The sites navigation has been streamlined to provide access to important content and helpful tools such as Agent Profiles, a new section that introduces Guardians financial representatives to customers, and Our Strength, which highlights Guardians market presence and emphasizes the companys commitment to providing quality products and services.

GuardianLife.com is just one more way we are enhancing our approach to client and customer interaction, says Nancy Rogers, Guardians senior vice president of corporate marketing. The launch of GuardianLife.com is just one of several initiatives in a series of technology-focused efforts aimed at improving the customer experience. Recently, Guardian Investor Services LLC (GIS), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, introduced www.guardianinvestor.com. Launched in late 2003, it offers options to individual investors, financial advisers, and brokers who sell products distributed by GIS.

ONLINE SUBMISSIONS

Prudential Offers Web-based Disability Claims
Prudential Financial, Inc., has launched a new online disability claim submission application for employees of group disability clients. The new functionality allows employees to handle many aspects of their claims using a secure and confidential online process. Continuing to provide our clients and their employees with the secure tools they need to manage disability issues effectively is of paramount importance to us, says Al Hemond, vice president of disability risk management for Prudentials group insurance business. Online employee claim submission supports our strategy of providing claims management services that are responsive to the varying needs of claimants. When we offer innovations that provide timely, cost-effective, and user-friendly services to our clients and their employees, we are living up to our goal of being a service-oriented claims operation.

Once a claim is submitted, employees receive automatic access to an online application that allows them to:
Set up tax withholding information.
Establish or make changes to electronic fund transfers.
Change contact information.
Provide date-of-birth information for themselves and their families.
View and print claim statements via a Portable Document Format (PDF) file.

The latest enhancements serve as a follow-up to January 2004 employee modifications that included online applications to report delivery dates related to pregnancy claims and dates when individuals have returned to work.

FIRST NOTICE

Hartford Speeds Claim Submission With IVANS
Since quicker submissions of First Notice of Loss (FNOL) reports for commercial auto or property insurance claims can lead to faster settlements, The Hartford Financial Services Group now is enabling its independent insurance agents to initiate electronically the claim process for their clients.

Independent agents can submit electronically a commercial auto or property FNOL to The Hartford with attachments from their Applied agency management system. The Applied system uses IVANS Transformation Station, a managed data exchange utilizing Web services and ACORD XML for real-time transactions between agency and carrier systems.

We challenged ourselves to offer agents more choice when they report claims to The Hartford, says John Chu, senior vice president of The Hartfords e-business and technology department. Although agents can continue to use the phone or fax for their First Notice of Loss reports, were providing a more streamlined option to submit that information. Were also the first insurer to enable agents to attach supporting documentation, such as photos or spreadsheets, to the FNOL submission. This is another way we are using technology to increase an agents efficiency.

To take advantage of this capability, agents complete a standard ACORD Loss Notice form within their agency management system, then submit the loss notice and documentation electronically to The Hartfords claims department. Evaluation of the reported claim begins upon receipt. Attachments to the FNOL submission can include photos, Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, or Word documents.

FINANCIAL PLANNING TOOLS

AccessAllstate.com Available to Financial Services Partners
AccessAllstate.com, the financial services Web site for Allstate Financial, a business unit of The Allstate Corporation, now is available to Allstate Financial Institution Divisions partners. The Web site previously had been available only to financial advisers or Allstate agents who were registered to sell Allstate or Lincoln Benefit Life Company products.

AccessAllstate.com helps Allstate effectively streamline how producers do business with us, says Joe Tomalavage, director, Allstate Financial Technology, Allstate Financial. Now, our financial institution partners are able to access client information, obtain real-time policy values, download forms, order marketing materials online, review product and fund information, and access sales and marketing ideas 24 hours a day from one central location.

Producers who register and log on to the Web site see a tailored view, which allows only products that have been approved by their financial institution to be displayed. In addition, the site provides listings to Allstate products and riders approved by each state.

Tailoring the site allows Allstate to meet the unique requirements of our partners, says Rob Shore, executive vice president, Allstate Distributors. Since these producers sell a variety of products, they require consumer-friendly financial planning tools that help them illustrate differences among the various types of retirement, college planning, and life insurance products.

In addition to the illustrations, the Web site provides producers with product comparison tools, investment options, a support center, and information on training, compliance, and Web site support.