2006 News Releases

Newly revamped site named “Outstanding” in mutual fund and financial services categories

Boston – John Hancock Funds’ web site, www.jhfunds.com, was named the “Outstanding Web Site” in the mutual fund and financial services category for 2006 by the Web Marketing Association, an industry group, the company announced today. This past June, John Hancock Funds launched a newly redesigned, content-rich web site featuring customized views for its individual investor, financial adviser, broker-dealer and home office sales audiences; the site also offers expanded tools and services.

“It is an honor to receive this recognition, the culmination of nearly a year’s work in rebuilding our site. We are pleased with the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve received from clients, advisers and the industry at large,” said Carey Foran Hoch, vice president and head of retail marketing for John Hancock Funds. “Since our relaunch in June, more than 5,000 advisers have become registered users of our site, finding there important business-building tools and resources. Overall, since our relaunch, total traffic has doubled compared with our old site.”

In comments made by judges for the Web Marketing Association Award, the John Hancock Funds web site was commended for being “a financial site that does what it says it says it will do – provides easy access to information, without a hardsell pitch, with font tailored for the aging boomer population.”

About the Web Marketing Association
The Web Marketing Association is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of web site development and marketing on the Internet. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward Competition has been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its tenth year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier award event for Web developers and marketers worldwide.

About John Hancock Funds
The Boston-based mutual fund business unit of John Hancock Financial Services, John Hancock Funds manages more than $47.5 billion in open-end funds, closed-end funds, private accounts, retirement plans and related party assets for individual and institutional investors at June 30, 2006.

John Hancock Financial Services is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United States, the company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$370 billion (US$332 billion) at June 30, 2006. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as ‘MFC’ on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under ‘0945’ on the SEHK. Manulife Financial may be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

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Contact:
Beth McGoldrick
(617) 663-4751
bmcgoldrick@jhancock.com