Conseco Inc. presentation at New York Society of Security Analysts; Insurance operations, merchant banking and partnership activities to spur continued growth at Conseco.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 1995--The following is a summary of a presentation today (Monday) at the New York Society of Security Analysts by Stephen C. Hilbert, chairman of Conseco, Inc.

With accelerating earnings growth from internal sources and additional growth expected from merchant banking and partnership activities, Conseco, Inc. believes it is poised to continue its record of outstanding shareholder returns, Chairman Stephen C. Hilbert told a meeting of the New York Society of Security Analysts today.

"Our results for the third quarter of 1995 (announced Nov. 2) put us on track to exceed analyst estimates of $4.80 of operating earnings per share in 1995 and to equal or exceed estimates of $7.20 in 1996," Hilbert said. "By completing the merger of CCP Insurance into Conseco, and increasing our stake in Bankers Life Holding Corp. (NYSE: BLH) to 87 percent, we have: (1) simplified our corporate structure; (2) established income streams which hedge each other in different economic conditions (improving both the quality and predictability of our earnings); and (3) opened up significant cross-selling opportunities among several diversified distribution channels.

"This month, we'll mark the 10th anniversary of Conseco's initial public offering," Hilbert said. "It's been a decade of radical change for our industry. We've seen intense competition for customers from inside and outside the life industry. We've seen consumers becoming more sophisticated, regulators becoming more active and rating agencies raising their standards. Conseco has adapted, evolved, and thrived, first by developing a sound management discipline and then by consistently applying that discipline to each new opportunity. This common-sense approach has yielded uncommon returns for Conseco's shareholders--40 percent per year over the decade.

"More than ever, management is committed to maximizing shareholder returns," Hilbert said. "Officers and directors have a 29 percent stake in the company, and have bought more than 230,000 Conseco common shares in the open market in the last 12 months.

"The next decade will be no less challenging for Conseco," Hilbert said. "The key to our success will continue to be our disciplined approach: (1) to operate as efficiently as possible; (2) to sell the right products to growing markets using cost-effective distribution channels; and (3) to actively manage our investments to take advantage of mispricing opportunities and manage the relationship of asset and liability cash flows.

"We'll continue to look for ways to leverage our insurance operating expertise," Hilbert said. "We'll grow internally, when that approach is profitable, and externally (through acquisitions in our partnership), when that is profitable. Further, we'll continue to capitalize on merchant banking opportunities both inside and outside the insurance industry. But regardless of the opportunity, we will continue to invest our resources only where our disciplined analysis indicates the best return for shareholders."

Conseco, headquartered in Carmel, Ind., is a financial services holding company. Conseco: (1) owns and operates life insurance companies; (2) provides investment management, administrative and other services to affiliates and non-affiliates for fees; and (3) acquires and restructures life insurance companies in partnership with other investors.

How to find out more about Conseco

Electronic - All Conseco news releases are issued through Business Wire (BW), an international wire service. You may access BW news releases through more than 100 electronic channels, including major consumer information services, short-term database services, historical/business database services and financial database services/stock quote systems. BW news releases and Conseco's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are also available on the Internet through the major consumer information services.

Print - Conseco news releases and certain other investor publications (including our investor guide, which contains additional statistical data) are available at no charge via Fax--call Conseco Fax-on-Demand at 800-344-6452 for a menu of available materials. To receive annual reports, 10-Ks, 10-Qs and other lengthy documents by mail, or to be placed on our permanent mailing list, call Conseco's investor hotline at 800-4-CONSECO (or, within the local Indianapolis calling area, 817-6777).

Voice - You may also call Conseco's investor hotline to hear prerecorded messages on a number of topics, including daily stock trading, news releases and financial results.

CONTACT: Conseco, Inc., Carmel, Ind.

Jim Rosensteele, 317/817-2893