This is the fifth consecutive year one of Prudential Annuities' living benefits has been recognized as "best in class." Prudential Financial Inc.'s (NYSE:PRU) domestic annuity business also earned a first-time award for its service and support to advisors.

Boomer Market Advisor readers, which include insurance, financial and benefits professionals, cited Prudential Annuities' Highest Daily suite of benefits as the "living benefit that best addresses the income and longevity issues clients face."

Available at an additional cost on annuities from Prudential companies, Highest Daily guarantees are variable annuity optional living benefits that capture an annuity's highest day, for income purposes, each day that the market is open and grow that value at an annual compounded rate until the first Lifetime Withdrawal.

According to Boomer Market Advisor, "In a field crowded with living benefits, second generation living benefits, (and) hybrids ¦ Prudential's products clearly stand out." Variable account values with Prudential's Highest Daily feature totaled over $3.3 billion as of June 30, 2009, and the total election rate for optional living benefits on Prudential's variable annuity sales was 94 percent at the end of the second quarter -- up from 85 percent in the first three months of the year.

"This recognition once again confirms that Prudential Annuities' Highest Daily benefits help those looking for guaranteed retirement income," said Stephen Pelletier, president of Prudential Annuities. "Financial professionals continue to value the innovative risk management feature our products provide, helping to give them”and their clients”a measure of protection in volatile markets."

Readers also bumped Prudential Annuities from last year's honorable mention to the number-one slot in the "providing service and support to partner with advisors in their practice" category. According to the publication, The Retirement Red Zone® marketing and education campaign assists financial professionals with their ˜stay the course' message, calling the company's Retirement Red Zone micro-site "a perennial mention with readers."

"Through our ongoing research, we've learned that investors seek information from a range of sources before they reach out to their advisors on new investment ideas," said June Amori, vice president, Prudential Annuities' Marketing. "These learnings are used to continually enhance tools such as our Retirement Red Zone microsite."

Prudential Financial, Inc.