Zurich Announces FinanceSuite^TM Product Line for Small Business Customers on the Business Finance Center Website

Provides new tools designed to help agents' business customers negotiate and secure business loans online with national lender network

SCHUAMBURG, IL, July 18, 2003 - Zurich North America today announced the launch of the FinanceSuite™ product on the Business Finance Center website, an online commercial lending marketplace where the Zurich Small Business network of independent insurance agents can send their business customers to negotiate and secure small business loans, commercial real estate loans and equipment lease financing. The FinanceSuite products are designed to simplify, standardize and facilitate the application, proposal, due diligence and funding processes, enabling businesses and lenders to do business faster, more efficiently and at lower cost.

"FinanceSuite is a major enhancement to the Business Finance Center because it offers customers more flexibility in meeting their commercial financing needs," said Bob Coppersmith, vice president, marketing with Zurich Small Business.

Three versions of FinanceSuite are available through the Business Finance Center - FinanceSuite Basic, FinanceSuite Deluxe and FinanceSuite Professional. FinanceSuite Basic provides easy-to-use tools for preparing loan packages that can be reviewed and transacted online by borrowers' own lending network. FinanceSuite Deluxe enables customers to create, organize and store all their business information in a private vault using a Digital Loan File and then access more than 150 lenders, including banks, Wall Street firms, insurance companies, finance companies, financial institutions and private investors. FinanceSuite Professional is designed for those borrowers who prefer to have Business Finance Center professionals manage the entire process for them. FinanceSuite pricing is based on requested loan amount and product version used.

"The FinanceSuite virtually eliminates the intensive paper, faxing, phone and postage charges associated with preparing a loan package," noted Bob Coppersmith. "And, when lenders compete to provide attractive rates and terms, businesses are more likely to get attractive financing that fits their needs. Agents who refer business customers to the Business Finance Center are entitled to a referral fee when their customers successfully obtain financing through our website."

For more information about the FinanceSuite online tools, agents should visit the Business Finance Center linked to the Online Services/Brokers & Agents section of the Zurich North America website (www.zurichna.com).

Zurich North America (www.zurichna.com) is a leading commercial property-casualty insurance provider serving the multinational, middle market and small business sectors in the United States and Canada. Headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., Zurich North America has 12,750 employees and wrote $13.6 billion in premiums in 2002. Zurich North America includes the Zurich U.S. business units (Corporate Customer, Middle Markets, Small Business, Construction, Specialties, Zurich Global Energy and Empire Insurance Companies), as well as Universal Underwriters Group, Zurich North America Canada, Zurich Corporate Solutions and Centre. The Zurich U.S. pool of companies is rated A (excellent) by A.M. Best and A+ (strong) by Standard & Poor's.

Zurich North America is a member of Zurich Financial Services (www.zurich.com), an insurance-based financial services provider with an international network that focuses its activities on its key markets of North America, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. Founded in 1872, Zurich is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It has offices in approximately 60 countries and employs about 68,000 people. SWX Swiss Exchange/virt-x: ZURN