Top Regional and Community Banks Choosing PrimeVest as their Broker-Dealer

PrimeVest Financial Services, one of the United States' largest broker-dealers exclusively serving financial institutions, enjoyed a strong year of new and retained relationships in 2007.

Among the noteworthy new additions were Keystone Nazareth Bank & Trust ($3 billion in assets -- Lehigh Valley, Pa.), Susquehanna Bank ($12 billion in assets -- Lititz, Pa.) and Whitney Bank ($10 billion in assets -- New Orleans, La.). PrimeVest also welcomed back Cathay Bank ($7.4 billion in assets), a Chinese-American banking leader based in Los Angeles. Cathay Bank was a PrimeVest client in the early 2000s and returned to the Minnesota-based broker-dealer in 2007 following a rotation to a different third-party marketer. The addition of these four programs significantly increased PrimeVest's delivery of brokerage, advisory and insurance services across the country.

In addition, PrimeVest also retained several key relationships in 2007, signing multi-year extensions with Columbia River Bank ($982 million in assets -- The Dalles, Ore.), Guaranty Bank ($17 billion in assets -- Dallas, Texas), and TD Banknorth ($32 billion in assets -- Portland, Maine) among others.

"PrimeVest is honored to have been selected by these banks to provide brokerage, advisory and insurance solutions," said PrimeVest President Catherine Bonneau. "Time and time again we hear that our commitment to technology for ease of business, personalized service, and exclusive focus on financial institutions makes PrimeVest a logical choice to be the third-party marketer for top investment programs. Our goal is to make it easier for financial institutions to do business and the voice of our clients, especially exhibited by their renewals of multi-year contracts, demonstrates our success."

About PrimeVest

PrimeVest Financial Services is a self-clearing broker-dealer and registered investment adviser serving the clients of nearly 600 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 FINRA.

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 more than 75 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of over 120,000 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.

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SOURCE: PrimeVest Financial Services

CONTACT: Per-Johan Berger of ING, +1-320-229-3165;
per-johan.berger@us.ing.com

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