Mesirow Financial Engaged by CUNA Mutual for Independent Certification
Firm to Enhance CUNA's Retirement Platform for Plan Sponsors

CHICAGO, July 20, 2010 — Mesirow Financial announced today that CUNA Mutual Group, a financial services firm specializing in meeting the needs of credit unions and their members, has engaged its Investment Strategies department to provide an independent review and endorsement of its enhanced retirement platform due diligence process.

Scott Knapp, CFA and director of Investment Strategy with CUNA Mutual explained, "After an exhaustive search, we determined Mesirow Financial was best equipped to evaluate our processes and help us create value for our customers. We take our responsibilities as a service provider seriously. At the top of our priority list is enablement of our plan sponsors to meet their obligations as fiduciaries. Our engagement with Mesirow Financial takes us a long way down that path."

The Investment Strategies department at Mesirow Financial specializes in manager due diligence and fiduciary partnership services with defined contribution providers. Mesirow Financial will thoroughly evaluate CUNA Mutual's investment manager screening, evaluation, reporting and monitoring processes to provide an independent certification that CUNA's processes meet or exceed industry standards.

"Our unbiased evaluation of CUNA Mutual's due diligence process offers advisors, plan sponsors and plan participants added assurance that CUNA's investment manager selection process is sound," says Michael Annin, CFA and managing director of Mesirow Financial's Investment Strategies department. He added, "We look forward to enhancing CUNA's commitment to its plan sponsors."

Mesirow Financial is a diversified financial services firm headquartered in Chicago. Founded in 1937, it is an independent, employee-owned firm with more than 1,200 employees in locations across the country and in London with capital of $297 million, revenues of $526 million and more than $40 billion in assets under management (unaudited). With expertise in Investment Management, Global Markets, Insurance Services and Consulting, Mesirow Financial strives to meet the financial needs of institutions, public sector entities, corporations and individuals. For more information about Mesirow Financial, visit its Web site at mesirowfinancial.com.

For more information, contact: Julie Liedtke, Mesirow Financial, 312.595.7902.

 

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