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 Lincoln Financial Group LNC today announced the launch of Lincoln 
 Core IncomeSM, built 
 with iShares, the industry's first ETF-only variable annuity 
 designed to help fee-based advisors address their clients' retirement 
 income challenges. Developed through a strategic collaboration with 
 BlackRock BLK, Lincoln Core IncomeSM, 
 built with iShares features an investment selection 
 comprised entirely of ETFs, providing advisors and their clients with a 
 cost-effective strategy, and guaranteed lifetime income equal to 4% of 
 the initial deposit that increases annually by a 2% cost of living 
 adjustment.
 
 
 "Lincoln Core IncomeSM, built 
 with iShares demonstrates Lincoln's commitment to product innovation 
 and providing fee-based advisors with guaranteed lifetime income 
 solutions that are specifically built to meet their needs," said Will 
 Fuller, president, Annuity Solutions, Lincoln Financial Distributors and 
 Lincoln Financial Network. "This solution captures the opportunity in 
 fee-based advice and the momentum of ETFs – allowing advisors to help 
 their clients secure retirement income through a guaranteed lifetime 
 income strategy that increases each year."
 
 
 "We're seeing a tremendous shift take place in the advisory space, as 
 more advisors transition to fee-based models," said Salim Ramji, head of 
 BlackRock's U.S. Wealth Advisory business. "These advisors are looking 
 for simple, transparent solutions that provide their clients with 
 income. Through our collaboration with Lincoln, fee-based advisors can 
 now offer their clients an ETF-based annuity option to help meet 
 lifetime income goals in retirement."
 
 
 According to Cerulli1, passive investing is growing at a 
 faster rate among advisors than actively managed assets. Advisors expect 
 this trend to continue, estimating that more than a third of their 
 client portfolios will be in passive allocations over the next two 
 years. Morningstar shows that passive ETF assets have grown from just 
 $228 billion in 2004 to $2.53 trillion as of the end of 20162.
 
 
 "Incorporating standalone ETFs into variable annuities is an innovative 
 development; the low expense ratios of ETFs may offer an advantage 
 compared to the cost of other options available, and offer both advisor 
 and consumer value," adds Bing Waldert, head of U.S. Research at Cerulli.
 
 
 Lincoln Core IncomeSM, built 
 with iShares combines Lincoln's 50 years of experience developing 
 annuity solutions with BlackRock's iShares portfolio construction and 
 investment management proficiency. Several notable features include:
 
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 No surrender charge;
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 Costs all in &lt; 1.9%*;
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 <li xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="bwlistitemmargb">
 Guaranteed lifetime income equal to 4% of the initial deposit that 
 increases annually by a 2% cost of living adjustment;
 </li>
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 Underlying investment options comprised entirely of iShares ETFs; and
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 Return of investment death benefit.
 </li>
 </ul>
 
 *reflecting contract charges and investment option waivers.
 
 
 BlackRock is customizing a version of its iRetire® digital retirement 
 planning technology available to financial advisors who wish to explore 
 certain features of Lincoln Core IncomeSM, 
 built with iShares with their clients. Over 75,000 
 advisors who embrace the growing demand for digitally enabled advice 
 have access to the iRetire® technology which offers guidance on building 
 client portfolios that help support lifetime income in retirement. With 
 this customized version of the iRetire® technology, advisors will be 
 able to see the potential benefits of adding guaranteed lifetime income 
 into their clients' financial plans.
 
 
 "Retirement savers face significant challenges in today's environment, 
 given demographic trends and the fraying of traditional government and 
 corporate safety nets. Today, annuities can help savers create 
 predictable lifetime income in retirement," added Fuller. "Fee-based 
 annuities present a significant long-term growth opportunity and we 
 expect this product to help capture the shift toward passive investing – 
 providing fee-based and registered investment advisors with a solution 
 that can help their clients address income needs in retirement."
 
 
 Variable annuities are designed for retirement and offer lifetime 
 income, tax-deferred growth and death benefit protection for loved ones. 
 To decide if a variable annuity is right for you, consider that it is 
 subject to investment risk, includes costs, and all guarantees – 
 including those for optional features – are subject to the claims paying 
 ability of the issuing company.
 
 
 This press release is not an offer to sell these securities and is 
 not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the 
 offer or sale is not permitted.
 
 
 About Lincoln Financial Group
 
 
 Lincoln Financial Group provides advice and solutions that help empower 
 people to take charge of their financial lives with confidence and 
 optimism. Today, more than 17 million customers trust our retirement, 
 insurance and wealth protection expertise to help address their 
 lifestyle, savings and income goals, as well as to guard against 
 long-term care expenses. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Lincoln 
 Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation 
 LNC and its affiliates. The company had $229 billion in assets 
 under management as of December 31, 2016. Learn more at: <a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.LincolnFinancial.com&amp;esheet=51513254&amp;newsitemid=20170221006548&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=www.LincolnFinancial.com&amp;index=1&amp;md5=1bfb982a5723967543a5f7b84a51777d" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">www.LincolnFinancial.com</a>. 
 Find us on <a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Flincolnfinancialgroup&amp;esheet=51513254&amp;newsitemid=20170221006548&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Facebook&amp;index=2&amp;md5=6fa3c5cebde339ec1089a8acc9771e56" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a>, 
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 To sign up for email alerts, please visit our Newsroom at <a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewsroom.lfg.com&amp;esheet=51513254&amp;newsitemid=20170221006548&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fnewsroom.lfg.com&amp;index=6&amp;md5=7f7509240547d1b9112f1f7e09ad92d9" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">http://newsroom.lfg.com</a>.
 
 
 Disclosures:
 
 
 Lincoln Financial Group® affiliates, their distributors, and their 
 respective employees, representatives, and/or insurance agents do not 
 provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. Please consult an independent 
 advisor as to any tax, accounting, or legal statements made herein.
 
 
 Variable annuities are long-term investment products designed for 
 retirement purposes and are subject to market fluctuation, investment 
 risk, and possible loss of principal. Variable annuities contain both 
 investment and insurance components and have fees and charges, including 
 mortality and expense, administrative, and advisory fees. Optional 
 features are available for an additional charge. The annuity's value 
 fluctuates with the market value of the underlying investment options, 
 and all assets accumulate tax-deferred. Withdrawals of earnings are 
 taxable as ordinary income and, if taken prior to age 59½, may be 
 subject to an additional 10% federal tax. Withdrawals will reduce the 
 death benefit and cash surrender value.
 
 
 Investors are advised to consider the investment objectives, risks, 
 and charges and expenses of the variable annuity and its underlying 
 investment options carefully before investing. The applicable 
 prospectuses for the variable annuity and its underlying investment 
 options contain this and other important information. Please call 
 888-868-2583 for free prospectuses. Read them carefully before investing 
 or sending money. Products and features are subject to state 
 availability.
 
 
 Lincoln variable annuities are issued by The Lincoln National Life 
 Insurance Company, Fort Wayne, IN, and distributed by Lincoln Financial 
 Distributors, Inc., a broker-dealer. The Lincoln National Life 
 Insurance Company does not solicit business in the state of New York, 
 nor is it authorized to do so.
 
 
 Contracts sold in New York are issued by Lincoln Life &amp; Annuity Company 
 of New York, Syracuse, NY, and distributed by Lincoln Financial 
 Distributors, Inc., a broker-dealer.
 
 
 BlackRock Investment Management, LLC acts as sub-adviser to Lincoln Core 
 IncomeSM.
 
 
 IMPORTANT: The projections or other information generated by the 
 iRetire tool (the "tool") regarding the likelihood of various investment 
 outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment 
 results and are not guarantees of future results. Results may vary with 
 each use and over time.
 
 
 Any information contained in or generated by the tool should not be 
 construed as or relied upon as investment advice, research or a 
 recommendation by BlackRock Investments, LLC or any of its affiliates 
 (collectively, "BlackRock") regarding the use or suitability of any 
 particular asset allocation, fund or overall investment strategy. The 
 tool is designed to be used in consultation with an advisor and should 
 not be relied on as a primary basis for an investment decision. Only an 
 investor and his or her advisor know enough about the investor&#39;s 
 circumstances to make an informed investment decision.
 
 
 The tool does not guarantee future income or protect against loss of 
 principal. There can be no assurance that an investment strategy based 
 on the tool will be successful. Any decision regarding whether and how 
 to implement a portfolio is solely an advisor's decision in consultation 
 with the client.
 
 
 BlackRock is not affiliated with Lincoln Financial Group® and its 
 affiliates.
 
 
 LCN-1714604-021717
 
 
 1 Cerulli Associates: The Cerulli Report: 2016 Advisor 
 Metrics Cerulli Associates: The Cerulli Report: 2016 Retail Investor 
 Products and Platforms
 
 
 2 Morningstar Direct, accessed on 2/16/17
 
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