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| Online Resources, U.S. Clearing Partner to Offer Brokerage Services |
MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 27, 2000
Online Resources & Communications Corp. (Nasdaq: ORCC), a leading provider of Internet banking services, and U.S. Clearing, a division of Fleet Securities, Inc., announced today a strategic partnership to provide financial institutions privately branded online brokerage services integrated with real-time online banking and bill paying. For institutions of all sizes, the availability of turnkey systems from Online Resources and U.S. Clearing ensures leading edge competitiveness without prohibitive capital investment and technology infrastructure.
U.S. Clearing Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Pat Mercurio said the partnership heralds the next wave in online financial services, offering integrated banking and brokerage services to consumers over the Internet and a low-cost opportunity for additional revenue to financial institutions. "We agree with Online Resources that consumers want a single Web site where they can consolidate their financial information and conduct important financial transactions," Mercurio said. "Together we'll do all the implementation work for our Market Touch Web product and Online Resources' banking and bill paying services. Once a bank launches, we'll quickly demonstrate how integrated financial services can attract more customer assets."
U.S. Clearing is an established leader in Internet brokerage clearing and trade execution, processing trades and back-office functions for more than 40 Internet brokers, in addition to clearing for seven out of the top 20 Internet firms. U.S. Clearing's Market Touch Web product allows customers to access account information, get quotes and news, and place trades any time in listed and NASDAQ stocks, options, and a broad menu of over 3,000 mutual funds. U.S. Clearing currently handles over 2.2 million customer accounts for about 400 brokerage firms and banks nationwide.
The two companies will be further developing the service so that consumers can access all their accounts through one password, as well as buy and sell securities and pay bills using funds from different accounts.
Because of U.S. Clearing's stellar reputation as a wholesaler of brokerage services to the banking industry, Online Resources Chief Operating Officer Ray Crosier expects a strong initial market for the companies' new combined services, especially among the companies' mutual core marketcommunity and regional institutions. "U.S. Clearing is a respected industry player, especially among smaller institutions looking to level the playing field with mega banks," Crosier said. "Combining its services with ours helps advance our Hub strategy of making every financial institution, no matter what its size, the central Internet site for its customers' financial transactions, research and account information."
"Online Resources has always provided us the Internet services that enrich our customers' Web experience," said F&M Bank Vice Chairman Charles Curtis. "For a minimal investment, we can now have the same brokerage functionality as much larger institutions. This alliance with U.S. Clearing allows us to keep moving the ball forward."
Online Resources & Communications Corporation (http://www.orcc.com) is a leading outsourcer of privately-branded Internet financial services for regional and community banking institutions. The McLean, Virginia-based company has more than 400 institutional clients nationwide. It provides consumer bill paying and banking services and aggregates lending, insurance, securities trading and investment services. Online Resources performs real-time processing through its patented EFT gateway and full customer service for client institutions, giving them a comprehensive "hub" solution from a single vendor. Client consumer marketing programs are conducted under the bankonline.com co-brand.
U.S. Clearing, a division of Fleet Securities, Inc., is one of the nation's largest securities clearing companies. U.S. Clearing provides clearing and execution services for about 400 banks and brokerage firms nationwide, in addition to providing these services for 1.3 million Quick & Reilly customers and 400,000 SURETRADE customers nationwide. U.S. Clearing is also a leader in Internet brokerage clearing, providing back-office services to more Internet brokers than any other clearing firm, including 7 of the top 20 Internet brokerages. U.S. Clearing is part of FleetBoston Financial, (NYSE:FBF), a $185 billion diversified financial services company with 20 million customers across the country.
This news release contains statements about future events and expectations, which are "forward-looking statements." Any statement in this release that is not a statement of historical fact may be deemed to be a forward-looking statement. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Specific factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: the company's history of losses and anticipation of future losses; the company's dependence on the marketing efforts of third parties; the potential fluctuations in the company's operating results; the company's potential need for additional capital; the company's potential inability to expand the company's services and related products in the event of substantial increases in demand for these services and related products; the company's competition; the company's ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; the company's reliance on the company's patents and other intellectual property; the early stage of market adoption of the services it offers; consolidation of the banking and financial services industry; and those risks and uncertainties discussed in filings made by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those risks and uncertainties contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in the company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
| Online Resources Contact: Robert Griendling, 703/978-4686, bob@griendling.com |