A New Edge for Life and Annuity Producers; New Web Tools from Traveler

    Business Editors/Insurance Writers

    HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 28, 2005--Travelers Life & Annuity has introduced a newly updated producer Web site that dramatically enhances the ability of life and annuity producers to manage their book of business, access important information and serve client needs.
    Rolled out in its entirety on January 28, the updated Travelers Life & Annuity site is the result of listening closely to producers and delivering the features they say they need most, according to Bill Krivoshik, the company's chief technology officer. A key example: producers can now view their entire book of business on a single page, listed by account number, account owner, annuitant, account value and more. By clicking on a specific account, the producer can dig deeper, accessing TL&A's AccountViewer for details. Producers can also select, print and/or save all the quarterly statements for the accounts in their book of business at one time. "It's a powerful way for producers to monitor what's going on with their entire book of business. The page even includes an 'at-a-glance' total value for the producer's book of business," said Krivoshik.
    Another innovation on the site is technology called FormSearch. "Producers told us that downloading all the right forms from a Web site can often be a difficult, 'hit or miss' task," said Krivoshik. FormSearch simplifies this task. When a producer selects one form, the software automatically selects and delivers any other required forms, too. It also provides a list of appropriate optional forms, such as forms for riders. So with just a few clicks, the producer gets everything he or she needs.
    Forms are also easier to complete on the new site thanks to enhanced PDF technology that allows producers to fill out forms onscreen. This eliminates the need to print paper copies of forms and fill them out by hand.
    Another task that the site simplifies is gaining access to the right fund performance for a particular product's underlying investment options. Performance numbers are presented in html format as well as in the form of downloadable PDFs. This makes viewing, searching, sorting and analyzing fund performance as easy as pointing and clicking. A producer can generate performance for the underlying investment options in a particular client's account by selecting the product, rider(s) and/or death benefit associated with the client's contract, and the site automatically generates the appropriate fund performance numbers.
    The site also "knows" every producer who visits it. The first time a producer accesses the site, he or she is prompted to establish their own, personal profile. The site delivers only product and account information pertinent to the individual producer. "In essence, we're getting rid of 'clutter,'" said Krivoshik. "That makes the whole process of using the site faster and more efficient. You sense it the minute you hit the home page. Everything that's important to the producer is right up-front - and everything you see pertains to that particular producer."
    Ed Cassidy, president of Travelers Life & Annuity's life insurance division, says the improvements are part of an ongoing philosophy of tailoring products and services to producers' needs. "True partnership with our producers means doing everything we can to open up new opportunities for them," said Cassidy. "Our new Web site improvements make it much easier for producers to manage their current book of business, see where the opportunities are, and then quickly research appropriate life and annuity solutions."
    "Today, gaining the competitive edge is all about efficiency," added Kate Preston, president of Travelers Life & Annuity's retail annuities division. "By automating processes and making information easier to find and analyze, we're giving that edge to every one of our producers, every day, 24-hours a day."

    Travelers Life & Annuity is one of the nation's top providers of individual annuities and life insurance products that address the asset protection, retirement planning and estate preservation needs of its clients. The company is also a significant provider of institutional annuities, including payout annuities and structured settlement annuities. Travelers Life & Annuity includes The Travelers Insurance Company and The Travelers Life and Annuity Company, which issue the insurance products. Travelers Life & Annuity had more than $71 billion in assets under management as of year-end 2004; employs more than 2,000 workers in its Hartford, Connecticut headquarters and across the United States; and is part of Citigroup (NYSE: C), the preeminent global financial services organization with some 200 million customer accounts in more than 100 countries.
    Travelers Life & Annuity is on the Internet at www.travelerslife.com.
    Insurance products are issued by The Travelers Insurance Company or The Travelers Life and Annuity Company, One Cityplace, Hartford, CT 06103-3415, depending on the jurisdiction. The issuing company will be reflected on the contract. In New York, contracts are issued by The Travelers Insurance Company. Travelers Distribution LLC is the principal underwriter of the variable products.

L-23318 Rev. 01/28/05

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CONTACT: Travelers Life & Annuity Greg Potter, 860-308-7733 gregory.p.potter@citigroup.com

KEYWORD: CONNECTICUT INDUSTRY KEYWORD: INSURANCE BANKING CONSUMER/HOUSEHOLD INTERNET E-COMMERCE PRODUCT SOURCE: Travelers Life & Annuity

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