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Aviva USA Awarded Patent Related to Fixed Indexed Life Insurance
Friday, May 23, 2008
Patent Grant Reflects Industry Leadership and Innovation in Product Development
Des Moines, IA -- Aviva USA, part of Aviva plc, the world’s fifth largest insurance group, announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. patent number 7,376,609, for "Maximization of a Hedged Investment Budget for an Index-Linked Insurance Product," on May 20, 2008. The patent involves Aviva’s unique risk management processes related to the minimum guarantees on its indexed universal life insurance products. These innovative and proprietary risk management processes allow Aviva to offer customers indexed universal life insurance products with minimum interest rate guarantees that have greater benefits at lower costs.
"The granting of this patent underscores Aviva’s commitment to innovation in the area of product development," said Thomas C. Godlasky, CEO Aviva North America. "It is truly a testament to the outstanding work being done by Aviva’s product development team. As a company, our primary focus is on providing the best products and services to our customers, and the innovation behind this patent exemplifies that commitment."
"We are very excited that the US Patent and Trademark Office has recognized the innovative and proprietary methodologies we developed," said Brian J. Clark, chief strategy officer of Aviva USA. "We discovered that there was a better way to manage risk and lower the cost related to the minimum interest rate guarantees on indexed universal life products. By evaluating the minimum guarantee on a multi-year basis, we can offer our customers a very attractive indexed universal life insurance product."
Fixed indexed life insurance is the fastest growing segment of the U.S. life insurance market, having grown by 39% in 2007 and at a compound rate of 57% since 2004. This emerging segment, of which Aviva has been the market leader for the past six years, now represents 4% of the U.S. market for individual life insurance according to industry reports.
About Aviva plc
Aviva is the leading provider of life and pension products in Europe (including the UK) with substantial positions in other markets around the world, making it the world’s fifth largest insurance group based on gross worldwide premiums at 31 December 2006. Aviva’s principal business activities are long-term savings, fund management and general insurance, with worldwide total sales of $98.4 billion and assets under management of $724.6 billion as of December 31, 2007.
Aviva currently has 57,000 employees serving 45 million customers.
Aviva plc is traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol AV.
(Worldwide total sales based on life and pensions PVNBP, total investment sales and general insurance and health net written premiums, including share of associates’ premiums).
About Aviva USA
In 2006, Aviva grew its existing U.S. presence by acquiring AmerUs Group. Nationally, Aviva USA is ranked number one in the sales of fixed indexed life insurance and number one in the sales of fixed indexed annuities.
Aviva USA had $40 billion in assets as of December 31, 2007. Aviva’s U.S. employees are committed to helping customers meet their long-term savings, insurance and retirement income needs. www.avivausa.com.
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