2005 News Releases

Industry expert Don Trone will discuss #1 plan sponsor issue¹

Boston– To help retirement plan advisors better serve their clients, John Hancock Retirement Plan Services will host a special workshop with Don Trone, founder and director of the Center for Fiduciary Studies (CFS), from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m on Monday, October 3rd at the Fairmont Chicago Hotel, site of the Center for Due Diligence Conference which runs October 4- 6. The session is open to conference participants. Those interested should register on John Hancock’s page on the CFDD Conference Website at www.401kduediligence.com/CFDDconference2005.

In the workshop, Mr. Trone will present the first module of the CFS’s six-module online training program, giving retirement plan advisors key information on their roles in fiduciary responsibility. The Center for Fiduciary Studies provides training for the AIF designation, the only professional designation based on investment fiduciary standards of care.

“Our workshop, which takes place one day prior to the CFDD conference, is an ideal opening for the event, which focuses on promoting advisory services instead of marketing products,” said Paul Henry, Director of Strategic Planning for John Hancock Retirement Plan Services. “Our sponsorship of Don Trone’s workshop will enable advisors to better understand and respond to the needs of plan fiduciaries, as well as understand their own potential to become plan fiduciaries. This workshop represents another opportunity for John Hancock to show our deep commitment to giving advisors the tools and knowledge they need to be successful and to grow their business.”

John Hancock is proud to be a sponsor at the CFDD Advisor Conference at which more than 600 retirement plan advisors are scheduled to attend and discuss best practices in the rapidly evolving industry. The conference will specifically address the critical issue of how to define the role and responsibility of retirement plan fiduciaries. “In light of recent Department of Labor statements and investigations by the SEC and various state attorneys general, it’s vital that plan advisors understand the fiduciary standards that apply to their clients and to themselves,” said Henry.

About John Hancock Retirement Plan Services
John Hancock Retirement Plan Services (previously Manulife) has been in the qualified retirement plan markets since the 1980s and has become the #1 Full Service provider to 401(k) plans (2005 CFO Magazine 401(k) Buyers Guide Study July 2005) "Full-service" denotes providers, including banks, insurance and mutual fund companies offering both recordkeeping and investments, as defined by CFO magazine: plans managed and asset growth based on plans inforce at December 31, 2004 (published July 2005).

In recent years, John Hancock Retirement Plan Services has earned industry and consumer recognition for providing participant materials that are informative and easy to understand, offering a wide range of investment choices and delivering excellent service.

About John Hancock and Manulife Financial
John Hancock is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation (the Company), 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$364 billion (US$297 billion) as at June 30, 2005.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as ‘MFC’ on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under ‘0945’ on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including whole life, term life, variable life, and universal life insurance, as well as college savings products, fixed and variable annuities, long-term care insurance, mutual funds and various forms of business insurance.

Insurance products are issued by the following John Hancock insurance companies: John Hancock Life Insurance Company, John Hancock Variable Life Insurance Company*, John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.)* and John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York.

*Not licensed in New York

¹2004 IOMA Annual DC Survey

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Melissa Berczuk
(617) 572-6390