Associated Financial Group Selects Lighthouse1 as Strategic Benefits Administration Solution Partner

Leader in Employee Benefits, Insurance & HR Services Deploys
Lighthouse1 OnDemand™ for Comprehensive Benefits Administration Capabilities

MINNEAPOLIS, June 27, 2006 – Lighthouse1, a leading provider of consumer driven healthcare (CDH) administration software solutions, today announced that Associated Financial Group, a leading provider of employee benefits services, has selected Lighthouse1 OnDemand™ to help them grow their benefits administration business and drive administrative efficiency. 

With offices in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Associated Financial Group provides exceptional employee benefits, retirement plans, benefits administration services, property/casualty insurance, workers' compensation insurance as well as individual personal insurance. Following Associated Financial Group’s strategic plan, they searched for a software application that would allow them to grow their business and deliver enhanced services to their clients. Lighthouse1 OnDemand™ met their requirements and provided an easy-to-deploy, comprehensive CDH administration solution that was forward thinking, innovative and flexible.

“As a leader in employee benefits services, we knew that the benefits of an innovative, consumer driven healthcare solution would be critical to helping us meet our strategic goals,” said Mickey Webb, Senior Vice President of Benefit Services at Associated Financial Group.

“One of the things that really impressed us about Lighthouse1 OnDemand™ is the automated features that have enabled us to offer additional flexibility to our clients while providing enhanced services,” said Melissa Hukriede, Vice President of Benefit Services at Associated Financial Group. “We can now process claims online, schedule reports, communicate via email not just fax and offer an enhanced client and participant portal to better serve our clients.  Without a doubt, we are excited about this relationship.”

About Lighthouse1
Lighthouse1 delivers consumer driven healthcare (CDH) administration software solutions including Lighthouse1 OnDemand™, the high performance Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, to resolve challenges in the administration of Section 125, 105, 132 and other pre-tax spending programs in the healthcare and employee benefits industry. Its mission is to use the latest technology and services to assist and support CDH administrators in the management of health care account services. Lighthouse1 OnDemand™ allows third-party administrators and healthcare providers to manage services for employer plans that include Flexible Spending Accounts (Medical and Dependent Care), Transit and Parking, Health Reimbursement Arrangements and Health Saving Accounts. More information is available at www.lighthouse1.com.

About Associated Financial Group
Associated Financial Group is a multi-line insurance agency with nine offices located throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota. We have grown to be the 43rd largest agency in the United States by providing exceptional employee benefits, retirement plans, benefits administration services, property/casualty insurance, workers' compensation insurance, individual personal insurance, as well as homeowners and auto insurance. Associated Financial Group is part of Associated Banc-Corp, a diversified multi bank holding company with $20 billion in total assets and more than 200 banking locations across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. More information is available at http://www.associatedfinancialgroup.com.

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