'As with other life insurance policies, a variable policy provides your beneficiary with permanent protection once you pass away,' the article, Variable Life Insurance Policy: More is Better than Less, describes. 'Despite the protection, many people neglect to purchase a life insurance policy simply because it's too linear for them. A variable life insurance, however, is unlike any insurance policy you'll ever come across.'

While a variable life insurance policy comes with all of the benefits of a standard life insurance policy, it differentiates itself by it also allowing the policyholder to divide a portion of the premium dollars to a separate account, typically made up of investment funds. These types of investment funds include: equity, money market, bond, and stock funds, among others.

If an investment fund does poorly, however, an investor will have less money available for the premiums. The policy's cash value and death benefit may decrease as well, meaning investors will have to put in more work to keep the policy active.

'Despite these obstacles, a variable policy offers plenty of punch to its holders,' the article emphasizes. 'If you're tired of the same old benefits a standard life insurance policy offers, contact your life insurance agent and inquire about how a variable life insurance policy can spice things up for you.'

Staff contribution: Rafael Onak

— WebWireID107186 —

The Children's Mutual's analysis of the HMRC 2009 CTF report reveals that families are far more engaged with the CTF than other long-term savings products. According to the report, 74% of families proactively opened CTF accounts within a year of their child being born, yet just 40%* have a private pension and only 30% of the eligible adult population have ISAs.

Over 4.6 million children now have Child Trust Fund accounts and almost £2 billion has already been saved for children's futures.

David White, Chief Executive of The Childrens Mutual, said: "The Child Trust Fund is changing the nation's savings habits in a way that adult's savings plans have not".

According to its customer data, October has been the strongest month ever with even more parents opening accounts. The Children's Mutual also announced record numbers of parents setting up a direct debit from outset this year.

David White continued: "The fact that three quarters of families are opening a Child Trust Fund account within a year of their baby being born is great news particularly when you look at the take up compared to adult's usage of ISAs or pensions.

These new figures demonstrate the widespread support of parents towards long-term savings and their commitment to doing the best for their children's futures. Families tell us that without the CTF, they just wouldn't be saving for their children so early on."

According to The Children's Mutual figures, half of its CTF customers are committing to long-term savings from the very beginning of their children's lives by starting a monthly direct debit averaging £24 a month. Over an 18 year period, this could produce a fund of £9750 into a CTF**.

David White said: "Through the CTF, in the future all 18 year olds will have the opportunity to start adult life with an asset and this should have a major impact on their lives and the wider economy."

Child Trust Funds are designed to provide a tax efficient, long term savings vehicle for all eligible children. Each eligible newborn child (born on or after 1 September 2002) receives a £250 Child Trust Fund voucher (£500 for low income families) from the Government when their parents register for Child Benefit. The Government will make a second contribution of £250 (£500 for low income families) when the child reaches seven and is considering a third in the child's teenage years. Parents, family and friends can all then add to this account up to a maximum value of £1,200 each year.

- Ends –

Notes to editors
Figures from HMRC CTF Statistics 2009 and TISA September 2009
* Family Resources Survey, Department for Work and Pensions – published Summer 2009
** Projected value based on investing £24 a month (plus the Government's initial £250 voucher and another £250 at age 7) for 18 years in a stakeholder CTF account. Includes assumed investment return of 7% a year, with charges of 1.5% of the CTF account value each year. Projected values cannot be guaranteed as the value of shares goes up and down. So the final payout could be more or less.

About The Children's Mutual - Home of the Child Trust Fund
The Children's Mutual's mission is to help parents, grandparents, family and friends fulfil their hopes for today's children. The Children's Mutual is the only UK company which specialises in long term savings for children and is now the choice of 1 in 4 parents for their child's Child Trust Fund, with more than 725,000 accounts. This expertise has led several financial institutions and family-focused high street retailers to choose The Children's Mutual as their stakeholder Child Trust Fund provider.

The Children's Mutual PR contact
Katie Donlan
Consolidated PR
22 Endell Street
London
WC2H 9AD
020 7781 2376
www.thechildrensmutual.co.uk

— WebWireID107187 —

New York - CashEdge, Inc. (www.cashedge.com), the preeminent provider of financial account aggregation services to brokerages, wealth management firms and financial advisors, today announced that its industry leading aggregation solution, AllData Advisor, is now available to financial advisors via online, self-service subscription.

The availability of the self-service subscription model offers independent financial advisors the opportunity to take advantage of recent enhancements to AllData Advisor, which include new, highly intuitive and customizable features that help advisors provide better advice and capture more assets. Financial advisors can visit www.AllDataAdvisor.com to subscribe to the aggregation service today.

"Account aggregation is a critical tool for today's leading financial advisors, enabling them to provide more targeted guidance, capture held-away assets and improve client satisfaction and retention," said Tom Roberts, Senior VP & General Manager of Wealth Management for CashEdge, Inc. "CashEdge is committed to making account aggregation accessible and affordable for all advisors. By offering AllData Advisor directly to advisors through a simple, cost-effective self-service subscription, all advisors have the opportunity to benefit from a holistic view of their clients assets."

AllData Advisor is currently used by thousands of advisors nationwide and offers the widest and deepest aggregation coverage in the market with more than 10,000 sources, including banking, investment, retirement, insurance, credit card, mortgages and annuities. AllData Advisor also integrates with leading wealth management platforms, such as Albridge, eMoney Advisor and MoneyGuidePro, which enables advisors to fold account aggregation into their current processes and leverage the investments they've already made in various technology solutions.

CashEdge will be hosting an informational webinar titled, "Account Aggregation: the Best Investment an Advisor Can Make," on November 17, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. EST. All financial advisors are invited to attend. To register, please visit www.AllDataAdvisor.com.
About CashEdge Brokerage & Wealth Management Division

CashEdge is the preeminent provider of financial account aggregation services to brokerages, wealth management firms, financial advisors and providers of personal financial management applications. These services are highly secure and provide a holistic view of a client's or consumer's financial picture, delivering aggregated data from more than 10,000 sources, including banking, investment, retirement, insurance, credit card, mortgages and annuities. For more information, visit www.AllDataAdvisor.com. The Company is headquartered in New York with offices in Silicon Valley and India. For more information, visit www.cashedge.com.

— WebWireID107170 —

Deutsche Börse: From 9 to 11 November, Deutsche Börse and KfW Bankengruppe will be holding the Fall 2009 German Equity Forum in Frankfurt/Main. The forum is Europe's largest and most successful platform for SMEs seeking equity or already listed. Over 5,000 investors, analysts, entrepreneurs and intermediaries are expected to attend the three-day German Equity Forum.

'The German Equity Forum has become an established feature among the world's major international capital market conferences', said Frank Gerstenschläger, member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Börse AG and responsible for the Xetra business area. 'International companies from Belarus, China, India and Ukraine will introduce themselves in country forums. This once again highlights the event's international character.'

'The German Equity Forum is an important meeting place especially now, with the financial and economic crisis causing many market participants to act cautiously. It provides the opportunity for comprehensive discussion and hopefully starting points for new business,' said Dr Ulrich Schröder, Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors of the KfW Bankengruppe.

The Equity Forum offers participants panel discussions, presentations and workshops on topics relating to corporate financing, capital market regulation and current industry trends. Furthermore, about 200 companies from the Prime Standard will be presenting their financial figures. There will be presentations from the top 25 non-listed high-growth companies from the sectors Alternative Energies, Life Science, Consumer & E-Commerce, High Technology and Software & Internet to a broad group of investors.

A joint study conducted by the Technical University in Munich, Ernst & Young and Deutsche Börse, which examines the growing trend in equity financing, will also be presented at the German Equity Forum.

Deutsche Börse AG, the world's largest market organizer, and leading development bank KfW Bankengruppe have held the German Equity Forum twice a year since 1996. The fall event focuses on listed companies and those in later-stage financing, while the primary focus of the spring forum is on early-stage and growth companies.

Further information
Ernst & Young is co-initiator of the Fall 2009 German Equity Forum. The main sponsors of the event are Close Brothers Seydler, Credit Suisse, DZ BANK, equinet, FCF FOX Corporate Finance, LBBW, Silvia Quandt, Viscardi and WestLB. Additional sponsors are BDO Deutsche Warentreuhand, CMS Hasche Sigle, Commerzbank, etiDynamics, Haubrok, Hauck & Aufhäuser, HSBC Trinkhaus & Burkhardt, KPMG, Morgan Stanley and Taylor Wessing.
Commercial supporters are CF & B Communication and DVFA.
The forum's media partners are: Axel Springer financial media, Börsen-Zeitung, CNBC, DAF Deutsches Anleger Fernsehen, Dow Jones Private Markets, dpa-AFX, European Biotechnology News, Finance Magazin, FinanzNachrichten.de, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, GoingPublic Magazin, VentureCapital Magazin, Real Estate Magazine, International Herald Tribune, IR Magazine, transkript, Mergermarket, n-tv, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Property Finance Europe, Phoenix CNE, RZB, REITs in Deutschland, Small Cap News, Swiss Equity magazin and VDI nachrichten.

For further information on the German Equity Forum, and for the electronic registration form, please go to www.eigenkapitalforum.com. We will be happy to provide you with the corresponding registration code for the press.

— WebWireID107166 —

Under this agreement ONDD will provide insurance for third party financing for the purchase of Alcatel-Lucent telecommunications equipment by service providers worldwide.

'This agreement demonstrates ONDD's commitment to supporting Alcatel-Lucent export transactions worldwide, in recognition and support of the critical role Alcatel-Lucent's Belgian operations play as a centre of expertise in R&D, export and project management for the company. This is an important milestone in our ongoing long lasting relationship with Alcatel-Lucent,' said Stefaan Van Boxstael, Deputy Head of Underwriting from ONDD. 'This agreement with ONDD allows Alcatel-Lucent to provide financing to its customers for contracts with sourcing on a global level involving technologies in the fields of optics, access, mobile, IP and applications and creates new ways for Alcatel-Lucent to meet customer requirements for worldwide sourcing.'

As a first result of this agreement, Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking has arranged an ONDD-backed loan facility in favour of Turk Telekom, to finance various contracts between Turk Telekom and Alcatel-Lucent for a global amount of EUR 46 million. In line with Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) regulations, part of the local services was also integrated in this financing.

The loan facility could be extended to support additional new contracts between Turk Telekom and Alcatel-Lucent. The buyer's credit will be applied to the full foreign portion, on a global level, of contracts concluded between Alcatel-Lucent Teletas (Turkey) and Turk Telekom for technologies sourced from different Alcatel-Lucent entities around the world.

'Our overall agreement with ONDD, as demonstrated by this first transaction with Turk Telekom, provides a powerful tool for Alcatel-Lucent to help its customers meet their financing needs,' said Paul Tufano Alcatel-Lucent's CFO. 'A number of other new opportunities have already been identified, and our agreement with ONDD will provide Alcatel-Lucent with further flexibility regarding its project financing needs around the world.'

About ONDD
ONDD, the Office National Du Ducroire | Nationale Delcrederedienst, is Belgium's public export credit insurer, specializing in commercial and political risk insurance, guaranteed by the state.
As an integral part of the economic and export-oriented policy on Belgium's international trade, ONDD primarily provides cover against credit and political risks to support Belgian exports and outward investments where private sector risk cover is unavailable, due to the risk profile of these activities. Such covers have clear economic importance in Belgium, since exports of goods and services contribute more than 80% of GDP.
ONDD is allocated a 'AA+' rating by Standard & Poor's. For more information, please visit external linkwww.ondd.be.

About Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking
At the core of Societe Generale's universal banking business model, the Corporate & Investment Bank is a well-diversified and leading player with 12 000 professionals present in over 40 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.

Standing by its clients across sectors, the Corporate & Investment Bank tailors solutions for them by capitalising on its worldwide expertise in investment banking,globalfinance, and global markets.

For Corporates, Financial Institutions and public sector: providing a global advisory approach (M&A, debt, equity transaction, capital structure, and asset & liability management), as well as quality capital raising solutions across the debt and equity spectrum, optimised financing and expert risk management responses notably in the realm of foreign exchange and rates derivatives.

For investors: offering reliable and sound investment opportunities and risk management solutions through its integrated global markets platform delivering seamless access to markets (equity, rates, credit, currencies, commodities and derivatives), as well as advice and solid financial engineering, quality of execution and forward-looking research across asset classes

external linkwww.sgcib.com

SG CIB Global Finance division consolidates all capital raising across the debt to equity spectrum, structured financing and hedging solutions for issuers.
Where 110 experts in Export Finance deliver financing solutions, risk covers and advisory services related to import or export contracts of which underlying assets are capital goods, equipment and/or services.
Responsible for all ECA-backed business solutions for more than 40 years, our experts leverage their relationship with Export Credit Agencies and the emerging market to address client needs across the globe, capitalizing on the extensive Société Générale network.
A leading position reconfirmed by its clients with the prestigious Award for Excellence from Trade Finance Magazine. In Export Finance, Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking was named 'Best Export Finance Arranger' for the eighth consecutive year, demonstrating how, with its strong global network and innovative approach, the bank continues to address the evolving needs of its clients and provides support to win business overseas.

About Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) is the trusted partner of service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, providing solutions to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. A leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent leverages the unrivalled technical and scientific expertise of Bell Labs, one of the largest innovation powerhouses in the communications industry. With operations in more than 130 countries and the most experienced global services organization in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with a global reach. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 16.98 billion in 2008 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

— WebWireID107162 —

Marlborough, MA – November 5, 2009 – Throughout the month of October, St. Mary's Credit Union hosted a video contest for local high schools. Called the '4Reel Video Project,' the challenge was open to each school's art/media/film clubs, and gave them the chance for some real-world experience, bragging rights, and cash for their school.

Students from each participating high school animated a 90-second video about credit unions from the perspective of young people. At the end of October, the schools submitted their videos and each will be posted on the St. Mary's Credit Union website for voting by the public. The winning video is to be posted on YouTube and St. Mary's website, www.abettercreditunion.com – in addition, the winning animation will serve as an artistic template for a series of informational videos that St. Mary's is producing.

St. Mary's Credit Union will award a $1,500 cash prize to the school with the winning team and a $1,000 prize to all other participants. While the schools will have flexibility to use the cash however they wish, the hope from St. Mary's is that the funds will help each school purchase animation software for the respective clubs. Jack Caulfield, President and CEO of St. Mary's Credit Union said, "We're very excited to be a part of the 4Reel Video Project,' He added. 'St. Mary's has put together a wonderful challenge that will give participating students valuable experience and insights about animation, finances, and marketing that will help them prepare for the real world. We're looking forward to seeing the great animations that these students are sure to produce.'

About St. Mary's Credit Union
For nearly 100 years, St. Mary's Credit Union has been the community-focused financial institution in Massachusetts. Based in Marlborough with branches in Marlborough, MA, Northborough, MA and Hudson, MA, St. Mary's Credit Union has more than $400 million in assets and 35,000 members. Membership in St. Mary's Credit Union is open to everyone living or working in Middlesex or Worcester counties. For more information, go to: www.stmaryscu.org

— WebWireID107140 —

Branch Manager, Doreen Constancia, says about the location,"Since we opened the BankFive Express Office, Sundays have been the busiest day of the week.' She went on to say, 'For people who need to bank on weekends, we can provide the same level of service and attention that they have come to expect on any other day of the week.' She added, 'It's just another example of how BankFive is committed to offering convenient banking for our customers.'

BankFive invites the community to come into this busy local branch on Sundays to say hello to Doreen and her staff, and experience a level of service that customers won't find even at the supermarket branches.

For a convenient listing of all our bank locations in MA, visit http://www.bankfive.com/home/locations

ABOUT BANKFIVE
Since 1855, BankFive has been serving the communities of the SouthCoast with a steadfast commitment to provide local individuals, families and businesses with outstanding products and services designed to meet their financial needs. BankFive has thirteen offices conveniently located throughout the SouthCoast, and can found online at www.bankfive.com

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— WebWireID107138 —

Ten years ago, BankFive became part of the Dartmouth community by opening the doors to its branch at 136 Faunce Corner Road. To celebrate the anniversary, BankFive opened their doors wide once again and welcomed its neighbors to two Customer Loyalty Day Celebrations featuring refreshments, fun activities, and prize giveaways. Both events were open to the public.

The first Customer Loyalty Day Celebration featured a cake-cutting ceremony with Thomas F. Lyons, President and CEO of BankFive, and local dignitaries. Over 200 door prizes were awarded to customers during the day as well.

The second celebration was a Back-to-School theme where children and their parents enjoyed popcorn, played games, got temporary tattoos and face paintings, won back-to-school items, and entered to win a raffle. Nickels, the bank's mascot, was also on hand to greet the children.

ABOUT BANKFIVE
Since 1855, BankFive has been serving the communities of the SouthCoast with a steadfast commitment to provide local individuals, families and businesses with outstanding products and services designed to meet their financial needs. BankFive has thirteen offices conveniently located throughout the SouthCoast, and can found online at www.bankfive.com

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— WebWireID107133 —

Phoenix .- Chase announced today that it has successfully converted and rebranded 33 former Washington Mutual bank branches in Arizona, creating a network of 300 Chase branches in 59 cities and towns for consumers and businesses.

Chase now has 177 branches in Metro Phoenix, 96 in Southern Arizona and 27 across the northern part of the state - as well as 873 ATMs statewide.

"Both Chase and former WaMu customers now have more locations to do their banking," said Eusebio Rivera, head of retail banking for Chase in Phoenix. "They can now take advantage of our expanded set of products and services to achieve their financial goals."

Chase has invested more than $12 million in refurbishing and rebranding the former WaMu branches in Arizona. Chase is using high efficiency HVAC and lighting systems, low irrigation plant landscaping, solar reflectance, recycled materials in walls, floors and ceilings, and Energy Star appliances.

Over the last five years, Chase has significantly expanded its Arizona presence, growing from just 186 branches across the state in 2004.

"We know that convenience is an important part of earning customer business," Rivera said.

Chase added 114 more locations to serve Arizona consumers and small businesses, including four in northern Arizona in the past six months.

Parent company JPMorgan Chase acquired Washington Mutual's banking operations in September, 2008, quickly providing WaMu customers with the security and peace of mind of a $2 trillion financial services company. Since then, about 1,800 former WaMu branches across the country have converted to the Chase brand and computer system, allowing customers to conduct their business at more than 5,100 Chase branches in 23 states.

— WebWireID107128 —

Thousands of Credicard MasterCard cardholders in Rio de Janeiro will now be able to enjoy the speed and convenience of making purchases using contactless technology via a MasterCard PayPass key fob at the Păo de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf Mountain) lift, Supervia train stations, UCI cinemas, McDonald's fast food restaurants and Estapar/Riopark parking lots located in Rio. Coming soon, MasterCard PayPass cards and devices issued in Brazil will also be accepted for use at the Rio de Janeiro Metro system. This is just the beginning; as Redecard plans to add more PayPass merchant acceptance locations in the near future.

"It is a great pleasure for MasterCard to invest in Brazil through the development and introduction of innovative payment solutions that makes a consumers life easier,' said Gilberto Caldart, head of MasterCard Brazil.

'With MasterCard PayPass, consumers simply wave their card or device in front of a PayPass enabled terminal for those transactions valued at less than US$25, with no need to swipe the card or sign a receipt; making their buying experience simple, secure and fast,' said Max Chion, Senior Vice President, Products & Solutions for MasterCard Latin America and Caribbean. "Through this new payment innovation, MasterCard seeks to turn those cash transactions into contactless ones.'

For issuers and merchants, MasterCard PayPass provides differentiation and the possibility to reach a new segment. For merchants the technology allows them to function more efficiently and serve their customers by speeding check-processes, reducing cash handling and improving efficiency.

Recent MasterCard surveys have shown that contactless payment technology can reduce the time consumer spends waiting in line by 25%, an important finding given that the same survey revealed that only 21% of consumers want to spend more than 10 minutes in line for purchases under US$25.

'With nearly 66 million cards and devices available in 32 countries, MasterCard is the leader in contactless payments and in the best position to offer our pioneering customers with the first electronic payment solution for public transportation in the region,' added Chion.

Based on its pioneering outlook, Credicard attributes the launch of PayPass to its strategy of expanding its credit card business to the domestic market and foresight in anticipating customer trends in Brazil. "For almost 40 years, Credicard has been recognized for issuing credit cards with unique services and benefits that meet the specific needs of different segments of the population. The launch of MasterCard PayPass reinforces our position of being a brand that puts the needs of our customers first,' said Leonel Andrade, Credicard President.

Redecard made the possibility of using MasterCad PayPass in Rio de Janeiro a reality by equipping the participating merchants with contactless technology-enabled terminals. "Contactless technology is ideal for quick payment environments where speed is essential,' explained Roberto Medeiros, Redecard President. "MasterCard PayPass allows us to expand the use of electronic payments, particularly at those merchant locations with a large amount of low value-ticket purchases where speed is important, such as public transportation, movie theaters and fast food restaurants.'

— WebWireID107114 —

The initial two-year deal for the LV= Cup, with an option to renew for a further two years, will build on LV='s existing investment in Rugby Union and also complement its LV= County Championship sponsorship in cricket.*

The high profile LV= Cup is a 16-team competition involving the 12 English Guinness Premiership clubs and four Welsh regional teams. This year's competition commences on 5 November and the final will be played in March 2010 at a neutral venue to be confirmed. The eventual winner, if an English club, will gain a place in the Heineken Cup for next season.

The tournament already has a broadcaster, with Sky Sports committed to promoting the LV= Cup. They will screen one live match per round, plus the semi-finals and final, for the next five years. The competition also has a committed supporter base with an average of 8,500 spectators at each pool game over the last three years, and 55,000 attending last April's final at Twickenham Stadium.

The RFU, WRU and LV=, as well as Premier Rugby Limited (PRL) and Regional Rugby Wales, which oversee the teams playing in the competition, have all jointly committed to extensively promote the LV= Cup using existing channels and media.

David Radford, LV=Group Marketing Director, commented: "We are delighted to be extending our sponsorship interests in rugby with The LV= Cup. As an expanding business we see The LV= Cup providing a good fit with our target audiences and we're pleased to put our support behind this popular competition."

Francis Baron, Rugby Football Union (RFU) Chief Executive, added: "The Anglo-Welsh Cup is rich with heritage and history stretching back over many years, much like LV=. This year's tournament promises to be as exciting and hard fought as ever with the ultimate prize of a place in the Heineken Cup on offer for any English club that wins. In addition we believe the new structure will give players, coaches and supporters an exciting tournament that embodies all that's best about cross-border knockout competition, and further showcases the game."

Roger Lewis, Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) Chief Executive, concluded: "Anglo-Welsh rivalries are among the oldest in world rugby and this competition will once again stir a huge amount of excitement from players, coaches and fans. The Welsh Rugby Union has always championed this competition and so we very much welcome LV= as title sponsors of the tournament and Sky as host broadcaster. We look forward to another season of top class rugby between the best English clubs and our Welsh regions."

- ends -

NOTES TO EDITORS:
* LV= has been the title sponsor of the LV= County Championship, the premier domestic cricket competition, since 2002. LV= is also a sponsor of Harlequins RUFC.

About LV=
LV= is a registered trademark of Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited (LVFS) and a trading style of the Liverpool Victoria group of companies.

The LV= insurance, investments and pensions group employs more than 3,800 people, serves over 3.6m customers and members, and manages around £7bn on their behalf. The company is also the UK's largest friendly society (Source: Association of Friendly Societies Key Statistics 2009) and a leading mutual financial services provider, offering customers car insurance, home insurance and travel insurance.

Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited (LVFS) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, register number. 110035. LVFS is a member of the ABI, AMI, AFS and ILAG. Registered address: County Gates, Bournemouth BH1 2NF.

PR Contact:
Ed Forbes
Media Relations Manager
LV=
80 Cheapside
London
EC2V 6AA
020 7634 4344
www.lv.com

— WebWireID107100 —

'Univision's mission is to inform, empower and entertain the Hispanic community,' said Joe Uva, president and chief executive officer, Univision. 'We recognize, better than anyone, the importance of empowering Hispanics by connecting them with financial tools and services they can trust. Our financial services offering is an extension of our 'Cuentas Claras' initiative. We're proud to partner with MasterCard, a payments leader that shares our goal of providing the tools, resources and services to empower our community.'

The Univision Prepaid MasterCard Card will offer the U.S. Hispanic community a culturally relevant, safe, cost-effective alternative to cash. The prepaid card reduces the inconvenience and costs related to cashing checks and enables consumers to better track and manage spending by providing them with the ability to monitor when and where they make purchases with the card.

'We are working closely with Univision, leveraging their unique knowledge and reputation within the Hispanic community, to develop solutions that meet the payment needs of U.S. Hispanic consumers,' said Chris McWilton, president, U.S. Markets, MasterCard. 'Many U.S. Hispanics rely heavily on cash, and in doing so fail to take advantage of the safety, convenience and reliability of electronic payments. Together with Univision we will provide access to financial products and education that benefit the Hispanic community and open the door to the mainstream financial system for many individuals who are not currently well served by it.'

According to a study by the Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI), approximately 40 million U.S. Households are financially underserved (106 million people), of whom 19 percent are Hispanic. In addition, 35.4 percent of Hispanic-Americans are unbanked vs. 31.6 percent of Black Non-Hispanic Americans and 11.2 percent of Other Americans (i.e., Non-Hispanic and non-Black, including Asian-Americans and Whites).

The Univision MasterCard prepaid products will be issued by The Bancorp Bank pursuant to license by MasterCard International Incorporated.

— WebWireID107071 —

SINGAPORE.- Visa Inc. (NYSE:V), the world's largest retail electronic payments network, today extended the global reach of its Visa Money Transfer Service to greater China and the United Arab Emirates, two of the world's most active territories for international remittance.

In addition, Visa announced the launch of a new managed service that reduces the time and development investment required for a financial institution to offer Visa Money Transfer to its customers. Initially available in Canada and the United States, and later on a global basis, the service is intended to foster more rapid adoption of the service in marketplaces around the world.

Visa Money Transfer gives consumers a convenient, cost-effective and secure way to send funds directly to recipients' Visa cards domestically and internationally. Senders can initiate a Visa Money Transfer to make person-to-person payments, send funds to friends or family members, or make account transfers. Sender channels through which a Visa Money Transfer can be initiated include internet banking, Automatic Teller Machines (ATM), self-service kiosks, in person at a bank branch, or via the telephone.

Following these launches, Visa Money Transfer programs are offered to consumers in greater China, including Hong Kong; Georgia; India; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; Malaysia; Russia; Singapore; Sweden; Ukraine; and the United Arab Emirates. Visa Money Transfer is available via 50 sending institutions in 14 countries and territories around the world.

"Visa is well positioned to facilitate secure and cost-effective money transfer services by extending the capabilities of our global network that connects 1.7 billion accounts," said Elizabeth Buse, global head of product, Visa Inc. "This enables our clients to diversify into new fee-based services, while meeting their customers' need for a convenient, secure and affordable way to send money domestically and across borders."

Working with Leading Institutions

ICBC - The ICBC Visa Money Transfer program, launched in China today will be available initially in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen and will provide the bank's 70.8 million internet banking customers* a safe and convenient option to transfer funds to Visa cards globally. The World Bank estimates that more than US$5.7 billion was sent in cross-border remittances from China in 2008. The new Visa Money Transfer service will be targeted at those with family members working or studying abroad, primarily in Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, France and Germany and will make it easier for them to send funds.

EPS - For consumers in Hong Kong, EPS Hong Kong Limited (EPS), an online bill payment platform provider owned by 21 leading financial institutions, has also launched a Visa Money Transfer service. The service will be immediately available to customers of Standard Chartered Bank and Wing Hang. It gives customers of these banks in Hong Kong the ability to transfer funds to 14 countries in nine currencies either by phone or via its PPS online portal. Visa Money Transfer has broadened the PPS platform from a domestic bill payment service to now include international fund transfers. The PPS Visa Money Transfer platform allows the service to be extended easily to additional member banks of EPS based on bank and consumer demand.

Combined, the ICBC and EPS programs will help to deliver Visa Money Transfer to more than 72 million new consumers in Greater China.

UAE Exchange - Visa and UAE Exchange, the leading global remittance and exchange house in the United Arab Emirates, have come together to offer a cross-border Visa Money Transfer program. The service will be offered through UAE Exchange's network of 79 branches across the country. Visa Money Transfer will represent a new, more convenient funds delivery method to UAE Exchange customers. The service is scheduled to launch later in November, using Visa Processing Services for transaction processing.

Worldwide - The Visa Money Transfer managed service launched today provides Visa clients with an end-to-end packaged solution that gives them the ability to customize several elements of the service including consumer fees, branding, foreign exchange rates, transaction limits and language preferences, in addition to core transaction processing.

Continued Global Expansion

While the Asia Pacific region is leading the deployment of new Visa Money Transfer programs, significant momentum has been gained around the world. Recent momentum includes:

Singapore - Singapore Post Limited (SingPost), which last year became the first post office in the world to offer a Visa Money Transfer service, has expanded its international remittance service to four additional recipient countries and territories. Consumers can now send money to Visa cardholders in Bangladesh, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Taiwan, in addition to Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the United Kingdom. Standard Chartered Bank has also teamed up with SingPost to offer a domestic Visa credit card repayment service through SingPost's self-service automated machines.

Russia - Nineteen banks in Russia already offer Visa Money Transfer through over 15,000 ATMs and kiosks in the country. In partnership with Alfa Bank, Visa introduced the first implementation of its enhanced Visa Money Transfer service for express funds transfer, now available to Alfa Bank and Severnaya Kazna customers.

Ukraine - In partnership with JCSB "Ukrsotsbank", Visa launched a money transfer service which, from May 2009, allows any Visa cardholder in Ukraine to use the service via one of the bank's ATMs for domestic transfers to other Visa cardholders in Ukraine.

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Intuit and Mint.com together will help redefine personal finance, delivering innovative, easy-to-use online services that help consumers save and do more with their money. By integrating with Intuit, Mint.com quickly gains access to resources to accelerate both product development and growth.

It is expected that Mint.com's innovative technology will be available broadly to millions of Intuit customers, starting with TurboTax® products for the upcoming 2009 tax season. With future product integrations, Mint.com's unique 'ways to save' engine will help consumers and small businesses make the most of their money, while categorization algorithms will make financial management easier. Intuit also expects that the acquisition of Mint.com will offer Intuit's financial institution clients the ability to strengthen their online offerings and deliver more value to their customers.

With the transaction complete, Aaron Patzer, former CEO of Mint.com, becomes vice president and general manager of Intuit's personal finance group, responsible for Mint.com and all Quicken online, desktop and mobile offerings.

The combined team will continue to innovate and reinvent Intuit's personal finance business, building on the assets of both Mint.com and Quicken.

'As the leader of Intuit's new personal finance group, I'm looking forward to bringing together the best of Quicken and all we've learned at Mint.com to help people save and do more with their money,' said Patzer. 'We have an opportunity to leverage new technologies and new user-interface design principles to impact more than 10 million Quicken users. Together with Intuit's expertise in tax, bill-pay and banking, we can build powerful new online services that will make it easier for people to manage their money.'

Intuit will maintain both the Mint.com and Quicken brands, and continue to offer Quicken products. The company recently released Quicken 2010 Windows desktop and expects to release Quicken for Mac in early 2010. The current Mint.com service will remain free and becomes Intuit's primary online personal finance management solution offered directly to consumers.

'We're very excited about the future of personal finance,' said Dan Maurer, senior vice president and general manager of Intuit's Consumer Group. 'We're blending strong leadership, innovative technology, and the power of a well-known, trusted brand with a fresh user interface to create the next generation of personal finance offerings.'

Inclusive of the transaction, Intuit expects a reduction of approximately 2 cents to its fiscal year 2010 non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) diluted earnings per share and approximately 3 cents to its GAAP diluted earnings per share. Intuit does not expect the acquisition to have a material effect on fiscal year 2011 earnings.

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(Springfield, MA) - Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) today announced it has approved an estimated payment of $1.23 billion in dividends to eligible participating policyholders in 2010. The total dividends for 2010, approved by MassMutual's Board of Directors, include a dividend interest rate of 7.0 percent on new eligible participating life insurance policies1 and reflects the company's continued strong financial position.

'As a 158 year-old mutual company, MassMutual is committed to delivering long-term value to our policyholders, and our history of continued strong dividends on eligible participating policies is proof of that pledge,' said Roger W. Crandall, President and Chief Operating Officer, MassMutual. 'Paying a strong dividend is core to our corporate strategy, and we're proud to validate that strategy and continue this tradition with our approved 2010 payout. The market volatility and economic conditions of the past year have heightened the importance of doing business with a financially strong company, and our strategic commitment to pay strong dividends is evidence of the continued strength and stability that our policyholders have come to expect from MassMutual.'

Customers who purchase eligible participating products from MassMutual receive an equitable share of the company's divisible surplus in the form of dividends as approved by MassMutual's Board of Directors each year. MassMutual has paid dividends each year since the 1860s.

'Receiving consistent, competitive dividends is perhaps the most tangible benefit of doing business with a mutual company,' Crandall said. 'Dividends can help our policyholders build value in their participating policies and also help contribute to the overall financial strength of the company by increasing the size and quality of our policy base – two attributes that illustrate the confidence, security and trust that MassMutual has offered for nearly 150 years.'

The dividends, which are not guaranteed, come primarily from three sources: investment results, favorable mortality experience and savings on expenses. Nearly all of MassMutual's dividends are paid to eligible participating policyholders who have purchased whole life insurance, the company's core product. Of the total dividend payout of $1.23 billion, an estimated $1.20 billion in dividends has been approved for more than 1.2 million eligible participating whole life policyholders.

'Dividends are one of the many benefits of whole life insurance,' said Michael R. Fanning, Executive Vice President and head of MassMutual's U.S. insurance business. 'In addition to providing a death benefit, cash value and premiums that are all guaranteed, whole life insurance offers stability, security and flexibility and serves as an excellent foundation for a financial strategy. We have seen newfound, growing interest in the value that whole life insurance delivers, which has helped fuel the outstanding sales growth and momentum we have seen in MassMutual's core product.'

Policyholders can use dividends from participating products such as whole life for a wide variety of purposes. Options include receiving dividends in cash, or using them to reduce premiums, purchase additional insurance coverage, accumulate at interest, or repay policy loans and policy loan interest.

MassMutual maintains among the highest financial strength ratings of any company in any industry, and the 2010 estimated dividends reflect MassMutual's continued financial strength. As of November 2, 2009, financial strength ratings for MassMutual and its subsidiaries, C.M. Life Insurance Company and MML Bay State Life Insurance Company are as follows: A.M. Best Company, A++ (Superior); Fitch Ratings, AAA (Exceptionally Strong); Moody's Investors Service, Aa1 (Excellent); and Standard & Poor's, AA+ (Very Strong). Ratings are subject to change.

For more information on MassMutual's financial strength, visit the company's Web site to view the following resources:

Take Comfort in a Trusted Relationship: Understanding the Value of a Mutually Owned Company
Explains the mutual form of ownership and how MassMutual works for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders.

Strength and Stability in Uncertain Times
Provides an overview of MassMutual's financial strength, investment philosophy, and products and services in light of recent economic and market conditions.

What are Insurance Policy Dividends?
Explains what dividends are, how they are calculated, and other important facts.

1 This refers to business issued since the MassMutual-Connecticut Mutual merger in 1996. For policies issued prior to the merger, the dividend interest rates are 6.85% for those issued by MassMutual and 6.70% for those issued by the former Connecticut Mutual. The dividend interest rate is not the rate of return on the policy. Dividends consist of an investment component, a mortality component and an expense component. Therefore, dividend interest rates should not be the sole basis for comparing insurers or policy performance.

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65% imageNearly two thirds (65 per cent) of people surveyed across the globe believe a new international deal to cut emissions is 'very important', according to the annual Climate Confidence Monitor released today. The 12 country study, commissioned by the HSBC Climate Partnership, sends a clear message to governments preparing to attend the UN climate change summit in December to agree on a policy framework to tackle climate change.

The third Climate Confidence Monitor reveals a global consensus on emission reduction targets. 79 per cent want to see a commitment to 'meet or significantly exceed' a 50-80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050. This demand for commitment to reduction targets is highest in Mexico (91 per cent), Brazil (90 per cent), Hong Kong (84 per cent) and China (82 per cent) and lowest in India (75 per cent), UK (71 per cent) and the US (66 per cent).

Despite the deepening of the global recession since last year's survey was conducted, seven in 10 people (69 per cent) agreed that addressing climate change is at least as important, if not more important than supporting their national economy during the downturn. Respondents to this question were asked to prioritise spending public money on healthcare, crime, national defence, education and supporting the national economy during the downturn.

Lord Stern, adviser to HSBC on economic development and climate change said: "With just over a month to go before Copenhagen, this is a clear call from the global population for a strong and effective deal. Rich and developing countries must act together to create an agreement that will lay the foundations for a future era of dynamic low-carbon growth."

The Climate Confidence Monitor 2009 also revealed:

Emerging v Developed Markets: For the third year running, the Climate Confidence Monitor shows that there is a stronger desire for action in emerging economies than in the developed world. In Brazil, 86 per cent and in Mexico, 83 per cent believe it is very important that a deal in Copenhagen is reached. Globally only two per cent of people feel a new climate deal isn't important at all.

Stephen Green, Group Chairman HSBC Holdings plc said: "We know that the impacts of climate change will particularly affect the emerging markets and clearly the people of those countries are concerned. We look to the Copenhagen meeting to create a framework for a low carbon economy that will allow emerging
markets to prosper and create attractive investment opportunities for businesses worldwide."

Climate Change v other global issues: In a year that brought media headlines of pandemic flu and economic meltdown, a third of all respondents (34 per cent) believe climate change is one of the biggest issues they worry about today. They were asked to rank climate change as an issue compared to global economic stability, terrorism, violence, pandemic disease, global poverty, natural disasters and social breakdown. In Mexico, 22 per cent of respondents ranked climate change as the number one issue.

Personal commitment to low carbon choices: Commitment to reduce personal impact on climate change by adapting lifestyle choices rose four percentage points from 2008 to 36 per cent this year. In particular, France and Mexico show increases in commitment of at least 15 percentage points in the past 12 months. The most popular steps people are taking to reduce their carbon footprint are recycling, turning off electronic equipment and using energy-saving light bulbs. People living in China, Hong Kong, India and France claimed to be most active in making low-carbon lifestyle choices.

Steve Howard, Chief Executive of the Climate Group commented on this trend: "World leaders must agree a deal in Copenhagen that unlocks low carbon jobs and growth, and enables the rest of us to make smarter, greener choices about the ways we heat our homes, fuel our cars and power our businesses."

The Climate Confidence Monitor is part of the HSBC Climate Partnership's aim to raise awareness of climate change issues and to facilitate action to address them. For more information on the results of the research, visit www.hsbc.com/climateconfidencemonitor

Media enquiries to:

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BSCS iX enables real-time rating and billing of telecommunications services together with customer care. The main focus is on the customer, starting from sales, personalized service packages through to real-time billing. The modular design of the solution allows for low-risk, step-by-step migration and simple integration into existing systems.

"IBM's expanded relationship with LHS will now give communication service providers the ability to deploy BSCS iX Release 3 solutions on an IBM platform that will improve service, reduce cost, optimize energy consumption and manage risk for their billing and customer care deployments," said John Polly, vice president of sales for IBM's Global Telecommunications Industry.

"Through the cooperation with IBM, we will be able to serve our customers even better by offering them unique value through rapid and cost-effective installations and implementations that accelerate ROI, reduce time-to-market, and offer complete life-cycle support to lower the total cost of ownership," said Jens Trotscher, CTO of LHS.

IBM is also a new member of LHS's dedicated partner program. The partnership program constitutes an agreement of close cooperation between LHS and IBM. The program aims to combine LHS' product expertise and award-winning technology with IBM's customer intimacy, project experience and best practices of service delivery. In addition, the co-marketing and co-selling activities offer expanded business opportunities for both sides.

About IBM

For more information on IBM please go to: www.ibm.com/telecom.

About LHS

LHS, part of the Ericsson Group (NASDAQ: ERIC), is a leading independent software vendor (ISV) of billing and customer care systems in the telecom industry. The company's award-winning solutions are used by the world's leading network and virtual operators, to generate and manage consistent revenue streams. LHS Business Support Systems offer full convergence on various levels, supporting the complete range of business models both across the mix of fixed and mobile services, as well as prepaid and postpaid services.

LHS builds innovative systems that enable our customers to introduce new services fast, helping drive revenues up, while keeping operational costs to a minimum.

LHS' headquarters are located in Frankfurt, Germany, with main offices in Brazil, France, Malaysia and the UAE. LHS Aktiengesellschaft as the Group's Holding company is a public company listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (LHS400).

For more information, please visit www.lhsgroup.com.

About Ericsson

Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over 1 billion subscribers and has a leading position in managed services. The company's portfolio comprises of mobile and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry. The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.

Ericsson is advancing its vision of "to be the prime driver in an all-communicating world" through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 75,000 employees generated revenue of SEK 209 billion (USD 32.2 billion) in 2008. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX NASDAQ, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.

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Many homeowners across the country are unable to refinance due to credit issues and lack of home equity. In response to this, E Z loan Modifiers( http://www.ezloanmodifiers.com ), a national Loan Modification Company, has established a special team of consultants to help homeowners seeking relief under the new government programs. Results can include a lower mortgage rate and reduced payments as well as protection from foreclosure.

Surprisingly, many homeowners, thinking they were not eligible or too late, have not taken advantage of these recent changes. E Z Loan Modifiers has helped thousands of home owners save their properties while reducing their payments at the same time.

For more information on determining eligibility, visit: http://www.ezloanmodifiers.com

— WebWireID106986 —

New York — As the calendar year draws to a close, a global economic recovery is all but certain, but risks remain, according to the latest issue of the Global Economic Outlook (GEO) — the quarterly publication from Deloitte Research, a subsidiary of Deloitte Services LP in the United States. It offers perspectives and insights on the almost synchronous recovery in several economies around the world and the near- to medium-term outlook for each.
Highlights from the GEO Q4 issue include:

* Financial indicators suggest a stronger than expected recovery for most of the world's major economies.
* Credit markets' behavior will be a critical issue, as weak credit markets could substantially offset the otherwise positive impact of aggressive monetary policy.
* For the US, the recovery will be a different beast when compared to past recoveries: instead of the consumer driving the recovery, government spending and exports will lead the charge.
* A cautionary forecast for the United Kingdom, as the lingering effects of massive consumer debt will subdue consumer spending into 2011 and possibly beyond; growth will come, instead, from a boost to exports and investment.
* The strong Chinese recovery — no other major country in the world has performed as well — is being generated by massive fiscal and monetary expansion. While this is boosting growth quickly, it is also setting the stage for potential problems down the road: inflation, excess capacity, among others.
* The Russian economy is expected to grow next year. Yet the strength of the recovery will depend on many uncertain factors including the price of oil, the state of global capital markets, the fiscal and monetary stance of policymakers, and global investor confidence.
* Despite a deficient summer monsoon, the Indian recovery will likely be strong and will accelerate on account of a healthy fiscal stimulus and a robust recovery in industrial production.
* Japan will most likely see a modest and fragile growth, as it finds its footing under a new government.
* Finally, the Eurozone is already experiencing a surprising economic recovery. The region is in for some relatively strong growth due to a revival of exports and demand from trading partners, and a rise in consumer spending.

Quotes
Attributed to Ira Kalish, Director of Global Economics, Deloitte Research, a subsidiary of Deloitte Services LP

'The common thread of all our analyses seems to be a better-than-expected economic performance. Most of the world's major economies are now growing and some, like Japan and the Eurozone, are growing sooner than most analysts expected. The global crisis was notable for the near synchronicity of the downturn. Likewise, the upturn appears to be happening everywhere at once—something that is not usually the case.'

For additional quotes and to read the full report, please visit www.deloitte.com/economicoutlook.

About Deloitte
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and its member firms.

Deloitte provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. With a globally connected network of member firms in 140 countries, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and deep local expertise to help clients succeed wherever they operate. Deloitte's approximately 169,000 professionals are committed to becoming the standard of excellence.

— WebWireID107004 —

The interest rates on NS&I's other savings products will remain unchanged.

John Prout, director of customer sales and retention for NS&I, said: "The new Issues of our Guaranteed Growth Bonds and our Guaranteed Income Bonds are good news for savers. Customers can choose to invest between £500 and £1 million in our one, two, three or five-year Bonds. With the new rates starting at 3.85% gross/3.92% AER for a one-year Bond, we hope that the new Issues will be highly attractive to customers who are looking for a guaranteed fixed rate of interest, coupled with 100% security for their money, as NS&I is backed by HM Treasury."

NS&I also recently announced changes to the way customers can invest in NS&I's Guaranteed Growth Bonds and Guaranteed Income Bonds. These products will now only be available directly from NS&I (by freephone**, online or by post) and no longer available through the Post Office.

NS&I and the Post Office have jointly agreed to this change, which is in part a reflection of the development of the Post Office's own brand of savings products. These include Post Office Growth Bonds - a very similar range of fixed rate savings bonds to the two NS&I products. The decision also reflects NS&I's desire to develop its direct sales channels. In addition to this, the move to direct channels is more cost-effective which means NS&I can offer higher rates of interest.

The Post Office will continue to offer a wide range of other NS&I savings products - including Premium Bonds and Savings Certificates - which can be purchased over the counter.

Notes to editors

* AER stands for Annual Equivalent Rate
** NS&I has changed its general enquiries number. Customers will now need to call the freephone number 0500 007 007 to contact NS&I directly. The previous number - 0845 964 5000 will continue to operate but customers may incur a charge from their provider. NS&I's sales line will continue to operate through 0500 500 000.

About NS&I
NS&I is one of the UK's largest savings accounts providers with almost 27 million customers and over £96 billion invested. It is best known for premium bonds, but also offers a Direct ISA, guaranteed growth bonds, guaranteed equity bonds and Children's Bonus Bonds in its range. All products offer 100% security, because NS&I is backed by HM Treasury.

PR Contact:
Gill Stephens
National Savings and Investments
375 Kensington High Street
London
W14 8SD
020 7348 93449
www.nsandi.com

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