Investment Professionals, Inc. Rated Overall Best Bank Broker-Dealer for Unprecedented...

Investment Professionals, Inc. Rated Overall Best Bank Broker-Dealer for
Unprecedented Fourth Time

SAN ANTONIO, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Investment Professionals, Inc. (IPI), a
major marketer of on-site bank investment programs, is the only bank
broker/dealer to have earned for the fourth time the overall No. 1 ranking of
Most Highly Rated Bank Brokerage Firm in a survey by American Brokerage
Consultants. Bank broker-dealers were rated in 22 categories including
compliance, banking knowledge, sales management, technology and marketing. In
addition to 2008, IPI also achieved the top overall ranking in 2007, 2006 and
2001.(i)

IPI's superiority in marketing, financial consultant recruiting and training
and compliance have propelled the firm to grow 30% a year on average. In 2007
in nearly 10% of IPI's on-site bank investment programs, financial consultants
generated an average of $465,000 in production at banks that range in asset
size from $76 million to $376 million - delivering increases in non-interest
income of up to 7% to 12%. IPI's extreme focus on internal and external
benchmarking and performance monitoring is how the firm guided financial
consultants to increase gross production by up to 194% from 2004 to 2007,
which was 58% higher than the industry average.(ii)

IPI's ability to boost bank fee income is linked to its unique focus on and
affinity with community banks and their customers. According to John Evans,
IPI Director of Marketing, "IPI is small enough and close enough to its bank
partners to enable us to address each bank's individual marketing needs.
Plus, we take the time and effort to go on-site on a regular basis." IPI
Executive Vice President and National Sales Manager, Jay McAnelly, further
explains that, "Compared to other bank broker-dealers, we have more Regional
Sales Directors and home office personnel who visit banks and spend time in
the programs."

Scott A. Barnes, IPI President and Founder, urges banks to look very closely
at program pricing. IPI has a more straightforward policy of allocating
program production to banks net of most expenses. "Our pricing is transparent
- we don't quote a high gross payout before expenses and then deduct charges,
clearing and other fees like some of our competitors. With IPI, you know up
front what percentage you'll earn."

Georgia Gertz, IPI Senior Vice President and Director of Business Development,
credits IPI's independence and entrepreneurial culture as key drivers of bank
investment program success. In this, IPI stands apart from most competitors
that are owned by large insurance companies, private equity firms and
mega-banks. Being independent means IPI can quickly implement tactics to
address an individual bank's short- and long-term business objectives.

In the survey, bank executives noted IPI's stellar 17-year compliance record
and proactive efforts to minimize risk. Regulatory compliance is a major
focus of the firm's mystery shopper quality control program. In sharp
contrast, many of IPI's competitors have poor track records in compliance.
The compliance records of IPI and its competitors are available at
www.finra.org/Investors/ToolsCalculators/BrokerCheck/index.htm. In addition,
IPI typically assumes all liability with respect to FINRA's Office of
Supervisory Jurisdiction requirements. The firm is also open to negotiating
liability-sharing with its bank partners.

IPI's goal is to help banks capture their share of the estimated $20+ trillion
that will transfer to baby boomer heirs over the next 20 years by offering
ways to meet more customer needs.

Visit www.invpro.com for more information.

Media contact: Georgia Gertz
(800) 679-3057

(i) 1997 through 2008 national "Studies of Bank Brokerage and Retail
Investment Services" conducted by American Brokerage Consultants (ABC), St.
Petersburg, FL. In the most recent 2008 national study, a total of 2,024 banks
offering retail investment programs were surveyed. A total of 14.6% of the
banks who were surveyed responded to the 2008 survey.

(ii) IPI analysis of 2004 IPI financial consultant hires comparing change in
production through 2007. 2007 national American Brokerage Consultants (ABC)
"Studies of Bank Brokerage & Retail Investment Services," page 96 - comparison
of national broker/dealer Gross Commissions Per Sales Rep. 2007 IPI Platinum
Club production rates added for comparative purposes.

SOURCE Investment Professionals, Inc.

Georgia Gertz of Investment Professionals, Inc., 1-800-679-3057