforts into its business to make it easier for Hispanic customers and financial professionals to do business with ING. Among other examples, the company's success was highlighted by the fact that some of the most recognizable Hispanic-owned businesses have chosen ING as their 401(k) provider.

"We are honored by this recognition from such a well-respected publication as Hispanic Magazine," said Ricardo Lopez Valencia, senior vice president of diversity marketing for ING U.S. Financial Services. "We will continue to provide the education and products necessary to make it easier for the Hispanic community to accumulate wealth and provide financial security for their families."

ING has a variety of employee recruitment initiatives including a relationship with ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting), among other diverse professional organizations.

In Atlanta, ING's involvement with the Hispanic community includes supporting the Latin American Association and Hemisphere, Inc. In addition, ING Investment Management and the ING U.S. Foundation are funding Junior Achievement's Hispanic Outreach program, which addresses the high school drop- out rate among Hispanic students due to lack of economic/legal resources and of role models in the community.

Internally, the company supports the ING Latino Network, one of the organization's five diverse employee groups, which play an important role in educating its workforce and helping focus its business strategy. The ING Latino Network has five chapters across the United States and almost 400 members nationally. The Atlanta chapter of the ING Latino Network has over 60 members, including Hispanics and non-Hispanics. In 2005 the local chapter was present at NSHMBA (National Society of Hispanic MBAs) Annual Awards Fiesta where one of ING's employees was named "Member of the Year." This quarter, several network members are teaching Junior Achievement classes to Hispanic ESL (English as a Second Language) students to help improve their financial literacy. Also, the network sponsored a Junior Achievement Job Shadow Day last month. Hispanic students from the Brookhaven Boys and Girls Club visited ING and "shadowed" 13 of the Latino Network members for half a day.

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to over 60 million private, corporate and institutional clients in over 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of about 113,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.

In the U.S., the ING family of companies offer a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients which include 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 15 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit http://www.ing.com/

SOURCE: ING U.S. Financial Services

CONTACT: Chuck Eudy of ING U.S. Financial Services, +1-770-980-5209, or
chuck.eudy@us.ing.com

Web site: http://www.ing.com/us