American Skandia turns your CD-ROM into a comprehensive -- and entertaining -- financial...

financial management tool is being provided -- free -- to more than 4,800 financial services professionals nationwide, thanks to American Skandia Life Assurance Corp.

Now, financial services professionals who have CD-ROM capability on their computers can become experts on American Skandia's multi-manager

annuity products, customize presentations for clients, make and implement asset allocation decisions and fill out an application for a contract. And through the power of full motion video technology and sophisticated graphics, these professionals and their clients can watch and listen to leading portfolio managers speak about what makes their firm and their portfolio distinctive.

In yet another industry first, American Skandia has harnessed multi-media technology to an enhanced version of its groundbreaking software, ASSESS(SM) (American Skandia Software Evaluation System). "Skandia has devised a way for investors to take a tour of the financial marketplace without leaving their broker's desk," says Lincoln Collins, senior vice president of product management at Skandia.

The new CD-ROM is extremely user-friendly, according to Collins, and is made up of four modules. The first is an audio/video introduction to Skandia by Dr. Robert Seaburg, senior vice president, and Jan Carendi, chairman. Next, the broker can enter the original ASSESS program. "This module contains the expansive technical data, performance results and investment analyses for the wide range of portfolio options offered by American Skandia's multi-manager variable annuities," says Collins. "Here, the broker can allocate specific portfolio choices to match the client's goals and risk tolerance determined from a questionnaire that can be completed on-line."

A new module called "Fundamentals of Investing" gives brokers a unique and entertaining educational tool. Through the power of full motion video technology and sophisticated graphics, portfolio managers discuss their portfolios and their investment philosophy. "Clients can hear first-hand how the manager creates an investment strategy and applies it to the portfolio for the client's benefit," Collins explains. "In the final module, industry experts talk about important investment concepts and topics, such as equity investing, retirement planning, taxes, inflation and risk management. With ASSESS, brokers can truly personalize an investment decision, while conveying a level of service and trust in the transaction."

Even brokers who are less enthusiastic about modern technology have found ASSESS easy to use. They need a computer with Windows version 3.1 or later, a 486 DX2 Microprocessor and a CD-ROM. In the near future, brokers will be able to send information such as applications electronically via modem directly to Skandia.

American Skandia is a diversified multi-billion dollar insurance and financial services company headquartered in Shelton, Conn., and consistently one of the fastest growing providers of variable annuities in the United States. A subsidiary of Skandia Insurance Co. Ltd., based in Stockholm, Sweden, with operations in over 10 countries, which was founded in 1855, American Skandia is part of the Assurance and Financial Division of Skandia. This division is a key provider of innovative unit-linked savings products and ranks among the 10 largest producers of such products in the world. The Skandia group of companies has over $30 billion under management.

CONTACT: American Skandia

Tad Gillespie

or

Ann Becker

508/698-0448