CNA And iVillage.Com To Provide One-Stop Online Resource For Women's Insurance Needs; CNA Becomes First Integrated Sponsor of Insurance Products at iVillage.com.

Business Editors

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 8, 2000

CNA, a leading provider of life insurance products and services, today announced a partnership with iVillage Inc. (Nasdaq: IVIL), operator of iVillage.com, the leading women's network online. Through this alliance, CNA will be the first insurer to provide iVillage.com visitors with highly integrated online tools and information regarding life insurance products and services.

Under terms of the two-year sponsorship agreement, CNA becomes the exclusive sponsor of life insurance, variable annuities, and long-term care insurance products at iVillage.com. CNA will sponsor a co-branded life insurance center promoted from the MoneyLife Channel at iVillage.com. This center will offer iVillage.com visitors information and quotes for an array of life insurance products. CNA will also provide resources, experts, and tools tailored for women, to help them understand the need for insurance coverage and assist them in selecting products that meet their needs.

&uot;Our members told us they were looking for an easy-to-use resource center, in a trusted environment, where they could find information to help make educated decisions on their life insurance needs,&uot; said Candice Carpenter, CEO, iVillage Inc. &uot;CNA and iVillage are in a unique position to fill this market gap in a powerful way.&uot;

By partnering with iVillage, CNA will offer consumers two purchasing options - the independent agents who have traditionally sold its products and, now, a 24-hour electronic method.

&uot;Women are increasingly the key household decision makers in matters of finance, including life insurance, and they seek solutions through people whom they trust,&uot; said Susan McGory, President and COO, CNA Life/LTC Strategic Business Units. &uot;The level of community and trust established between iVillage and its members is perhaps the strongest we have seen in the emerging world of the Internet. It is this level of trust that will form the foundation of this partnership's success,&uot; she added.

According to a 1998 Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association (LIMRA) survey, 70 percent of single women and more than 50 percent of married women in today's market are without any form of individual life insurance. &uot;Women are significantly under-insured and yet often not targeted as potential buyers by the traditional distribution force. This partnership with iVillage will allow women easy access to insurance knowledge and easy access to insurance products,&uot; said Andrew Wood, Vice President of Business Expansion, CNA Life.

&uot;When looking for an online partner to help educate women on the importance of life insurance, the choice was obvious: CNA is a leader in the life insurance and long-term care fields. iVillage.com is the leading online women's network. The fit is very compelling,&uot; added Pete Jokiel, CNA's President of Life Operations.

&uot;We remain dedicated to providing products and services by working with independent agents and the majority of our business will continue to be conducted in this manner,&uot; McGory said. &uot;We see our involvement on the Internet as a means to supplement and enhance the work of our agents and to provide assistance by better educating the clients. iVillage simply offers us another avenue by which we can reach potential consumers.&uot;

McGory further stated that &uot;with the advent and accessibility of electronic information gathering, potential customers can educate themselves at their own pace before making purchase decisions. That can enhance sales through all channels. So can the increased name recognition and brand-building garnered from such exposure.&uot;

Visitors to iVillage.com will also be able to learn more about CNA's long-term care insurance and variable annuities. Because women are generally the primary care-givers for their parents, iVillage.com is a natural match for distribution of information about long-term care.

David Stone, President and COO, CNA Retirement Services said, &uot;This partnership with iVillage enables CNA Life direct access to those women making decisions about life insurance, long-term care and annuities. The potential for growth in sales to women is phenomenal, and we need to use every tool available to us to reach them,&uot; Stone added.

CNA is one of the leading insurance groups in the United States based on 1998 revenues of $17.1 billion. Headquartered in Chicago, CNA serves individuals and businesses with a broad range of insurance products and insurance-related services. CNA term life insurance is underwritten by Valley Forge Life Insurance Company and Continental Assurance Company. Long-term care insurance is underwritten by Continental Casualty Company and Valley Forge Life Insurance Company. Variable annuities and variable universal life are underwritten by Valley Forge Life Insurance Company. CNA is the registered service mark, trade name and domain name of CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE: CNA).

iVillage.com: The Women's Network (http://www.ivillage.com) and AOL keyword: ivillage) is the leading women's network online providing practical solutions and support for women between the ages of 25 and 54. iVillage.com is organized into branded communities that focus on issues of most importance to women and provide interactive services, peer support, and online access to experts through 16 content channels and several shopping areas. Content channels include Parent Soup, allHealth, MoneyLife, Career, Work from Home, Relationships, Beauty, Diet and Fitness, Click!: Where Computers Make Sense, Pets, Travel, ParentsPlace, Food, Book Club, Election 2000 and Astrology, and are complemented by stores ,such as iBaby and iMaternity and Shopping Central. Established in 1995 and headquartered in New York City, iVillage Inc. (Nasdaq: IVIL) is a new media company, recognized as an industry leader in developing innovative sponsorship and commerce relationships that match the desire of marketers to reach women with the needs of iVillage.com members for relevant information and services.