Countrywide Assured plc de-merged from the Countrywide Assured Group on the 25th May 2004, and Chesnara plc is now the holding company of Countrywide Assured. The de-merger will not affect existing customers or their Policies and will not affect the investment potential of any Policies.

In June 2005, Chesnara purchased City of Westminster Assurance Ltd (CWA) from Irish Life and Permanent plc. CWA’s life assurance business includes protection plans, mortgage endowment, savings plans, single premiums bonds, pension policies and permanent health insurance policies. CWA was closed to new business in 1995 and had approximately 81,000 policies in force at 31 December 2005.

As part of a group restructuring, Chesnara is planning to transfer all City of Westminster Assurance policies into Countrywide Assured. The proposed transfer will enable the business to be managed in a simpler and more efficient manner than would be the case if the business remained separate. Details of the transfer, which is expected to be completed on 30 June 2006, can be found here.

Following Court approval, which was granted on 26 June 2006, the transfer took place, as planned on 30 June 2006.

Countrywide Assured plc is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.