ING Launches New Roundtable Series for Mid Market Retirement Plan Consultants and Advisors

ING's U.S. Retirement Services operations announced today that it has launched a new series of educational roundtable discussions for mid market retirement plan consultants and registered investment advisors (RIA's). As a leader across all segments of the defined contribution industry, ING is using the roundtable discussions to foster relationships and grow in the mid market space, which includes employers with $20 million to $150 million in retirement plan assets.

The first event was held on June 9 in Washington D.C. Similar regional meetings are scheduled to take place over the next few months. Discussion topics range from investment monitoring and oversight; to industry trends on automatic plan features and target date funds; to the opportunity for sponsors to graduate into more flexible products as they grow, taking advantage of important features and benefits associated with larger plans.

ING will also be hosting a larger, mid market summit on September 9 and 10 in an effort to expand its relationships with key distribution partners in this community.

In conjunction with the roundtables, ING has also been featuring its newly-packaged and branded Framewor(k)(SM) product, a retirement plan solution that can be customized for mid market employers and combines large plan benefits of pure open architecture and full fee disclosure with a comprehensive suite of defined contribution services.

"At ING, one of our goals is to make it easier for our partners to do business with their clients. We understand that many employers with $20 to $150 million in plan assets have unique needs and want product solutions that resemble those found in the larger, institutional market," said Pat Bello, head of mid market sales for ING U.S. Retirement Services. "We're thrilled to be offering Framewor(k) across all of ING's distribution channels. This product offers large plan features, such as pure open architecture and full fee disclosure, while providing mid market sponsors with a cost-effective operating platform."

ING acquired Framewor(k) in 2008, when it purchased the former CitiStreet business. Framewor(k) is offered on a platform built to accommodate plans of various sizes, specifically employers with $20 million or more in retirement plan assets. With its open architecture, Framewor(k) allows plan sponsors and financial professionals to select any funds they want for their lineup without any proprietary requirement. It includes many best-in-class funds across all asset classes. Among other services, the Framewor(k) solution offers customized employee communications, dedicated support and best-in-class participant and plan sponsor Web sites.

With its promotion of the newly-branded ING Framewor(k) product this year, ING has generated over $2 billion in its current mid market sales pipeline. Over 50% of these proposals have come from the registered investment advisor channel. ING expects this number to continue growing as a result of the mid market roundtable series.

"Our roundtable events and the positive reaction to Framewor(k) underscore ING's commitment to grow in the mid market space and develop strong partnerships with this valued distribution channel," added Bello.

ING's U.S. Retirement Services business today holds top rankings in the defined contribution industry with over 52,000 retirement 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.

Following the acquisition of CitiStreet in 2008, ING has been leveraging the complementary strengths of each of its legacy businesses to expand upon industry leading services and capabilities. In the corporate market, ING has been a top provider for smaller plan sponsors through its significant broker distribution; the former CitiStreet had long been recognized for its robust systems capabilities and serving large employers. By joining forces, ING is now positioned to also grow its mid market business, targeting 401(k) plans with $20 to $150 million in assets.

To learn more about Framewor(k) or to register for an ING mid market roundtable event, consultants and advisors can contact Steve Davis at 732-514-8537.

You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the investment option carefully before investing. The prospectuses/prospectus summaries containing this and other information can be obtained by contacting your local representative. Please read the information carefully before investing.

About ING

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to over 85 million private, corporate and institutional clients over 40 countries. With a diverse workforce of about 114,000 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.

Insurance products, annuities and funding agreements issued by ING Life Insurance and Annuity Company ("ILIAC") One Orange Way, Windsor, CT 06095 , which is solely responsible for meeting its obligations. Plan administrative services provided by ILIAC or ING Institutional Plan Services, LLC. All companies are members of the ING family of companies. Securities distributed by or offered through ING Financial Advisers, LLC (member SIPC) or other broker-dealers with which it has a selling agreement.

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SOURCE: ING Americas

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

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