Dutch group ING (banking and insurance) has announced the full acquisition of the American insurance company RELIASTAR (profits $74 million during the first quarter 2000 with 3,800 employed), for the sum of $6.1 billion, or $54 per share. Under the terms of the agreement, ING also undertakes to take on the RELIASTAR debt, estimated at $1 billion. With this acquisition, to be finalised by end September, ING jumps from 19th to 8th place on the American life insurance market. RELIASTAR will be integrated in ING AMERICAS under the name ING RELIASTAR. The funds managed by the new entity are expected to amount to $75 billion, which would almost double the amount of assets managed by the Dutch company in the United States ($39 billion).