Lincoln Financial Advisors will promote the sale of Standard Insurance Company's group products through Lincoln's national network of producers under a "preferred sponsor" agreement announced today.

The Portland-based insurer will offer group ancillary insurance products under the marketing agreement announced by Neal King, Standard's vice president of group sales, and Steve Coburn, who directs Lincoln Financial Advisors' employee benefit sales operations.

Standard offers group long-term disability, short-term disability, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, dependent life, dental, voluntary life and long-term disability, and small group trust products in 50 states and the District of Columbia (reinsurance only in New York).

Lincoln Financial Advisors is headquartered in Hartford, Conn., and is part of Lincoln Financial Group, the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. Lincoln Financial Advisors sells group insurance products through 16,000 agents associated with 45 employee benefits sales offices.

For more information, please contact :

Kira Higgs
Manager, Corporate Communications
Standard Insurance Company
1100 SW Sixth Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 321-6418 Tel

Scott Bushnell
Lincoln Financial Advisors
Fort Wayne, Indiana
(219) 455-7512 Tel

For investor information:

Scott Hibbs
Vice President, Investor Relations
Standard Insurance Company
1100 SW Sixth Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 321-7529 Rel