Another step forward for Sun Life Financial's VRSP

MONTREAL, April 16, 2014 /CNW/ - Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, a member of the Sun Life Financial group of companies, is today submitting its application to the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) for authorization to act as administrator of a Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan (VRSP). Sun Life Financial has been bringing its expertise to VRSP forums for more than a year, and continues to champion this product as one the company believes in and will be positioned to provide to Quebecers once authorization is obtained from the AMF and its plan is registered with the Régie des rentes du Québec.

"We have taken this major step forward, on the first day for applications, which enables us to move ahead in the process of making our VRSP available to Quebec SMEs. Our network of advisors and brokers throughout Quebec, in addition to the VRSP-focused resources of the Sun Life Financial Small Business Centre, will be poised to provide a quality product that's simple and effective to the 90,000 affected employers," said Jean-François Pelletier, Sun Life Financial's Regional Vice-President, Group Retirement Services, Quebec.

Starting in July 2014, VRSPs will give thousands of Quebecers their first tangible savings experience and will be a gateway to helping them take charge of their finances. Sun Life Financial has been a thought leader since the earliest days of this project, assisting in creation of a product to foster saving among Quebecers. Our appearance before the parliamentary commission in September 2013 and our contribution to the public debate around VRSPs demonstrate our leadership in the retirement savings space.

About Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Sun Life Financial and its partners have operations in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2013, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $640 billion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

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

Note to editors: All amounts are in Canadian dollars.

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Canada