2004 News Releases

-- Participant Web Site and Enrollment Kit Receive 2003 Spotlight Awards from League of American Communications Professionals --

Boston– In recognition of excellence in participant communications, Manulife USA received gold and platinum awards from the League of American Communications Professionals (LACP) in their 2003 Spotlight Awards program. The Company was awarded gold for its 401(k) participant Web site¹, and received platinum honors for its 401(k) enrollment kit². The Web site and kit were among the award winners from more than 800 entries submitted for LACP's 2003 Spotlight Awards.

Manulife USA’s Group Pensions Web site, www.manulife401k.com, helps plan participants under our group annuity contract to answer four key retirement planning questions based on their own circumstances and goals. After entering some basic personal and financial information³, participants are prompted to select from several retirement profiles, which were developed using census, demographic, and consumer behavior information. Next, participants need only take a short risk quiz designed to help identify their comfort level with investment risk/return before being presented with a personalized retirement Action Plan complete with suggested monthly contribution amounts. Once their plans are developed, participants can regularly monitor their progress through this site on a personalized home page.

Based on extensive industry research and customer feedback, Manulife USA’s new participant enrollment kit was designed to take a participant through the enrollment process quickly and easily. Divided into three segments, the first encourages employees to set a retirement goal by offering several retirement profiles from which to choose, explaining the benefits of a 401(k) plan and how to maximize contributions, and guiding them through our short risk quiz. The second segment helps to address the question of how much money a participant will need during retirement, utilizing a contribution calculator and an easy-to-read results sheet. The third segment gets the participant started with enrollment forms and information on investment options designed to make choosing a portfolio easier by using a color-coded system.

About LACP
Established in 2001, League of American Communications Professionals (LACP) is an organization that encourages excellence in the practice of communications for all organizations. LACP's goal is to help facilitate discussion of best-in-class practices in communications and recognize those who demonstrate exemplary communications behaviors.

About Manulife
The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.) (Manulife USA) is committed to offering the highest quality annuity, life insurance, pension, tax-deferred college savings, and separately managed account products to its clients. Its family of products has been built around a powerful combination of investment options chosen with the goal of providing attractive risk-adjusted returns and broad diversification across asset classes, investment styles, and asset managers. With its extensive product lines, competitive underwriting, excellent ratings, and quality customer service, Manulife USA is dedicated to providing quality products designed to help create and preserve wealth for its clients. Group annuity contracts are issued by Manulife USA. Product features and availability may differ by state. In New York, products are issued by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company of New York (Manulife New York).

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group operating in 15 countries and territories worldwide. Through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners, Manulife Financial offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services. Funds under management by Manulife Financial were US$121.2 billion (Cdn$156.7 billion) as at December 31, 2003.

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.

¹ Participant Web site awarded Gold in the League of American Communications Professionals 2003 Spotlight Awards in the Internet -- publicity materials Competition in the category of Internet/Web Site of companies with an employee base of more than 10,000 and annual revenue of more than $1 billion

² Enrollment Kit awarded Platinum in the League of American Communications Professionals 2003 Spotlight Awards in the Investment & Financial Communications Competition in the category of Publicity Materials of companies with an employee base of more than 10,000 and annual revenue of more than $1 billion

³ Information provided remains confidential and is not sold, distributed, published, or otherwise disclosed in accordance with our privacy policy

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Media Contact:
Heather Randolph
U.S. Communications
(617) 854-4342