Transamerica Enhances Online TPA Solution Technology

Business Editors/Insurance Writers

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--December 2, 2008--Transamerica Retirement Services today announced a series of enhancements to “Transamerica Partner iSeries,” 1 an all-inclusive Web-based, virtually paperless, plan administration tool for Third Party Administrators (TPAs). In addition to previously launched technology, these new enhancements enable TPAs to conduct loan withdrawals and termination, hardship and in-service distribution functions online. In all, the enhanced Partner iSeries product allows TPAs to perform all functions of plan administration more efficiently and securely than previously made available to them by retirement plan providers.

The new loan and distribution enhancements give TPAs the ability to be notified by e-mail when a request has been made by a plan participant. Once a request is received, the TPA can update vesting for termination distribution requests, review the request to determine if it meets plan specifications, and approve or deny the request depending on employee eligibility – all online. This streamlined method makes the process more efficient by eliminating paper, allowing participants to receive their distribution more quickly.

The new online distribution functionality also allows participants to provide international addresses, claim tax withholding and indicate how they’d like to receive the distribution. The full functionality is compatible for both traditional and Roth 401(k) plans.

Since its launch in January, and as the small- and micro-plan markets continue to grow, the Transamerica Partner iSeries has been vital in sustaining the success of this market segment. The technology behind Partner iSeries allows for an end-to-end paperless workflow which saves time and energy for TPAs so they can focus more on addressing the needs of plan sponsors, which ultimately increases the value of the retirement plan.

“iSeries has gone a long way in helping us improve our client relationships and it speaks volumes about Transamerica’s dedication to helping TPAs,” said Kevin Falcone of Falcone Associates, a third party administrator. “These enhancements allow TPAs to be even more involved in every facet of plan administration, better ensuring plan compliance, and ultimately making plan sponsors more comfortable with Transamerica as their plan provider.”

“Transamerica is continuously working directly with TPAs on the ongoing enhancement of Partner iSeries,” said Laura S. Moskwa, vice president and director of TPA Services at Transamerica Retirement Services. “Since the launch of Transamerica’s Partner iSeries in January, we have improved our relationships with TPAs by giving them more control, flexibility and efficiency, which is a key element in our strategic growth initiative. As a result, we have seen a significant increase in sales through the TPA channel.”

In addition to the recent enhancements, Transamerica Partner iSeries features:

While helping improve the everyday functions of TPAs, Transamerica Partner iSeries also has noticeable benefits for financial advisers who will be able to work with a more competitively priced product that better involves TPAs as ERISA experts and as additional service support for plan sponsors.

Transamerica Partner iSeries is available to plan sponsors through brokers and TPAs. While available for plans of all sizes, Partner iSeries will be Transamerica’s sole offering for new plans with less than $500,000 in expected first-year deposits. Extensive Web-based training is available and simulations for different types of distribution help TPAs gain familiarity with the online processes. Transamerica has Web guides and various resources available as reference for TPAs.

About Transamerica Retirement Services

Transamerica Retirement Services (“Transamerica”), a marketing unit of Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company, 4 Manhattanville Road, Purchase, New York 10577, and other of its affiliates, designs customized retirement plan solutions to meet the unique needs of small- to mid-sized businesses. Transamerica Retirement Services ranked among the top plan providers 2 in a recent PLANSPONSOR® Magazine Defined Contribution Survey and has more than 14,500 3 retirement plans totaling more than $16.5 3 billion in assets. For more information about Transamerica, please refer to www.TA-Retirement.com.

1 Transamerica Retirement Services (“Transamerica”), a marketing unit of Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company (“TFLIC”), 4 Manhattanville Road, Purchase, New York 10577, and Transamerica Life Insurance Company (“TLIC”), 4333 Edgewood Road NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52499, and other TFLIC and TLIC affiliates, specializes in the promotion of retirement plan products and services. This product is available from Transamerica Retirement Services under contract form number TA-AP-2001-CONT, a group variable annuity contract underwritten by TFLIC, or under contract form number CNT-TLIC 10-05, a group variable annuity contract underwritten by TLIC. TFLIC is not authorized and does not do business in the following jurisdictions: Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. TLIC is not authorized in New York and does not do business in New York. Fees and charges may apply. For complete information, contact your Transamerica representative.

2 The November 2008 PLANSPONSOR® Magazine Defined Contribution Survey results place Transamerica Retirement Services among the top providers out of 52 for retirement plans with up to $50 million in assets based on total number of cups won. See the November 2008 issue of PLANSPONSOR® Magazine for complete results.

3 As of December 31, 2007.

TRS 5417-1108