Conseco Comfortable With Earnings Estimates for 1Q00 and 2000; Strong Operating Performance Trends Continuing in Early 2000.

Business Editors

CARMEL, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 7, 2000

Conseco, Inc. (NYSE:CNC) today released the following statement from chairman and chief executive officer Stephen C. Hilbert:

"The healthy operating performance trends posted by Conseco during 1999 are continuing into the first quarter of 2000," Hilbert said. "With very strong production in insurance and asset accumulation products in January and February, we are confident that we will exceed our 15 percent growth target in the quarter. On-balance sheet finance receivables growth through February puts us right on track to meet the $20 billion year-end target we have set. Based on these and other key operating indicators, we remain comfortable with the current consensus estimates for operating earnings per share (according to First Call) for both 1Q00 and full-year 2000." Headquartered in Carmel, Ind., Conseco is one of middle America's leading sources for insurance, investment and lending products. Through its subsidiaries and a nationwide network of distributors, Conseco helps 13 million customers step up to a better, more secure future.

Note on forward-looking statements: All statements, trend analyses and other information contained in this release and elsewhere (such as in filings by Conseco with the Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases, presentations by Conseco or its management or oral statements) relative to markets for Conseco's products and trends in Conseco's operations or financial results, as well as other statements including words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "should," "could," "goal," "target," "on track," "comfortable with" and other similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results to be materially different from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among other things: (1) general economic conditions and other factors, including prevailing interest rate levels, stock and credit market performance and health care inflation, which may affect (among other things) Conseco's ability to sell its products, its ability to make loans and access capital resources and the costs associated therewith, the market value of Conseco's investments, the lapse rate and profitability of policies, and the level of defaults and prepayments of loans made by Conseco; (2) Conseco's ability to achieve anticipated synergies and levels of operational efficiencies; (3) customer response to new products, distribution channels and marketing initiatives; (4) mortality, morbidity, usage of health care services and other factors which may affect the profitability of Conseco's insurance products, (5) performance of our investments; (6) changes in the Federal income tax laws and regulations which may affect the relative tax advantages of some of Conseco's products; (7) increasing competition in the sale of insurance and annuities and in the finance business; (8) regulatory changes or actions, including those relating to regulation of financial services affecting (among other things) bank sales and underwriting of insurance products, regulation of the sale, underwriting and pricing of products, and health care regulation affecting health insurance products and (9) the risk factors or uncertainties listed from time to time in Conseco's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

World Wide Web http://www.conseco.com Investor Hotline 800.4.CONSECO Fax-on-Demand 800.344.6452