GreatLink Choice insurance products valued between 19.2 and 29.8 cents

By S.Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 03 August 2009 2151 hrs

SINGAPORE: Great Eastern Life's customers who have bought its GreatLink Choice investment-linked insurance products have started receiving letters to exercise the redemption offer made by the insurer.

Last Friday, Great Eastern announced that it would buy back S$594 million worth of GreatLink Choice products from 18,000 policyholders.

In the letter, the insurance company's managing director Mr Tan Hak Leh said the financial crisis has had an especially adverse impact on the market value of GreatLink Choice 3, 4 and 5 products.

The prices of these tranches as at June 30 this year were between S$0.192 and S$0.298 and they have a credit rating of CCC- (minus) from Standards and Poor's. Each unit was sold at S$1.

Great Eastern added that in view of the challenging market conditions, it has decided to make a one-time redemption offer to all GreatLink Choice customers who had bought tranches 3, 4 and 5 of the structured product.

Customers have until August 28 to decide if they want to redeem the policy. Great Eastern said customers will receive their money within two weeks after the close of the offer.

The company added that the redemption price is 90.2 cents per unit, compared to the latest GreatLink Choice 3 price of 29.8 cents per unit.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/446602/1/.html

Great Eastern's managing director, Tan Hak Leh, hopes the one time redemption offer will give customers peace of mind during these challenging times. - CNA/vm