Sun Life Financial Introduces Enhanced Business Succession Planning Program

Business Wire, June 5, 2008

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- The U.S. Retail Insurance and Annuity Division of Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE: SLF, TSX: SLF) today announced enhancements to its Business Succession Planning Program. Vital to any small business's long-term success, succession planning enables owners to manage the transition of their business to future owners and management. Sun Life's innovative program provides the necessary tools and education for advisors to guide small and family business owners through this process and ultimately help their customers successfully pass on what they have worked hard to build.

Ninety percent of businesses in the United States are closely held, and as this business sector grows, so does the opportunity for advisors to give owners basic business protection. Only 25-30 percent of closely held businesses have a succession plan in place. As a result, only 30 percent continue to the second generation, and less than 10 percent to a third.1

"The number of small businesses in the US is growing, but few of them have a plan that allows for an orderly transition of the business at the time of the owner's retirement, disability or death," said Janice A. Forgays, Esq., CLU, Vice President, Advanced Markets. "Knowing that succession can be a difficult topic for many small business owners to discuss, Sun Life's program provides the tools and advice that advisors need when talking to clients about the necessary financial and legal steps to take regarding business succession and protection."

Sun Life's Business Succession Planning Program provides advisors with the materials and strategies to address the challenges that business owners face when building a succession plan. The Program guides advisors through two traditional strategies - buy/sell agreements and key person insurance - while providing sales ideas, case studies, a fact finder and new Producer and Business Owner Guides.

For further information on the Business Succession Planning Program, contact your Sun Life Financial Representative. Visit: http://salesnet.sunlife-usa.com.

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 March 31, 2008, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of US $404.7 billion.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under ticker symbol SLF. Visit Sun Life Financial's website at www.sunlife-usa.com.

SLPC 18896 (6/08)

Exp. 6/09

1 The Family Business Institute; Small Business Administration (SBA); Raymond Institute