Manulife Financial Corp. : Manulife introduces a new Macau Pension Fund Scheme

For Immediate Release January 20, 2014

Macau and Hong Kong - In a bid to meet the needs of Macau's companies in giving retirement protection to their employees, Manulife (International) Limited has announced the launch of a new pension scheme called "Manulife (Macau) Pension Fund Scheme" (the "Scheme"), effective January 1 this year. It comprises five open pension funds with different investment objectives and risk/return levels, catering for the diverse investment appetites and retirement needs of employees.

"Macau people enjoy a very long lifespan and many of them are becoming increasingly aware of the need for retirement planning. By offering a pension fund scheme that complements the benefits package their companies offer, Macau employers may attract and retain quality employees, enhance morale and build loyalty while also enjoying tax benefits on contributions made to pension funds," said Luzia Hung, Vice President of Employee Benefits, Manulife (International) Limited. "Manulife has more than 77 years of unparalleled pension management experience in Hong Kong. Drawing on this success and being the second largest Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) provideri in terms of assets under management (AUM), we are now introducing a new pension scheme in Macau with diversified fund choices to help people there achieve their desired retirement goals."

A diversity of fund choices
The Scheme is composed of five open pension funds specially tailored to the Macau market, spanning various investment objectives and risk appetites. They are: "Pacific Asia Bond Fund (Macau)", "Stable Growth Fund (Macau)", "Balanced Fund (Macau)", "HK & China Equity Fund (Macau)" and "Healthcare Fund (Macau)". Both the "Pacific Asia Bond Fund (Macau)" and "Healthcare Fund (Macau)" are unique in the local pension market. The "Pacific Asia Bond Fund (Macau)" will invest in bonds from the Asia-Pacific region, including RMB bonds, while the "Healthcare Fund (Macau)" is the only sector fund in Macau investing in pharmaceutical products.

The five funds in the Scheme encompass a wide array of investment options, which include a bond fund, an equity fund, a sector fund and two mixed assets funds. Companies of different sizes are able to ride on this diversified fund platform to cater to the varying retirement needs of their employees.

Flexible and quality value-added services
Manulife is committed to providing customized services for its customers. We are dedicated to helping employers set up and manage their pension accounts more efficiently by providing scheme design, enrolment briefings to employees, regular account statements, etc. In addition to the personalized support offered by Manulife's experienced and professional agents, both employers and members can make good use of its customer service centre and hotlines to receive timely assistance. Members can also view their account and contribution status and receive regular investment updates via an advanced online platform.

Manulife - the trusted retirement partner
As one of the largest MPF service providersi in Hong Kong, Manulife is well known for its excellent and comprehensive services. Over the years, these have been widely recognized by the award of such designations and honours as the ISO 9001 certification, the Silver Award at the 2011 Hong Kong Management Association's Quality Awards, Next Magazine's Top Service Awards (1995/2001-2011/2013), the Reader's Digest Trusted Brand Gold Award in the Provident Fund Category in Hong Kong (2012-2013) and the Sing Tao Excellent Services Brand Award in the MPF Services Provider category (2009-2012).  

"Manulife's strength lies in our diversified fund platform, the personalized and professional services that our experienced agents provide, comprehensive services and a wealth of fund management expertise within the Manulife Financial group of companies," added Ms Hung. "Bringing with us our solid pension management experience from Hong Kong, I believe that Manulife is well positioned to be the trusted and reliable retirement partner for Macau employers and their workforce." 

About Manulife (International) Limited
Manulife (International) Limited is a member of the Manulife Financial group of companies.
Manulife Financial is a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Clients look to Manulife for strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking solutions for their most significant financial decisions. Our international network of employees, agents and distribution partners offers financial protection and wealth management products and services to millions of clients. We also provide asset management services to institutional customers. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were C$575 billion (HK$4,333 billion) as at September 30, 2013. The Company operates as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia and primarily as John Hancock in the United States.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

Media Contact:
Jacqueline Kam / Crystal Tse
Manulife (International) Limited
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