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1 5 4 H a r t f o r d Prudential Retirement With more than 85 years of retirement experience, Prudential Retirement is one of the United States' leading providers. O riginally called the Prudential Friendly Society and later, the Prudential Insurance Company of America, Prudential Financial, Inc. was founded in 1875, in a basement office in downtown Newark, N.J., by John Fairfield Dryden. The company began as an organization committed to making life insurance available and affordable to working-class Americans. From its humble beginnings, Prudential Financial, Inc. has grown into one of the most recognized brands in the world. Its well-known rock symbol is an icon of strength, stability, expertise and innovation in financial services that has stood the test of time. Prudential Financial has more than 41,044 employ- ees worldwide, while Prudential Retirement has 2,600 employees across the nation, with about 800 in Hartford as of December 31, 2010. Prudential Retirement's Chief Marketing Officer Kara Segreto says retirement security is what the group does best, and service remains the goal. "That's why we exist," she said. "That's why we're here. We're trying to focus more on what we deliver to institutions and individuals." Prudential Financial, Inc. has been providing a vari- ety of retirement plan products and services to institu- tions since the early 1920s. Prudential Retirement came to Hartford in 2004, after Prudential Financial's acquisi- tion of CIGNA's retirement business. With more than 85 years of retirement experience, Prudential Retirement is one of the United States' lead- ing providers. As of June 30, 2011, its clients included 7,000 institutions that provide retirement plans to their employees and members, with nearly $221 billion in total account values. The company manages the retire- ment savings accounts of approximately 3.6 million individuals. Prudential Retirement's products and ser- vices are provided by Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Hartford, CT, or its affiliates. Prudential Retirement prides itself on continually developing new products, tools and services to better meet the needs of plan sponsors and participants. Among these tools is the Retirement Income Calculator mobile app, which allows users to input information like their age, salary and current retirement savings and calculate an estimated monthly retirement income and estimated monthly retirement income need. The calcu- lator — previously only available on the website — gives 2.6 million users instant access to their accounts. It's fun, engaging and instead of just a number or discour- aging projections, the calculator offers hope in the form of an explanation and a personal action plan. In November 2010, the company launched a new FDIC -insured product that is part of a 401(k) plan for employers and employees. Prudential Retirement is one of the first companies to offer such a product. Funds invested are considered deposits of Prudential Bank and Trust, FSB, member FDIC. The company also offers an asset allocation program that assists plan participants in selecting investments that take into account their individual life stage, risk tolerance and retirement goals. In 2007, the company introduced a guaranteed income product. This innova- tive retirement-plan option can deliver lifetime retire- ment income while allowing participants to maintain total control of fund assets. Along with day-to-day plan support, Prudential Retirement also keeps plan sponsors up-to-date on leg- islative issues and industry trends that may impact retirement savings through dedicated client relation- ship managers, consultants, and sponsor newsletters. Unlike some other firms, Prudential Retirement met the financial crisis of 2008-2009 head-on, continuing to be a leader in the retirement services industry. "We retained our clients, we continued to innovate new products and solutions during a period of economic volatility," said Segreto. Prudential Retirement further showed its strength when it acquired the nation's lead- ing nonqualified benefits provider, MullinTBG. Headquartered in California, it provides what are called non-qualified retirement plans for executives. The company recently celebrated two major mile- stones. In June 2011, Prudential Retirement completed the first-ever pension-risk transfer sale to a U.S. plan sponsor and, one week later, completed its first longevity reinsurance transaction. Yet Prudential Retirement is most proud of the incred- ible knowledge and talent of its employees. Their com- mitment to helping clients work toward a more secure future, as well as their volunteerism and support within the community are integral to its role as a strong civic advocate within and around Hartford. The company is proud of Hartford's growth and sense of community and its own association with the city and entire region.