Business Owners Should Prepare in Advance for Severe Summer Weather and Other Disasters

Capital One Small Business offers disaster-planning checklist for businesses
MCLEAN, Va.--(Business Wire)--
As hurricane season approaches, Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF)
today released an updated disaster-planning checklist for businesses that is
available on www.capitalonebank.com/disasterplanning. The checklist emphasizes
the following points:

* Develop a continuity plan that addresses post-disaster recovery procedures;
* Consider alternative operational locations;
* Equip backup operations sites with critical equipment, data files and
supplies;
* Safeguard property;
* Gather current contact information for employees, vendors and customers;
* Develop multiple and reliable communication methods to reach employees;
* Communicate details of the plan to employees;
* Let customers and vendors know the business` plan and what to expect from the
business;
* Develop a detailed action plan in the event of a mandatory evacuation; and
* Prepare for emergency cash management to handle cash flow.

"Capital One`s disaster-planning checklist can help businesses plan for various
scenarios resulting from natural or manmade disasters, including an area
evacuation," said Todd Kennedy, Managing Vice President, Capital One Small
Business. "Just like a family should have a disaster-preparedness plan, so
should businesses. Each business should tailor its disaster plan to its specific
types of operations, and the checklist Capital One has created can help in
developing the plan."

In the event of an emergency, chief concerns for many businesses include:
meeting payroll obligations, paying bills, restoring critical technology and
communicating with employees, customers and suppliers.

"Businesses should develop comprehensive plans to address critical issues such
as payroll, restoring technology and communicating with stakeholders, and they
should test their plan before an emergency occurs," said Kennedy. "At Capital
One, for example, we have a comprehensive business continuity plan. Each year,
Capital One rehearses and trains for business continuity challenges that may be
presented by hurricanes, ice storms, tornadoes, fires and other potential
natural disasters or emergency events."

Capital One also offers the following planning recommendations to help
businesses prepare for potential emergencies:

* Transport physical records when a business evacuates. Records should always be
kept where they can be removed quickly and easily to a safe location.
* Identify which aspects of operations can be suspended temporarily and which
must be maintained. List the business tools they will need to perform operations
essential to sustaining business during a disaster and the recovery period that
follows.
* Review communications capabilities for maintaining contact with employees.
E-mail and text messaging should play a large role in employee communications
planning.

For more information on emergency planning and preparedness for your business,
visit www.capitalonebank.com/disasterplanning.

About Capital One

Capital One Financial Corporation (www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding
company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One N.A. and Capital One Bank
(USA), N.A., collectively had $121 billion in deposits and $150 billion in
managed loans outstanding as of March 31, 2009. Headquartered in McLean,
Virginia, Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services
to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. Capital One, N.A. and
Chevy Chase Bank, F.S.B. have approximately 1,000 branch locations primarily in
New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of
Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index.

Capital One offers a range of products to meet small business needs, including
small business credit cards, business money market accounts and payroll
services. As the one of the largest issuers of small business Visa credit cards,
Capital One provides specialized support designed to make it easier for small
business customers to manage their finances so that they can focus on what's
important to them. Capital One small business products are available via direct
mail, capitalone.com, phone (800-926-1000) and fax.

Capital One Financial Corporation
Steve Schooff, 972-295-1676
stephen.schooff@capitalone.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009