OREANDA-NEWS. The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited hereby announces that TAL Group (TAL Dai-ichi Life Australia Pty Limited, directly owned by the Company, and its subsidiaries) has agreed with NFS Group (National Financial Solutions Pty Ltdandits subsidiaries), an online life insurance comparison business in which TAL Group already had an approximately 10% stake, to acquire 100% ownership of NFS Group. Through this acquisition, Dai-ichi Life Group will enter into the new market where customers seek, compare and buy life insurance over the internet.

The Australian life insurance market has been steadily growing. In such a market the online life insurance distribution channel has high potential for growth in light of increasing consumer use of the internet and the demand for life insurance products. TAL would like to see this comparison business to grow further. NFS Group started its business in 2004 with its brand name, "Life broker", and established a presence as one of 2 top online life insurance distribution businesses in Australia.

This acquisition is expected to lead to, not only an expansion of TAL's customer base but also to group-wide synergies as the Dai-ichi Life Group will make use of by sharing the internet customer processes and sales know-how within the group.

The Company will seek to further enhance its overseas life insurance business going forward, pursuing such new opportunities.