Our Web site privacy policy is an extension of our Business Conduct code and a living document that will be updated to conform with best conduct practices as appropriate.

We want to be sure that you know what information we collect on our Web site, how we use it, and how you can change or delete any information you give us. If you have any questions about the statements that follow, please contact us:

Mailing address

New England Financial
P.O. Box 833
Boston, MA 02117-9805
Email

About Our Privacy Policy

What kind of information do you gather about me when I visit your site?
First, we want to assure you that we do not obtain any personally identifying information about you when you visit our site unless you choose to provide it to us.

Every time your browser requests a page from a Web site, it sends the server the following information: your current Internet address (this is usually a temporary address assigned on-the-fly by your Internet service provider when you log in), the URL of the page you are currently viewing, the URL of the page your browser is requesting, the name and version of your browser, a cookie (a tiny file that your browser stores in your computer), if appropriate, and any parameters needed to further define the request.

When you visit our site, we may use a cookie. Cookies can provide you, the user, with certain advantages. For instance, when you use one of the online calculators on our site, the values you enter are bundled into a cookie and sent back to your PC. The next time you use the calculator, your browser sends the cookie back to our server, which uses the values it contains to prefill the calculator fields. We do not store this information on our server. There is no personally identifying information in the cookie and it is set to expire after a few days. It's simply there to facilitate your use of the calculator and make the time you spend with it more valuable. (See cookie in the Glossary to learn how you can either accept or reject these tiny files.)

What do you do with information I send you by electronic form?
When you use our Contact Us, Service Request, or other forms — for whatever reason — we may enter that information into an electronic database and may share it with our business partners or financial representatives if necessary to respond to your inquiry or to send you personalized marketing information. However, with any marketing contacts, we will also provide instructions on how to remove your listing so you will not receive additional information. We use your name and address to fulfill your request. We do not sell this information to anyone.

How does NEF ensure the security of any confidential information I may send?
Submitting personal or confidential information via a form on our Web site is secure provided the form is protected using an encryption service such as SSL. See encryption service to learn how you can tell when this is activated to keep the personal information you send us secure. At New England Financial, only personnel authorized to use the data processed and stored by the company have access to this information.

What do you do with information I send you by email?
We read every message that is sent to us at our privacy email address and forward it to the appropriate area of the company for response, if necessary. Email messages sent to individual email addresses listed in our Career Opportunities section go directly to the mailboxes of our employment counselors. We do not share your email address with any third parties for unsolicited email communications; we use your email address only to respond to your message. However, always remember that email sent over the Internet may not be either private or secure. If you need to send confidential information and are unsure about a Web site's security, consider communicating it by phone or by regular mail.

How can I update or change the information I have provided you?
You can email us or write to the address above. For any change of address or name, we ask that you write rather than using email. When you request a change in your product owner information, we follow industry standards and our established company guidelines regarding the verification of your ownership and may forward the appropriate form via U.S. mail for your signature.

How can I arrange to have the information I have sent you deleted from your files?
You can email us or contact us by regular mail at the address above.

How can I guard my privacy on the Internet?
Not every Web site takes measures to secure and keep private your confidential information. Look for evidence of such measures as you move from site to site (see encryption service). If you need to send confidential information and are unsure about a Web site's security, you should consider sending it by phone or by regular mail instead. Email on the Internet is not secure unless you are using a special secure email program. If any organization or individual asks you for confidential information — for instance, your social security number or a bank or credit card account number — you should check to make sure that the organization or individual needs the information in order to conduct business with you and guarantees the security of the information during transmission by using encryption (see encryption service to find out how you can tell if such a system is active).

You may also want to verify the identity of the organization to which you are sending information:

If you're using Netscape version 4.x

1. Click on the lock in the lower left corner of the browser window
2. Click on the "View Certificate" button in the pop-up window
3. Take a look at the page's Certificate; make sure it belongs to the site from which you requested the page

If you're using Microsoft's Internet Explorer version 4.x

1. Click File, then Properties from the menu bar in the browser window
2. Click the Certificates button in the pop-up window
3. Click on each field in the "Field" list on the left and read the field contents in the "Details" list on the right
4. In the "Subject" field, make sure the certificate belongs to the site from which you requested the page

If you're using Microsoft's Internet Explorer version 5.x

1. Click File, then Properties from the menu bar in the browser window
2. Click the Certificates button in the pop-up window
3. Click the Details Tab at the top of the Certificate pop-up window
4. Compare each field in the "Field" column on the left with its value in the "Value" column on the right
5. In the "Subject" field, make sure the certificate belongs to the site from which you requested the page

Also, remember to protect the information you store on your own computer by using a password when possible. Change your passwords often, choose strong passwords, and never give them to anyone you do not trust absolutely.

Glossary

Cookie: A tiny file that your browser stores in your computer. There are two types: temporary session cookies last only as long as your browser is running; persistent cookies (which take up little space) are stored on your hard drive and may expire after some period of time. We use cookies to facilitate your use of our site. For instance, to store your input on the Retirement Center calculator, we use a persistent cookie. This saves you time and adds value to your use of this sophisticated retirement planning tool.

You can set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie so that you can decide to accept or reject it:

If you're using Netscape version 4.x

1. Click on "Edit" on the menu bar
2. Click on "Preferences..."
3. In the area labeled "Category," click on the word "Advanced"
4. In the area labeled "Cookies," click the radio-buttons and checkbox to configure cookie handling

If you're using Microsoft's Internet Explorer version 4.x

1. Click on "View" on the menu bar
2. Click on "Internet Options..."
3. Click on the "Advanced" tab
4. Use the scrollbar to find the heading "Security." Scroll down to the subheading "Cookies"
5. Select the option that meets your needs

If you're using Microsoft's Internet Explorer version 5.x

1. Click on "Tools" on the menu bar
2. Click on "Internet Options..."
3. Click on the "Security" tab
4. Click on the "Custom Level" button
5. Use the scrollbar to find the heading "Cookies"
6. Select the option that meets your needs

If you have questions about other browsers, contact the manufacturer.

Glossary

Encryption service (Secure Socket Layer): Coding that mathematically scrambles data sent over the Internet so that only the intended recipient can unscramble it. To determine if this data protection service is activated, look for a key on the bottom line of the screen in Netscape or a lock in Microsoft Explorer. If the key is broken or the lock is open, the information being exchanged is not protected by encryption services; if the key is solid or the lock is closed, encryption is active and the information being sent is secure.

Strong password: A password or passphrase that is hard to guess and is not found in dictionaries. A strong passphrase will be made up of nonsense and/or misspelled words which, in turn, are made up of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and (if allowed) punctuation. In constructing a strong passphrase, do not use any word that appears in any dictionary or list of names. Never store a strong passphrase anywhere — except in your own memory — and share it with no one.

06/30/2004