There's nothing funny about not getting good financial advice

Sun Life Financial asks the question "have you put your financial game plan in motion?"

TORONTO, Feb. 5 /CNW/ - Are you frustrated about trying to find the financial solution that's right for you? When it comes to retirement planning, navigating the ins and outs of RRSPs, TFSAs, and GICs can be frustrating, not to mention understanding the critical role life and health insurance play in retirement planning. To help illustrate the vital role of a financial advisor in the planning process, Sun Life Financial has released a series of sketches on sunlife.ca and YouTube, created by Second City Communications, the corporate marketing services division of The Second City, which provides an entertaining take on an important message.

"Underlying these light-hearted videos is the message that obtaining financial advice is important," said Kevin Strain, Senior Vice-President, Individual Insurance and Investments, Sun Life Financial Canada. "Meeting with an advisor or finding information online to help educate you doesn't cost anything and the results could mean a world of difference to your personal financial plan."

The short webisodes take place in a fictional newsroom with a cast of characters reporting on the day's events. In one vignette, a field reporter takes a poll of "people on the street," with interesting responses on if they have an advisor. In another, the weather reporter is adversely affected by some bad financial news. And just in time for this weekend's big football game, a sportscaster calls a player's perfect financial play.

According to the Sun Life Canadian Unretirement™ Index, Canadians who have access to a financial advisor feel more confident about their retirement than those without. Sixty-seven per cent of working participants who had an advisor believe their retirement will be as comfortable as they expected compared to 57 per cent who didn't have an advisor.

"It's clear that Canadians see a real value in the professional advice they receive when it comes to retirement and financial planning," said Strain. "Our goal with these webisodes is to talk to consumers about financial planning in a way that relates to them. We want to encourage them to take that next step to seek the advice of a financial advisor and build a plan that will help them obtain lifetime financial security."

To view the videos visit www.sunlife.ca. To view other Sun Life Financial videos, including videos created by Second City Communications, go to www.youtube.com/sunlifefinancial.

About Sun Life Financial

Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth accumulation products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Chartered in 1865, Sun Life Financial and its partners today have operations in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China and Bermuda. As of September 30, 2009, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of CDN$412 billion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.ca.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.