PrimeVest Honors Top Financial Institutions of 2008

PrimeVest Financial Services, a leader among broker-dealers serving financial institutions exclusively, recently honored its top performers of 2008 at its National Planning Conference held in Minneapolis, Minn. The honorees included Bancnorth Investment Group (Portland, Maine), Citizens First National Bank (Princeton, Ill.), ESSA Bank & Trust (Stroudsburg, Pa.), First Interstate Bank (Billings, Mont.), First Victoria National Bank (Victoria, Texas), Midwest Heritage Bank (West Des Moines, Iowa) and Redstone Federal Credit Union (Huntsville, Ala.).

"It was a historically challenging year, but these seven financial institutions delivered outstanding results," said PrimeVest President and CEO Catherine Bonneau. "Each enjoyed continued growth because they remained focused on their clients' needs. We're delighted to recognize them for a job well done."

Bancnorth Investment Group led the way among PrimeVest's largest financial institution clients of 2008, claiming highest honors in the $5 billion-and-above asset category. First Interstate Bank was named winner of the $2.5 billion-to-$5 billion category. The community bank class was dominated by First Victoria National Bank, winner of the $1 billion-to-$2 billion category, Citizens First National Bank in the $500 million-to-$1 billion category, ESSA Bank & Trust in the $250 million-to-$500 million category and Midwest Heritage Bank which received the under-$250 million category award. Most outstanding credit union acclaim went to Redstone Federal Credit Union for the second consecutive year. Bancnorth, First Interstate and First Victoria were also repeat award winners.

"We're proud of our programs' accomplishments, especially given the challenging financial markets of the past year, and we're excited about what they are poised to accomplish this year," said Bonneau. "The competition for our annual honors keeps building because of the impressive efforts happening throughout our entire client base as programs strategically move more toward serving the holistic needs of investors."

About PrimeVest

PrimeVest Financial Services is a self-clearing broker-dealer 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. 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 Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). PrimeVest is not affiliated with the financial institutions where investment services are offered.

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, investments, life insurance and retirement services to over 85 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 40 countries. With a diverse workforce of about 115,000 people, ING is dedicated to setting the standard in helping our clients manage their financial future.

In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING) family of companies offer a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning, and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves over 29 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com.

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SOURCE: PrimeVest Financial Services

CONTACT: Jayson Hron, PrimeVest, 1-800-245-0467, ext. 64506,
Jayson.Hron@us.ing.com