In Germany, Swiss Life is launching its first ever variable annuity product – Swiss Life Champion. Variable annuities ideally combine traditional insurance and modern investment products, offering customers greater flexibility and opportunities for higher returns in comparison with traditional life insurance products.
Swiss Life is taking a new approach to product development. A central product platform has been set up in Luxembourg to develop flexible life and pension products with variable guarantees (variable annuities) for the entire Swiss Life Group. The products, adjusted to local market requirements, will be introduced step by step in various countries. Germany is making a start with the launch of Swiss Life Champion in October. In early 2009, a similar product will be brought to market in Switzerland. Unlike traditional unit-linked life insurance products, variable annuities enable customers to design their product in line with their risk tolerance and to have their capital paid out at any time depending on fiscal regulations.

Group CEO Bruno Pfister is convinced of the advantages provided by variable annuities in the life and pensions market. “In new business, the product portfolio will move away from traditional products with fixed guarantees towards new products with variable guarantees. Variable annuities offer the best of both worlds: a high level of flexibility and transparency and opportunities to achieve higher returns, as well as financial guarantees.”

Further information is available on the website of Swiss Life in Germany (www.swisslife.de/champion).
Swiss Life
The Swiss Life Group is one of Europe's leading providers of life insurance and pension solutions. The Group offers individuals and corporations a broad range of products combined with comprehensive advice through its own sales force as well as brokers and banks in Switzerland, France and Germany. It provides internationally operating corporations with employee benefits solutions from a single source, and is among the global leaders in structured life and pension products for high net worth individuals with its centres of competence in Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Singapore.

Swiss Life is the majority shareholder of the Hanover-based AWD Group, one of Europe's top financial services providers for the medium- and high-income customer segments. AWD offers its clients independent financial advisory services. It employs around 6600 financial consultants in ten European countries.

Swiss Life Holding Ltd, registered in Zurich, was founded in 1857 as Schweizerische Rentenanstalt. The shares of Swiss Life Holding Ltd are listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange (SLHN). The Swiss Life Group employs a staff of around 9000.
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