ING Introduces Dynamic Spanish-Language Life Insurance Education Web Site

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The ING Life Companies have unveiled a new, interactive online tool that aims to make it easier for Spanish-speaking Americans to learn about life insurance. Dubbed ING for Life (SM) en Espanol, the online tool walks consumers through an education process to help them determine the type of life insurance product and estimated amount of life insurance that best fits their personal situation.

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"Hispanics in the U.S. are dramatically underinsured and many are leaving their families vulnerable should they experience the loss of a loved one. Education is a key to changing this situation," said Butch Britton, CEO of ING U.S. Insurance. "ING for Life en Espanol dramatically improves the life insurance education experience for people who are more comfortable with Spanish. It allows the user to create a personal experience and educate themselves based on their own needs and at their convenience."

A survey conducted for ING (1) found that while nearly 90 percent of Hispanics respondents felt that a person like them should have life insurance, only 39 percent actually did. Similar statistics about low Hispanic life insurance ownership have been reported by the industry association LIMRA. LIMRA found (2) Hispanic households much less likely to own individual life insurance compared to the general population (36% vs. 54%). Spanish-dominant Hispanics are even less likely to own individual life insurance. The LIMRA report also suggested that given the difficulty that many insured Hispanics have in determining how much life insurance they need, it is likely that many of these households are underinsured.

"Given the central role that family plays in Hispanic society, it is not surprising that more Hispanics feel they need life insurance when compared with the rest of the population. Unfortunately, myths and other barriers have kept many from protecting their families. ING for Life en Espanol helps users see that life insurance can be affordable and easy to understand," said Fabian Gonzalez, vice president of Multicultural Sales for ING Life Companies. "Together with our distribution partners, ING now delivers education, sales and service of our life insurance in Spanish as well as English."

Modeled after the company's English-language site, ING for Life en Espanol includes Hispanic actors and culturally relevant language and references. After completing the research and education process, the site offers users the opportunity to move to the buying process. With just a few clicks of a mouse, users can get life insurance quotes and connect to a licensed, Spanish-speaking life insurance agent that will help them complete a life insurance application.

For insurance professionals and brokerage agencies, ING for Life(SM) and ING for Life en Espanol creates an opportunity for firms to efficiently reach middle-income and Spanish-speaking consumers. With co-branded URL addresses, firms can utilize the tools to generate ready-to-buy customers. Firms not designed to handle significant application fulfillment or Spanish-language consumers can utilize an ING-approved fulfillment organization to respond to consumer questions and complete the sales process.

Consumers interested in learning about life insurance should visit www.INGEspanol.com. Insurance professionals interested in the ING for Life (SM) marketing program should contact their ING representative or contact Kay Eller, director of ING Retail Life business development, at katherine.eller@us.ing.com or (770) 541-3181.

Products and service offered by the ING family of companies.

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 in more than 40 countries. With a diverse workforce of about 105,000 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 offer 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 and financial planning. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves nearly 30 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.us.

(1) A supplement to the Americans Attitudes Towards Life Insurance survey, a telephone survey in English and Spanish of nearly 1,200 adults across he U.S., including 301 Hispanics. The survey was conducted for ING by Ipsos in the fall of 2007 and published in 2008. The margin of error for the Hispanic sampling is +/- 5.7%.

(2) LIMRA's U.S. Hispanics and Life Insurance, published in 2007 resulted from telephone interviews in both English and Spanish with 800 Hispanic respondents who were the financial decision makers, aged 25 to 64, of households with a minimum household income of $25,000. LIMRA also conducted three focus group discussions with Hispanics in Spanish and English. Participants had similar demographics (regarding age and household incomes) as those of the quantitative study.

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SOURCE ING

SOURCE: ING

CONTACT: Philip Margolis, ING, +1-860-580-2676, phil.margolis@us.ing.com

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