Russell to Unveil Web-Based Pension Forecasting Tool (Russell.com)

Russell to Unveil Web-Based Pension Forecasting Tool
Clients to see RUSSELL PENSION NAVIGATOR™ at Conference this Week

TACOMA, Wash. — Mar. 16, 2005 — Russell Investment Group, a global leader in multi-manager investment services, will showcase RUSSELL PENSION NAVIGATOR™, a web-based pension forecasting tool, at the Russell Summit 2005 client conference in San Antonio from March 19 to March 22.

RUSSELL PENSION NAVIGATOR™, which utilizes proprietary technology, has been developed specifically for Russell clients. It enables corporate defined benefit pension plan managers to better understand the relationship between the assets and liabilities of their plans. The new tool also can forecast the impact of capital markets and corporate policy on the plan and it helps analyze the plan's expected impact on the corporation as a whole.

At the conference, Russell will work closely with a select group of clients to gain feedback about Russell Pension Navigator before releasing it more broadly in mid-2005.

"With all of today's challenges, pension plan managers need a clearer and more dynamic picture of the relationship between assets and liabilities in order to take a more strategic approach to asset allocation," said Michael Hall, director, asset liability strategy, of Russell's Research and Strategy Group. "To that end, the depth of information that is available real-time through RUSSELL PENSION NAVIGATOR™ is unsurpassed. In practice, Navigator will enable plan sponsors, CFOs and treasurers to respond quickly to requests for details regarding their plans across a wide range of variables."

RUSSELL PENSION NAVIGATOR™ — Key Features
The RUSSELL PENSION NAVIGATOR™ allows for exploration of specific scenarios to learn how regulatory rules and standards affect and interact with capital market returns, funding policies and interest rates. Model scenarios include estimated expenses, funding requirements and cash flows. Results are displayed using interactive graphs so plan sponsors can get real-time answers to "what if" questions about funded status, contribution requirements and balance sheet impact.

Delivered via ClientLINK, Russell's institutional client extranet, the web-based platform provides a number of benefits to clients including access flexibility, the convenience of network compatibility, a secure, password-protected environment and the ability to receive upgrades due to regulatory changes in a timely manner.

"CFOs and pension plan managers have trusted Russell for strategic advice on pension plans and their impact on corporations for well over three decades," said Robert Blackwell, managing director of Russell's Research and Strategy Group. "Russell Pension Navigator is an innovative extension of our long-standing relationship with institutional investment decision-makers. This tool greatly enhances our suite of strategic advisory services that includes proprietary technology, written research and professional resources to assist clients with liability management and asset allocation development."

Blackwell explained that Russell will partner its traditional expert services with information from Navigator to help fiduciaries develop their asset allocation. "Russell believes that no model, however robust, can provide fiduciaries with the best solution," he said. "We will marry state-of-the-art technology with the personal investment expertise of Russell's strategy team to give asset allocation direction."

About Russell
Russell Investment Group, a global leader in multi-manager investment services, provides investment products and services in more than 35 countries. Russell manages more than $131 billion in assets and advises clients worldwide representing more than $2.3 trillion. Founded in 1936, Russell is a subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual and is headquartered in Tacoma, Wash., with additional offices in New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Auckland and Tokyo.

Contacts:
Steve Claiborne (253) 594-1858
Matt Burkhard (718) 875-2122

Russell Investment Group is a registered trade name of Frank Russell Company, a Washington, USA corporation, which operates through subsidiaries worldwide. Frank Russell Company is a subsidiary of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.

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