Blue Vase Launches New Offices and a New Name

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Blue Vase Financial Network, an independently owned financial services firm that operates as a "regional team" within Financial Network Investment Corporation, a broker-dealer of ING, has announced that it has changed its name to BenchMark Financial Network.

Blue Vase, now BenchMark, has been in the process of launching a number of new office locations to support its growing network of over 150 financial advisors and institutions, including one in Downtown Pittsburgh at One Oxford Centre.

Among the associates housed at the new Pittsburgh office is the Managing Director Dale Dominick, CFA. "It's great to be able to serve clients from one of the premier business addresses in the city," said Dominick. Preparations are underway for several other locations in the region, including offices in Altoona, the Mon Valley, Erie, and Lancaster, Penn., as well as in Frederick, Md.

The firm's newest managing partner, James Grimes, AAMS, who is overseeing the development of these offices, said "Our new office locations and our new name are a reflection of our commitment to setting high standards within the investment and insurance industry, and the tremendous growth we have been experiencing recently."

Grimes reports that the firm's revenue is up over 30% year-over-year, and attributes the recent success in part to its strategic transformation in 2005 when it joined Financial Network Investment Corporation as an independently owned and operated "regional team." As a result, they "outsourced" infrastructure duties (such as, technology and training), and focus on helping financial advisors and institutions grow and serve their clients.

Mike McCormick, the firm's president and CEO, who co-founded the company in 1998, observed, "As we had hoped, partnering with Financial Network has helped us create the best of both worlds for our advisors and clients -- maintaining independence and identity, while gaining the support and resources of a financial services leader. Our value has been enhanced significantly with Financial Network's ING SmartWork's top-notch technology and advisory services platform."

Press inquiries:

James D. Grimes BenchMark Financial Network, at 800.830.0445 or grimesj@financialnetwork.com

Philip Margolis, ING U.S. Financial Services, 860-723-4783, or phil.margolis@us.ing.com

About Financial Network:

Financial Network Investment Corporation, member SIPC, has an exclusive model that creates a dynamic environment of teamwork through the local service of its regional offices, the national support of its home office and its position as an ING company. With this unique structure, Financial Network is able to build and support extraordinary regional teams, making it easier for its nearly 3,000 financial professionals in the U.S. and Puerto Rico to succeed. In addition to its representative offices, Financial Network provides third-party marketing services to banks and credit unions through its Financial Institutions Division. For more information, visit www.financialnetwork.com. Benchmark Financial Network and Financial Network Investment Corporation are not legal affiliates.

About ING:

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to over 60 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of over 120,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.

In the U.S. , the ING family of companies offer a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients which include life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning, and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves over 20 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit http://www.ing.com/.