(December 5 – 12:00 ET) – Clarica Life Insurance Co. and TD Waterhouse Investor Services (Canada) Inc., have reached a marketing agreement that will permit Clarica agents to refer customers, who wish to buy and sell securities, to TD Waterhouse.

Clients would then be able to access their TD Waterhouse account and related market information through Clarica’s Web site, or directly through TD Waterhouse’s other channels.

Clarica said an increasing segment of its client base would like to hold stock and bonds directly. The agreement with TD Waterhouse will help meet client needs.

Barry Triller, executive vice president, Canadian customers, Clarica, said “building on our base of asset allocation for mutual and segregated funds, which we recently extended to include third party funds, we will now be able to offer our customers a channel where they can make their own decisions about investing in stocks and bonds through TD Waterhouse.”

“Clarica will link with TD Waterhouse’s advanced online technology platform providing Clarica customers comprehensive account information. It’s a natural extension of the services that Clarica agents provide to customers as we continue to web-enable our sales force”, he said.

John See, vice chairman, TD Waterhouse Group, said, “our marketing arrangement allows TD Waterhouse access to Clarica’s highly desirable base of potential stock and bond self-directed investors, while leveraging Clarica’s market position as a well respected Canadian financial services company.”

Subject to any necessary regulatory approval, this agreement is expected to take effect in January 2001.
-IE Staff