Desjardins Financial Security unveils Destination, a new module of the Setting Sail for the Future integrated education and financial planning program offered exclusively to the company's group retirement savings clients. Destination brings together a broad spectrum of specially designed products, services and tools, available to participants approaching retirement.

"The transition period between working life and retirement is critical to helping future pensioners make their retirement dreams a reality," emphasized Eric Filion, senior director, Product Development and Marketing, Savings for Groups and Businesses at Desjardins Financial Security.

All aspects of the Destination program were carefully designed to facilitate life for those traveling towards retirement; by providing customized tools and services for identifying retirement goals, envisioning the desired retirement lifestyle, preparing a detailed expense budget, determining sources of income, and making choices.

"We feel it's paramount to provide retirement planning tools for these clients, who are especially in need of guidance and support. The program is orchestrated to help them through this vital transition, and we're there for them throughout the entire process," explained Filion.

Destination also provides access to an investor profile questionnaire that specifically targets retirement concerns and allows participants to easily make intelligent decisions about investments and payout products in accordance with their investor profile.

Destination's five steps will help those on the brink of their retirement establish a customized transition plan in order to meet their retirement goals and make their retirement dreams come true.

About Setting Sail for the Future

Setting Sail for the Future encourages participants to get actively involved in managing their retirement savings plan by providing access to retirement planning tools and information.

At the 2005 competition sponsored by the Insurance & Financial Communication Association, the IFCA recognized the excellence of the integrated education and financial planning program, designed for Desjardins Financial Security's group retirement savings plan participants, by awarding it Best of Show in the "Group Benefits and Pensions - Integrated Campaign" category.

About Desjardins Financial Security

Desjardins Financial Security, a subsidiary of Desjardins Group, the largest integrated cooperative financial group in Canada, specializes in life and health insurance, as well as savings products and services. Every day, over five million Canadians rely on Desjardins Financial Security to ensure their financial security. The Company, which employs 3,659 people and has over $17 billion in assets under management, has offices in several cities across Canada, including Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Levis and Halifax.

For further information: Nathalie Bohémier, Communications, 1-877-750-8700, extension 2290, nathalie.bohemier@dsf.ca; Virtual newsroom: http://www.desjardinssecuritefinanciere.com/presse

Source: newswire