"It is our belief that the State Street Research Adviser Retirement Program sets us apart from the rest of the industry," said Kevin Wilkins, Executive Vice President, Head of State Street Research Investment Services. "These kits showcase our program's flexibility, cost-effectiveness, quality-focus and completeness compared to other retirement services. In short, what we are offering is simply the smartest choice for clients."

State Street Research & Management Company, with a money management history dating back to 1924, is one of the nation's first investment management organizations. The Boston-based firm is a subsidiary of MetLife, one of the world's largest financial services companies. As of April 30, 2001, State Street Research managed $49 billion in assets, of which over $31 billion represented institutional clients and $18 billion represented mutual fund and variable annuity portfolios. The firm manages money for 10 of the 15 largest U.S. corporate pension plans (as reported in the 2001 Money Management Directory), union programs, public employee pension plans, mutual funds for over 530,000 shareholder accounts, as well as individually managed accounts for affluent investors. The firm's Web site address is www.ssrfunds.com.