MidFirst Bank Chooses PrimeVest as Its Broker-Dealer in Arizona

PrimeVest Financial Services, one of the United States' largest broker-dealers exclusively serving financial institutions, announced today an agreement to provide investment and insurance services for MidFirst Bank, the nation's third-largest privately-owned financial institution.

PrimeVest will serve as the broker-dealer for MidFirst's Arizona-based financial institutions, the first of which recently opened in Phoenix. MidFirst, which will market its investment and insurances service under the private label of MidFirst Investment Services, is planning a significant investment in the Arizona market over the next five years.

"We can offer a broad array of products and services to their clients, along with the latest integrated technology workstation to make it easier for MidFirst Investment Services financial professionals to serve their customers," said PrimeVest President and CEO Randy Ciccati. "We're looking forward to working with their financial institutions to customize programs that fit their unique needs."

MidFirst Bank is a national leader in commercial real estate and mortgage lending services with more than $10 billion in assets. It was identified as the top performing privately-owned financial institution in the United States for 2005 by the American Bankers Association in the June 2006 edition of its ABA Banking Journal.

MidFirst Bank management chose PrimeVest from a pool of 40 potential third-party marketing groups.

"After much due diligence, we felt that PrimeVest was the best partner to help us achieve our vision," said MidFirst Bank Retail Banking First Vice President Brett Bowers. "They are the ones that are going to help take our bank to the next level."

About PrimeVest

PrimeVest Financial Services is a self-clearing broker-dealer serving the clients of over 500 financial institutions in 50 states and Guam. PrimeVest makes it easier for financial institutions to succeed by delivering innovative investment and insurance solutions, comprehensive support and a flexible program structure. One of the broker-dealers of ING, PrimeVest is a shareholder of the Chicago Stock Exchange, and a member of the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), the Securities Investors Protection Corporation (SIPC), and the NASD.

Securities and insurance products offered by PrimeVest are: Not FDIC/NCUSIF insured; may go down in value; not financial institution guaranteed; not a deposit; and not insured by any federal government agency.

About ING

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to over 60 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of over 113,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.

In the U.S., the ING family of companies offer a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients which include life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning, and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves over 14 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com

SOURCE: ING U.S. Financial Services

CONTACT: LeAnn McCool of PrimeVest Financial Services, +1-800-245-0467,
or leann.mccool@primevest.net

Web site: http://www.ing.com/