Signature Bank to Offer 13th Session of Its First Time Investor Program

Program Aimed at Educating Low and Moderate Income Community about
Appropriate Investing Practices;

Bank Offers Grants for New Investor Class Participants
NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
Signature Bank (Nasdaq: SBNY), a New York-based full-service
commercial bank, announced today that the 13th session of its First
Time Investor Program will kick off on Tuesday, September 9, 2008 in
Brooklyn's Bedford Stuyvesant area.

The First Time Investor Program, which began in 2002, offers
educational classes to qualified members of low and moderate income
communities twice a year (fall and spring). The classes cover an
introduction to banking, investing and the stock market and also focus
on how the markets operate, strategies for long-term investing and the
roles of investment community players. Classes are taught by Signature
Bank employees who volunteer their time in the off-work hours as well
as experts from a range of leading financial services institutions.

Individuals who meet the program income guidelines are required to
open a Signature Securities Group money market account with a $750.00
investment, which is then matched by a grant of an equal amount from
Signature Bank. To date, the program has served more than 150
participants and distributed in excess of $100,000.

First Time Investor Program students participate in a nine-week
class and receive two years of free investment advice and assistance
from a Signature Securities Group investment advisor. This helps each
one establish and manage a personalized portfolio in line with their
individual investment goals. In addition, the Bank also provides a
three-month subscription to The Wall Street Journal to help enhance
their investment knowledge.

Since its inception, the program has been offered in the Bronx,
Brooklyn and Manhattan as well as in Westchester County (in both
Hawthorne and Mount Vernon) and in Freeport, Long Island. During each
session, Signature Bank identifies and partners with local
not-for-profit organizations to aid in the participant recruitment
process. The next session will be hosted in conjunction with
Brooklyn-based Bridge Street Development Corporation (BSDC), which
provides assistance with affordable housing, economic development and
financial literacy training for low and moderate income individuals.
Classes will be held at BSDC's site at 456D Nostrand Avenue in Bedford
Stuyvesant on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:30 PM, from September 9,
2008 until November 18, 2008.

In the past, the non-profit entities Signature Bank has partnered
with included: Community Capital Resources in Westchester County,
Credit Where Credit Is Due in Manhattan, Community Development
Corporation of Long Island, Accion New York, the Bronx Overall
Economic Development Corp. and Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce.

John Tamberlane, Signature Bank's Vice Chairman commented on the
First Time Investor Program, stating: "This novel program has
consistently received accolades from non-profits with whom we align
and the communities we serve. They cite the First Time Investor
Program as an innovative and responsive approach to aiding in the
asset building needs of metro-N.Y.'s low and moderate income
community. This fall will mark our 13th offering of the program, and
each year, it is extremely rewarding to see the results reaped by
prior participants who are stretching their investment dollars by
applying the strategies and skills they learned in the program
classes. This is a creative and important initiative that allows us to
bring our financial services expertise directly to the community and
constituents in our marketplace, and we are proud of the successes of
program participants to date."

Rhonda Lewis, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer at
BSDC, added: "Our partnership with Signature Bank has allowed us to
provide a comprehensive program to the residents of Central Brooklyn
with the tools needed to take control of their financial future. The
First Time Investor Program is one of the most informative nine-week
programs a prospective investor could experience."

Typically, about 20-25 participants partake in each session.
Interested parties should call 718-636-7596, ext. 13 to register.

About Signature Bank

Signature Bank, member FDIC, is a New York-based full-service
commercial bank with 21 private client offices located in the New York
metropolitan area, serving the needs of privately owned businesses,
their owners and senior managers through dozens of private client
groups. The Bank offers a wide variety of business and personal
banking products and services as well as investment, brokerage, asset
management and insurance products and services through its subsidiary,
Signature Securities Group Corporation, a licensed broker-dealer,
investment adviser and member NASD/SIPC.

Signature Bank's 21 offices are located throughout the
metropolitan New York area. In Manhattan - 261 Madison Avenue; 300
Park Avenue; 71 Broadway; 565 Fifth Avenue; 950 Third Avenue; 200 Park
Avenue South and 1020 Madison Avenue. Brooklyn - 26 Court Street; 84
Broadway and 6321 New Utrecht Avenue. Westchester - 1C Quaker Ridge
Road, New Rochelle and 360 Hamilton Avenue, White Plains. Long Island
- 1225 Franklin Avenue, Garden City; 279 Sunrise Highway, Rockville
Centre; 68 South Service Road, Melville; 923 Broadway, Woodmere; 40
Cuttermill Road, Great Neck and 100 Jericho Quadrangle, Jericho.
Queens - 36-36 33rd Street, Long Island City and 78-27 37th Avenue,
Jackson Heights. Bronx - 421 Hunts Point Avenue, Bronx.

Since commencing operations in May 2001, the Bank has grown to
$6.37 billion in assets, $4.87 billion in deposits, $426.3 million in
equity capital and $2.96 billion in other assets under management as
of June 30, 2008.

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

Signature Bank
Investor Contact:
Eric R. Howell, 646-822-1402
Chief Financial Officer
ehowell@signatureny.com
or
Media Contact:
Susan J. Lewis, 646-822-1825
slewis@signatureny.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008