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(Springfield, MA) - The Retirement Services Division of MassMutual Financial Group announced today that nine mutual funds whose investment strategies are represented in the company’s Smart ArchitectureSM investment program received recognition from Lipper for delivering consistently strong risk-adjusted performance relative to peers. Lipper, a Reuters company, is a global leader in supplying mutual fund information, analytical tools, and commentary.
The Lipper Fund Awards 2008 is part of a global program of events, held in 21 countries in Asia, Europe and the United States. The winners are selected using the Lipper Leader rating for consistent return for funds with at least 36 months of performance history as of the end of the evaluation year. The award-winning funds are chosen from over 98,000 funds and 177,000 share classes. Awards are presented for the highest Lipper Leader for Consistent Return within each eligible classification over 3, 5 or 10 years.
Following are the 2008 Lipper Leaders by classification whose underlying investment strategy is represented in MassMutual’s Smart Architecture Investment Program.
| Lipper Classification | Fund Name (Share Class) |
| Intermediate Investment Grade Debt | PIMCO Total Return (Institutional) |
| Global Multi-Cap Value | Mutual Discovery (Z share) |
| Mid-Cap Value | Columbia Mid Cap Value (Z share) |
| Corporate Debt A Rated | Calvert Social Investment Bond (I share) |
| Mixed-Asset Target 2020 | T. Rowe Price Retirement 2020 |
| Small-Cap Value | Allianz NFJ Small-Cap Value (Institutional) |
| Mixed-Asset Target 2030 | T. Rowe Price Retirement 2030 |
| Mixed-Asset Target 2010 | T. Rowe Price Retirement 2010 |
| International Income | Oppenheimer International Bond (Y share) |
“Recognition by the Lipper Fund Awards is a testament to the underlying investment strategies of these funds, and to the investment selection, screening and monitoring process here at MassMutual,” states Elaine Sarsynski, executive vice president of MassMutual’s Retirement Services Division and chairman, president and CEO of MassMutual International LLC.
For more information regarding MassMutual’s Smart Architecture investment program, please contact your MassMutual Retirement Services representative or call (877) 474-5496.
About MassMutual
MassMutual’s Retirement Services Division has been serving retirement plans for more than 60 years. It offers a full range of products and services for corporate, union, nonprofit and governmental employers' defined benefit, defined contribution and nonqualified deferred compensation plans. It serves approximately one million participants.
MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) [of which Retirement Services is a division] and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual and its subsidiaries have more than $500 billion in assets under management at year-end 2007. Assets under management include assets and certain external investment funds managed by MassMutual's subsidiaries. Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a mutually owned financial protection, accumulation and income management company headquartered in Springfield, Mass. MassMutual's major affiliates include: OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; MML Investors Services, Inc., member FINRA and SIPC (www.finra.org and www.sipc.org); MassMutual International LLC; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB. MassMutual is on the Internet at www.massmutual.com.
MassMutual provides information on the portfolio managers retained by the underlying mutual funds for plan sponsor and intermediary use in meeting fiduciary obligations. Investors should consider an investment’s objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For this and other information, see the applicable prospectus, if an investment has a prospectus. Read it carefully before investing. You may obtain a prospectus by calling 1-888-309-3539. Securities offered through registered representatives of MML Investors Services, Inc., member of FINRA and SIPC (www.finra.org and www.sipc.org) 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111
Copyright © 2008 Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and affiliates, Springfield, MA 01111-0001. All rights reserved. Securities offered through registered representatives of MML Investors Services, Inc., a MassMutual subsidiary. MML Investors Services, Inc., member FINRA and SIPC (www.finra.org and www.sipc.org).
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