Launch of STM Life Assurance

STM Group PLC 19 March 2008 Press Release 19 March 2008 STM Group Plc ('STM', 'the Company' or 'the Group') Launch of STM Life Assurance PCC PLC STM Group Plc (AIM:STM), the cross border financial services provider, is today pleased to announce the launch of its wholly owned subsidiary, STM Life Assurance PCC Plc ('STM Life'), which has been granted a licence by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission to write Class III, linked long term life assurance business. Linked life assurance comprises contracts of insurance, both life and annuity, where the benefits are determined wholly or partly by reference to the value of the assets underlying the policy. STM Life has been structured as a protected cell company, under Gibraltar's Protected Cell Companies Act 2001, so that the assets of each policy will, under Gibraltar law, be legally separated from the assets (and any liabilities) of all other insurance contracts that it enters into. Gibraltar is part of the UK Member State for EU purposes (unlike the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) which means that STM Life will benefit from the fundamental freedom to provide its financial products and services to the 456 million citizens of the EU's 25 Member States. STM Life will shortly be applying to 'passport' its services into a number of Member States, which offer favourable tax treatment to insurance products, starting with the UK. Linked life policies are frequently funded by a single premium, which can be paid in cash or by the transfer of an existing portfolio of stocks and shares. Such policies are frequently referred to in the financial press as 'insurance wraps' or 'insurance bonds'. Acknowledging the increasingly diverse range of assets which appeal to High Net Worth Individuals ('HNWIs'), including shares in private companies, real estate, participation in hedge funds, REITs and EIFs. STM Life will offer 'open architecture' policies which can hold any asset considered suitable by STM Life's directors. STM Life will partner with a number of specialist financial advisers and insurance and investment intermediaries in the UK (and in due course in other EU jurisdictions) to offer its insurance products to their clients. Commenting on the launch of STM Life, Tim Revill, Chief Executive Officer of STM Group Plc, said: 'This is a very exciting and timely development for the Group. Insurance products, 'wraps' as they are often known, are becoming an increasingly important and popular method of protecting and administering the assets of HNWIs, including those resident, but not domiciled in the UK and their offshore trustees and expatriates returning to the UK.' Alan Kentish, CEO of STM Fidecs Insurance Management, which will provide administration services to STM Life, said: 'The launch of STM Life will differentiate the Group from most other CTSPs, who are not equipped to offer their own life assurance products. We anticipate considerable earning potential, with very low downside risk.' - Ends - For further information, please contact: STM Group Plc Tim Revill, Chief Executive Officer Tel: 00 350 51610 tim.revill@stmgroupplc.im www.stmgroupplc.com Daniel Stewart & Company Plc Tel: +44 (0) 20 7776 6550 Lindsay Mair / Stewart Dick www.danielstewart.co.uk Media enquiries: Abchurch Henry Harrison-Topham / Charlie Jack Tel: +44 (0) 20 7398 7706 henry.ht@abchurch-group.com www.abchurch-group.com Notes to editors STM was formed in 2007 specifically to become a leading financial services group operating in the Corporate and Trustee Service Provider (CTSP) sector. The Company listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in March 2007. The traditional business of CTSPs is to administer and manage personal, family and commercial assets and income streams in tax efficient jurisdictions. The Company's aim is to grow through acquiring and consolidating high quality existing CTSPs which offer complementary products and services and that operate in complementary tax efficient jurisdictions to those provided by STM's first acquisition, the Gibraltar based CTSP, Fidecs Group Limited ('Fidecs'). Fidecs is the second largest financial services firm in Gibraltar and employs approximately 90 people. It specialises in financial planning for both High Net Worth individuals ('HNWI') moving to work, living or retiring overseas or making cross-border investments, and for entrepreneurial, predominantly, owner-managed businesses, expanding into or re-locating to other, frequently lower tax, jurisdictions. It also includes an insurance management division, specialising in providing set up and management services to newly formed insurance companies operating out of Gibraltar. In the maiden period from 1 February 2007 to 31 December 2007 (in which there were 9 months of trading), STM Group reported turnover of £5.3 million with post tax profit of £1.65 million. In June and August 2007, STM acquired two Gibraltar based CTS providers, the Atlas Group of companies and Parliament Corporate Services Limited. These two acquisitions further consolidated STM's leading position in Gibraltar. Parliament has an established client base which, as at 31 December 2007, was made up of 272 companies and 112 trusts and Atlas 65 companies and 30 trusts. In December 2007, STM made its first strategic acquisition within the Channel Islands when it acquired Jersey-based Compagnie Fiduciaire Trustees Limited which comprised 23 trusts, holding in some cases sizeable investment portfolios. The CTSP market is fragmented in nature, comprising a small number of very large international financial services groups and a large number of relatively small trust and company management businesses regulated by, and operating out of, a single jurisdiction. Further information on STM Group can be found at www.stmgroupplc.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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