Assurant Specialty Property Expands Benefit Choices Available to Homeowners through First Protector(R) Disaster Protection Program

ATLANTA, April 2, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Assurant Specialty Property, a leading provider of specialty insurance and collateral protection programs, has expanded the benefit choices available through its First Protector(R) mortgage protection product and launched a redesigned Web site to increase sales opportunities for the company and its partners.

Recent enhancements to the supplemental homeowner insurance program include:

    -- A broader coverage definition to allow for condominiums, multifamily
       dwellings and non-owner occupied properties, including rental
       properties and vacations homes
    -- Enhanced homeowners insurance deductible coverage, with the choice of
       $500 or $1,000 in benefit payments
    -- Optional lump-sum emergency cash payments ($500 or $1,000) when a home
       is declared temporarily uninhabitable
    -- The ability to lower the cost of coverage by excluding escrow payment
       amounts from the monthly mortgage payment benefit

First Protector is a disaster mortgage insurance program that provides supplemental benefits not found in most primary homeowners polices. It protects against all perils, including fire, flood, windstorms, radiation, earthquakes, mudslides, volcano eruptions and gas leaks. At an average cost of less than $15 a month, the program provides:

    -- Payment of an insured's monthly mortgage, for up to two years, if the
       home has been declared uninhabitable following a disaster
    -- Payment of up to 100 percent of an insured's outstanding loan balance,
       after proceeds on a primary policy, when the land an insured's home
       resided on cannot be made livable by repair, restoration, or
       reconstruction as declared by a governmental agency
    -- Payment of the insured's deductible on the primary homeowners insurance
       policy losses to real property twice annually

Homeowners may upgrade coverage to include ADVANTAGE benefits, which consist of the following: referral services from experienced, licensed contractors; review and assessment of contractor quotes; 24-hour emergency assistance from an experienced tradesperson; an advice hotline for "do-it- yourself" home repairs or maintenance; and an emergency communication network to ensure that homeowners have an easy and effective way to stay connected to friends and family in the event of an emergency.

Additional enhancements to the First Protector program now available to marketing partners include:

    -- Complete product support in both English and Spanish, including
       marketing materials, fulfillment, customer service, and claims support
    -- A comprehensive, user-friendly product Web site with client-specific
       URL's, branding and links that allow for online enrollment with
       automated billing capabilities through the mortgage, ACH, and/or credit
       card.

Dawn Lamnin, vice president of direct-marketed products for Assurant Specialty Property, said, "First Protector provides value-added benefits within both traditional and non-traditional risk categories. These new product features enhance the already valuable benefits that the product offers."

For additional product information, or to obtain a quote for coverage, visit www.1stprotector.com or call the First Protector hotline at 1.800.349.9756.

Assurant Specialty Property partners with mortgage lenders and other financial institutions to underwrite and market a variety of insurance-based, membership and warranty products. These programs provide value-added services to borrowers and generate income for financial institution clients. For more information about direct-marketed products, please contact Dawn Lamnin at dawn.lamnin@assurant.com or 1.800.852.2244, ext. 35005.

About Assurant Specialty Property

Assurant Specialty Property businesses are leading providers of creditor- placed homeowners insurance, collateral protection programs and related outsourcing services. They develop, underwrite, market and administer specialty property and personal lines of insurance through collaborative relationships with leading home mortgage companies, manufactured home builders and dealers, auto finance companies, property management companies and managing general agents. Assurant Specialty Property serves clients and their customers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. www.assurantspecialtyproperty.com

Assurant Specialty Property is part of Assurant, a premier provider of specialized insurance products and related services in North America and selected international markets. Its four key businesses - Assurant Employee Benefits, Assurant Health, Assurant Solutions and Assurant Specialty Property - partner with clients who are leaders in their industries and who have built leadership positions in a number of specialty insurance market segments worldwide.

Assurant, a Fortune 500 company, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AIZ. Assurant has over $25 billion in assets and $7 billion in annual revenue. www.assurant.com

First Protector is a registered trademark of Assurant, Inc.

Media Contact: James A. Sykes, 770.763.1015, james.sykes@assurant.com