Manulife Financial is clearly a leader in providing Canadians with the best statements to help them understand their segregated fund and universal life plans, according to an industry survey by DALBAR Inc.

Manulife Financial’s universal life statement was the only one designated as “excellent” in a cross-country review of nine industry statements that explain Canadians’ universal life insurance policies. Manulife’s universal life statement scored 83.79 compared to an industry average of 70.4.

Manulife’s segregated fund statements also ranked first among 12 surveyed across the investment industry, with a score of 74.79 compared to an industry average of 64.81.

“One of our goals is to take the complexity out of universal life insurance by providing clients and advisors with a statement that’s easy to understand and is customized to the client’s needs,” said Michael Doughty, senior vp, individual insurance for Manulife. “This recognition from DALBAR confirms our belief that these statements are an important tool to help Canadians understand and manage their insurance needs and to get the maximum benefit from their policy.”

“On the investment side, it’s all about making these statements engaging and easier for clients to keep track of their investments,” added Roy Firth, executive vp, individual wealth management, Manulife Financial.

“Congratulations to those at Manulife producing these high-quality statements,” said Jody Bullen, director of public relations and business development for DALBAR Inc. in Toronto. “Manulife is clearly the leader and by placing first among companies evaluated, their statements are raising the standards of excellence in the financial services industry.”

DALBAR. is a leading financial services research firm with offices in Toronto, Boston and the U.K., specializing in measuring the performance of institutions and financial professionals in areas such as communications effectiveness, client satisfaction, and service quality.