Adds Senior Officers and Realigns Marketing Directors Dedicated to Working
                                 with TPAs

    BOSTON, March 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- John Hancock Retirement Plan
Services has strengthened its commitment to 401k third party administrator
firms (TPAs) by expanding its TPA Services team. John Hancock has added two
senior officers dedicated to relationships with TPAs and realigned seven
regional marketing directors to more closely work with the TPA Services
team.

    "TPAs are extremely important business partners, and by expanding this
team, we are in a better position to help them grow their businesses," said
George Revoir, Senior Vice President of John Hancock RPS. "By providing
them with more support and sharing our expertise, everyone wins."

    John Hancock has hired Allen Cairns and Steven Hart as Assistant Vice
Presidents in charge of TPA relations in the East and West divisions,
respectively. They will work to promote the interests and needs of John
Hancock's key TPA relationships within the company.

    Mr. Cairns joins John Hancock with more than 20 years experience in the
industry, primarily as a managing and sales partner in a TPA practice. He
will draw on his technical background of providing compliance and
administrative services for defined contribution and defined benefit plans.

    Mr. Hart joins John Hancock with more than 19 years experience in the
industry, primarily managing TPA programs on a national basis. He will draw
on his experience in developing and managing TPA focused products, systems,
sales and marketing tools for providing assistance in placing qualified
plans.

    Seven Regional Marketing Directors, who previously reported to the
sales department, will now be aligned under the TPA services team. Their
new responsibilities will focus on supporting TPAs in their regions
providing greater support, closer relationships and renewed commitment.
Additionally, a team under the leadership of Ann Slotwinski (AVP of TPA
Services) will continue to develop value-added programs for TPAs and bring
TPA thoughts and concerns to John Hancock's product and process development
meetings.

    "Allen with his first-hand TPA knowledge and Steve with his experience
in national programs bring excellent, complementary skill sets to this
team," said Revoir. "We're pleased to bring all these dedicated resources
to work with our TPAs and demonstrate our commitment to them."

    About John Hancock Retirement Plan Services

    Among mutual fund, life insurance companies and banks, JHRPS is ranked
as the #1 provider to 401(k)s based on number of 401(k) plans managed,
according CFO Magazine. (CFO Magazine 401(k) Buyers Guide Study, published
May 2007.)

    About John Hancock and Manulife Financial

    Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group
serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide.
Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily through
John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse
range of financial protection products and wealth management services
through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution
partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries
were Cdn$396 billion (US$401 billion) as at December 31, 2007.

    Manulife Financial is one of two publicly traded life insurance
companies in North America whose rated life insurance subsidiaries hold
Standard & Poor's Rating Services' highest "AAA" rating and Moody's
Investor Services' second highest "Aa1" rating(1), both representing
financial strength.

    Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and
PSE, and under '0945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the
Internet at http://www.manulife.com.

    The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one
of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a
broad range of financial products and services, including whole life, term
life, variable life, and universal life insurance, as well as college
savings products, fixed and variable annuities, long-term care insurance,
mutual funds and various forms of business insurance.

    Both John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.) and John Hancock Life
Insurance Company of New York do business under certain instances using the
John Hancock Retirement Plan Services name. Group annuity contracts are
issued by John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.), 601 Congress
Street, Boston, MA 02116, which is licensed and offers products in all
states, except New York. Product features and availability may differ by
state. Group annuity contracts and administrative services or record
keeping agreements issued in New York are only issued by John Hancock Life
Insurance Company of New York, 100 Summit Lake Drive, Valhalla, New York
10595, which is licensed in New York.



    (1) These ratings which are current as of October 22, 2007 and are subject
        to change, apply to John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.) and
        its subsidiaries as a measure of the company's ability to honor the
        death benefit and life annuitization guarantees, but not specific to
        its products, the performance of these products, the value of any
        investment in these products upon withdrawal or to individual
        securities held in any portfolio. Insurance ratings do not apply to
        the safety and performance of separate accounts. These ratings apply
        to John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.) and John Hancock Life
        Insurance Company of New York with the exception of Moody's, which
        does not rate John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York.





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