Category Archives: Business

Business

FRA backs Pakistan’s look into Forestry’s Climate change benefits

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FRA has welcomed the news that efforts are being made in Pakistan to monitor climate change impacts and scenarios.

Bainbridge Island, WA, May 05, 2012 – Forestry Research Associates (FRA) has welcomed the news that efforts are being made in Pakistan to monitor climate change impacts and scenarios.

The research and analysis consultancy claims that the work being done by the Pakistan Forest Institute (PFI) is a good thing for the country and for the global environment. “The PFI is looking into the different climate change impacts in various regions throughout Pakistan and how this affects forestry resources,” stated FRA’s analysis partner Peter Collins.

The PFI explained to the APP: “It is the first professional attempt to address the emerging issues of climate change and global warming and its overall impact on the environment and weather of the country and region.”

Most importantly, claims the FRA, Pakistan is looking at the ways in which the forestry industry can help to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Mr Collins added, “There are a number of ways forestry can help reduce climate change, by providing habitats and most importantly, by absorbing CO2 emitted by industry.”

FRA claims that developing countries, like Pakistan, can actually benefit financially from simply planting trees and selling carbon credits to industrial countries that emit huge amounts of CO2, like the US.

More and more investors in the West are turning their attention to timber for these reasons, added FRA, which advocates investment in sustainable forestry schemes, such as the ones operated by firms like Greenwood Management in Brazil and Canada.

The research being carried out by the PFI is looking to ascertain the exact forest cover in the country and how this can be utilized or enhanced to try to reduce the effects of climate change in the region.

PFI’s officials added an explanation of the benefits of forestry plantation, “Non Timber Forests Produce (NTFP) is important source of revenue for forests dwellers and plays key role in poverty alleviation.”

Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394
info@forestry-research.com
http://www.forestry-research.com

Business

Forestry Popular with Risk-Averse Investors claims FRA

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Environmental Finance has published an article outlining how fund managers are reporting a rise in interest in forestry investment of all kinds.

Seattle, United States, May 5, 2012 — Environmental Finance has published an article outlining how fund managers are reporting a rise in interest in forestry investment of all kinds. Forestry Research Associates (FRA) says that the future looks bright for forestry, as traditional investments continue to deter pension funds.

Timberland Investment Resources (TIR) was speaking at the Forestry, Sustainability and Biomass conference in London today. The delegate stated, “We have lived through extraordinary times for investors. And the fact is, forestry did what it said it would do on the tin.”

FRA claims that this sums up the attraction of forestry investment for many investors who have been burned by their stocks and shares after huge amounts were lost from markets overnight during the economic crisis. The ongoing uncertainty in the Eurozone region is a further cause for concern for many, who want to diversify their portfolios to protect them from risk.

“Forestry is a risk-averse option.” claims FRA’s analysis partner Peter Collins. He added, “Timber assets offers a stable option as they have continually outperformed equities over a number of years.”

FRA claims that another advantage is the fact that if the timber prices are low when trees reach harvestable size, investors are not forced to chop down their trees. Instead they can simply leave them growing for as long as it takes for timber prices to reach the desired level before selling. “Trees continue to grow, along with the potential ROI,” added Collins.

There are a number of ways to invest in timberland and forestry, explained FRA. One of the most popular among risk-averse investors is to buy up sections of sustainable plantations, which offer a tangible asset in exchange for anything from around EUR10,000 in the case of an investment through Greenwood Management, for example.

Greenwood Management runs teak and eucalyptus plantations in Brazil.

About Forestry Research Associates

Forestry Research Associates is a research and advisory consultancy that focuses on forestry management, sustainability issues and forestry investment around the globe.

Media Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394
info@forestry-research.com
http://www.forestry-research.com

Business

Brazil looks Set to Remain Popular with Investors, claims AAA

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AAA said that Brazil is set to remain the focus of much of the world’s alternative investment attention in the coming years.

Boston, MA, USA, May 5, 2012 — Alternative Asset Analysis, (AAA) said that Brazil is set to remain the focus of much of the world’s alternative investment attention in the coming years.

The views from the Alternative investment advocacy organization reflect those expressed by HSBC Global Asset Management’s Pedro Bastos. He recently spoke at a briefing on the health of the region to investors in Malaysia.

He said that the country remained a “hub” for the creation of businesses. He added, “Among all emerging markets, Brazil has been the best performer for the last ten years, both in equities and fixed income.”

He added that the population of Brazil has become richer and more and more people from outside the country are starting to see it as a good prospect. This is particularly true for alternative investments in sustainable forestry through firms like Greenwood Management, added AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson.

Bastos told delegates: “Companies see Brazil as a major consumer market. We have an increasing middle class, which is about 55 per cent of the population. In the last ten years, personal income growth has been consistent at 4.5 to five per cent.”

Mr Johnson explained that the demand from inside Brazil for steel is exceptionally strong as the country is due to host the Football World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. In the meantime, the country is also going through some major growth and is improving its infrastructure as a result.

Steel is also very much in demand in other growing economies, such as India and China, explained Mr Johnson.

He explained “The steel industry needs charcoal and charcoal comes form timbers. Brazil has passed laws to try to prevent the industry taking charcoal form forests and, as a result, there is major demand for sustainable produced charcoal.”

About Alternative Asset Analysis:
The remit of Alternative Asset Analysis is to analyse and provide news on the global performance of a wide range of alternative asset classes including, but not restricted to, commodities, real estate, forestry, foreign exchange, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.

Media Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com

Business

The Women’s Institute of Negotiation Joins in Strategic Partnership with the USC Marshall School of Business

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Four Premier Hispanic Organizations Join Partnership to Demonstrate their Commitment to Developing Latina Leaders

Los Angeles, CA, May 04, 2012 – The Women’s Institute of Negotiation, led by Founder and CEO Dr. Yasmin Davidds, in partnership with the USC Marshall School of Business and sponsored by Bank of the West, successfully launched THE LATINA NEGOTIATION INITIATIVE. The Initiative launched its program on April 25-27, 2012 and was hosted by USC Marshall’s School of Business at the University of Southern California [USC]. The program trained 25 Latina leaders in the art and skill of negotiating for effective leadership and success. The curriculum of the Latina Negotiation Initiative is designed to address negotiation in the context of leadership – transitioning to a position of leadership and authority requires Latinas to effectively negotiate the conditions for success and the Latina Negotiation Initiative is the only program of its kind to focus on helping to prepare Latina leaders to succeed.

Four Hispanic nonprofit organizations participated in helping launch the LATINA NEGOTIATION INITIATIVE: National Society of Hispanic MBA’s-OC, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, Women of the Association of Professional Latinos in Finance and Accounting-OC and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers-LA.

A study previously conducted by the Women’s Institute of Negotiation found that out of 250 professional Latinas surveyed, 97% said their greatest fear is not knowing “How to Ask” for what they want, 92% feared that when they do negotiate, that they may be asking for too much and, almost 90% feared they might be perceived as “too aggressive”. Dr. Davidds, with an extensive training and coaching background, believes that providing focused training in teaching Latinas to have the confidence to ask without fear of being perceived as “too aggressive,” is critical to the development of successful Latina leaders of the future.

Dr. Davidds states, “Latinas seeking to establish themselves in executive or leadership roles must negotiate their way through a number of obstacles and challenges that their male colleagues often bypass. Today’s Latina leaders must be equipped with more than just a traditional leadership skill set; they must be able to negotiate in complex, multi-party situations where relationships are of the utmost importance and substance cannot be sacrificed. With the support of our sponsors and partnering Hispanic organizations, I believe the Women’s Institute of Negotiation training has begun to make a difference. We hope that the Latina Negotiation Initiative will continue to grow and evolve as Latinas transition upwards into more powerful leadership roles. We are appreciative and proud that the USC Marshall School of Business and Bank of the West committed resources to spearhead this initiative, recognizing the contributions and value that such a program will yield in the community and the workplace.”

Keith Vaughn, Assistant Dean, MBA Admissions, USC Marshall School of Business states, “The USC Marshall School of Business believes it is imperative that we seek to strengthen our relationship with the fastest growing segment of the US population, the Latino community in California. Our partnership with the Women’s Institute of Negotiation is evidence of our desire to help grow and educate women in business education. Along with Forte and the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, the USC Marshall MBA program actively engages Latinas to support their success in both corporate and entrepreneurial endeavors.
For more information on the Women’s Institute of Negotiation and its public and private training, please visit www.womensinstituteofnegotiation.com.

Women’s Institute of Negotiation

The Women’s Institute of Negotiation is the only professional development organization in the United States specializing in public and private negotiation training exclusively for women. The Institute’s curriculum, developed by women empowerment and negotiation expert Dr. Yasmin Davidds, consists of 70% experiential hands-on training in real-world negotiations. The mission of The Women’s Institute of Negotiation is to empower women to ask for what they want and provide them with the tools, strategies and techniques to do so effectively.

Dr. Yasmin Davidds, PSY.D, M.C.C.
Dr. Yasmin Davidds is an international bestselling author, women’s empowerment and negotiation specialist and CEO and founder of the Women’s Institute of Negotiation. As one of the top leading female negotiation experts in the U.S. and Latin America, Dr. Davidds has trained and consulted thousands of corporate leaders in over 200 blue chip companies throughout 22 countries in the art and skill of negotiation. Her clients include companies such as Proctor and Gamble, Mattel Inc., General Electric, Wal-mart, Coca Cola, American Express, Johnson and Johnson, Microsoft and Apple among many others

USC Marshall School of Business
The USC Marshall School of Business is dedicated to the improvement of business practices through a global and entrepreneurial perspective that embraces new areas of specialization and technological advances. U.S. News and World Report ranks the school in the top 10 nationwide for accounting, entrepreneurship, international business, and the M.B.A., M.B.A. PM and EMBA programs. With an emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation, collaborative research and social responsibility, the USC Marshall School of Business is ideally positioned to address the challenges of a rapidly changing business environment.

Contact:
Loreena Garcia
Program Assistant
Women’s Institute of Negotiation
5042 Wilshire Blvd #17102
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(866) 857-9879
lgarcia@womensinstituteofnegotiation.com
http://www.womennegotiationinstitute.com

Business

AAA support Health care Benefits of Impact investing

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A new form of impact investing could lead to a rise in life expectancy by helping to deal with the causes of health problems, according to analysts and AAA.

Boston, MA, May 05, 2012 – A new form of impact investing could lead to a rise in life expectancy by helping to deal with the causes of health problems, according to analysts and Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

A new white paper from researchers at UC Berkeley argues that Health impact Bonds and similar impact investing routes can help save lives in developing countries and at home. The paper, that was also put together with help from Collective Health, suggested that these bonds help to address the underlying social problems that cause people to make unhealthy choices that can affect their long-term health.

The researchers’ white paper follows claims that the majority of increase life expectancy in the US has come as a result of lifestyle, social health care, cleanliness and hygiene, rather than from better care once ill.

It is, then, advantageous to try to deal with the root cause of ill health rather than simply ploughing money into more and more care once people have already become ill.

AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson, explained that impact investing can help in some very straightforward ways. “Money invested into socially and environmentally responsible projects can go towards anything from building clean water wells in Africa to providing education on healthy eating seminars in inner-city America.

“Either way, it’s a lot more ethical than investing in stocks and shares,” added Johnson.

Health Impact bonds can help projects such as the efforts to cut asthma in Fresno, California, through a simple education process, helping people remove mold from their homes and get new air filters and soft furnishings.

AAA claims that impact investing has brought benefits to many areas of the world and that investing in sustainable forestry projects can help communities in developing countries to safeguard their forestry industry for generations to come. “Investing in projects such as the Health Impact Bonds and Greenwood Management’s plantation schemes in Brazil can ensure investments make a real difference,” added Johnson.

Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com

Business, Consumer Services, Internet & Online, Shopping, Small Business, Transportation & Logistics

Parcel2Go calls on consumers to support British businesses

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One of the leading online parcel delivery firms, Parcel2Go, has called on consumers to help get the country’s economy back on track by supporting British businesses.

The Office for National Statistics announced last week that the UK economy had gone back into recession, leading to calls for people to be more patriotic when they are making purchases. Parcel2Go has added its voice to the campaign and encouraged shoppers to do what they can to help support British firms.

Richard Mercer, marketing director at Bolton-based Parcel2Go, said: “It’s more important than ever that we buy products made in Britain and support British businesses. The internet has made it simple to purchase products from all over the UK, and if companies use the services of reliable courier firms then items can be with consumers extremely quickly.

“As has been said by other retail industry commentators, UK firms also need to make sure that they are promoting themselves and their products properly and ensuring potential customers know if their goods are made in Britain.”

With the London 2012 Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations both falling within a short space of time, businesses have been advised to do everything possible to make the most of the patriotic mood sweeping across the UK.

Parcel2Go works with a huge variety of British businesses to organise delivery of their products to addresses all over the UK on a daily basis. The company helps individuals and British businesses to deliver more than two million domestic and international parcel consignments every year with the assistance of industry-leading couriers including Parcelforce and City Link.

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Business

Sharon Lechter to serve as Keynote Speaker for Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants (ASCPA) Annual Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore

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Internationally acclaimed co-author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, member of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy and a current national spokesperson for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)

Scottsdale, AZ, May 04, 2012 – Internationally acclaimed co-author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, member of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy and a current national spokesperson for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Sharon Lechter, will serve as keynote speaker at the ASCPA Annual Meeting presented at the Arizona Biltmore on May 22, 2012.

Registration for the event begins at 11:00 a.m. The program runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fees are $65 for members, $75 for non-members. To register for the event or for more information, visit www.ascpa.com.

During the meeting, Lechter will speak to the audience about financial literacy. The meeting will also include an awards presentation honoring the newest Life Member, Randy Roberts, CPA, state of Arizona Auditor General’s Office; Excellence in Teaching Award recipient, Harriet Maccracken, ASU; and the Elijah Watt Sells Award recipient, Trevor Goss, Ernst & Young. Special thanks to event Gold Sponsor, ADP and Silver Sponsors CAMICO, Robert Half and SCF Arizona.

Cindie Hubiak, CPA and President & CEO of the Arizona Society of CPAs noted, “Financial literacy benefits everyone. As CPAs, we know the importance of CPAs educating others about budgeting and saving money. CPAs recognize their role and volunteer their expertise in the community. Sharon’s leadership is key. We appreciate her membership in the ASCPA and value her role as a national financial literacy leader.”

“I am thrilled to participate. There is no greater honor than that bestowed by your peers. The Arizona Society of CPAs is a fabulous organization that provides leadership and cutting edge training to its membership,” said Lechter.

The ASCPA is the leading professional association for CPAs in Arizona. Membership includes more than 6,000 CPAs and business professionals, including CPAs in business and industry, public practice, government, nonprofit and education. The mission of the Society is to enhance the success of members and lead the profession.

For information, contact:
Traci Baker Thompson
Senior Manager of Member Activities
Arizona Society of CPAs
4801 E. Washington St., Suite 225-B
Phoenix, AZ 85034
602-324-4745
http://www.ascpa.com

Best selling author, entrepreneur, international speaker, CPA, and philanthropist, Sharon Lechter passionately promotes financial education and literacy for families. A national spokesperson for the AICPA, she proudly served as a member of the first President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy. Founder of Pay Your Family First and YOUTHpreneur, Lechter continues to innovate tools and resources to teach financial empowerment. Lechter has received the coveted Mom’s Choice Awards® for her board game, ThriveTime for Teens, and for the Youthpreneur BIZkit. Most recently, she released Three Feet from Gold and Outwitting the Devil in cooperation with the Napoleon Hill Foundation. Co-author of the international best selling book, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Lechter continues to travel the globe inspiring others to achieve prosperity.

Contact:
Scott Kelly
Black Dog Promotions
9920 S. Rural Rd., Ste 108
Tempe, AZ 85284
480-206-3435
scott@blackdogpromotions.com
http://www.blackdogpromotions.com

Business

Hear the Scream of the Street on 2-year Anniversary of the Flash Crash at High Frequency Trading Happy Hour

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Initially Reported by Los Angeles Times, High-Frequency Trading Happy Hour, Evenings of Networking and Cocktails around the Globe.

(May 4, 2012, New York) — More than two years ago, Los Angeles Times uncovered the lid on High Frequency Trading Happy Hour business receptions organized by Golden Networking. They said in their note at http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/16/business/la-fi-new-exchanges-20100516: “Traders toast their successes at bimonthly happy hours in New York bars. They’ll converge next month at Johnny Utah’s, a cavernous watering hole near Rockefeller Center that features a 300-pound mechanical bull.” Not quite right though, as these receptions have now become monthly, attracting a hundred professionals every month in New York.

Golden Networking’s High Frequency Trading Happy Hour on May 8 will be a terrific opportunity to reflect on the industry prospects exactly two years after the Flash Crash. While critics pointed to the steep decline of the Dow Jones as a negative consequence of evolving speed trading, it was clearly established just a few months later by the SEC and CFTC that high-frequency trading didn’t cause this accident; even more so, the sequence of events proved the importance of the liquidity speed traders have been providing to retail and institutional investors.

High Frequency Trading Happy Hour will bring together a who’s who of the speed trading world for a productive evening of networking and cocktails. Traders, quants, managers, investors, allocators, service providers and consultants get together in five cities every month. Service providers have found these receptions tremendously valuable to participate at, as they get to enjoy terrific benefits:

– Unequaled opportunities to reach key decision makers in the high-frequency trading community
– Direct global exposure to hundreds of high-quality attendees
– Enhanced credibility and business opportunity with managers, quants, advisors, consultants, service providers and individual and institutional investors
– Expanded marketing reach by tapping into Golden Networking’s global database of 100,000 finance professionals
– Direct exposure on Golden Networking’s website and the driving of additional, qualified traffic to your website

Practitioners represented in past editions of High-Frequency Trading Happy Hour include companies such as Alaris Trading Partners, Andrews Securities, Atlantic Advisory Group, Avatar, Capital Advisors, Citadel, Citi, CNBC, Comscient, Credit Suisse, DE Shaw, Deutsche Bank, Duane Morris, Eagle View Asset Management, Falcon Technology Systems, Garrett Asset Management, GETCO, Goldman Sachs, Greyfields, Infinium Capital, Lightspeed, Lime Brokerage, Mahogany Partners, MNG Capital , Monolith Capital Trading Partners, Morgan Stanley, MSF Capital Advisors, Nirvana Capital, Nobilis Capital, OneMarketData, OneTick, SBS Securities, Selerity, Silver Leaf Partners, Traderworx, Twin Capital Management, UBS, among others.

More information about sponsorship opportunities can be requested writing to info@goldennetworking.net. High-Frequency Trading Happy Hour is produced by Golden Networking, the premier networking community for business executives, entrepreneurs and investors. Golden Networking has been frequently featured in the press, including recent articles in The Wall Street Journal, “Happy Hour for High-Frequency Trading”, The New York Times, “Golden Networking Helps Job Seekers Make Overseas Connections”, Los Angeles Times, “Speed-addicted traders dominate today’s stock market”, Reuters, “Revamp looms as trading experts huddle at SEC” and Columbia Business School’s Hermes Alumni Magazine, “10 Under 10”.

Contact:
Julia Petrova
Media Relations Manager
Golden Networking
516-761-4712
jpetrova@goldennetworking.net
http://www.goldennetworking.net

Business

CertaPro Painters Receives Houzz’s 2012 ‘Best Of Remodeling’ Award

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First-Ever Survey & Analysis of More than 1.2 Million Members Reveals Top-Rated Professionals and Current Design Trends from Across the Country.

Oaks, PA (USA), Thursday – May 03, 2012 — CertaPro Painters ( http://www.certapro.com ) has been awarded “Best Of Remodeling” 2012 by Houzz, the leading online platform for residential remodeling and design. The nation’s largest franchised residential and commercial painting company was chosen by the more than 1.2 million registered members of the Houzz community.

“We’re thrilled that our work has been recognized in the ‘Customer Satisfaction’ category,” said Kathi Mello, creative art director for CertaPro Painters ( http://www.certapro.com ). “As we continue to build our brand and work to increase awareness across every platform, it means a lot that we’re acknowledged by a prominent name in the residential remodeling and design industry.”

The Houzz Best Of Remodeling” award for 2012 is given in two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design. Customer Satisfaction award winners are based on homeowner members who rated their experience working with remodeling professionals in 12 categories ranging from architects, and interior designers to contractors and other residential remodeling professionals. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the 1.2 million members, also known as “Houzzers,” who saved more than 16.5 million professional images to their personal ideabooks via the Houzz site and iPad/iPhone app.

“With 3.5 million monthly unique users and 80 million monthly page views, Houzz has rapidly become the largest community of active remodelers, providing homeowners and design enthusiasts with first-hand advice from Houzzers who have been through the renovating and decorating process,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of marketing for Houzz. “This is a real stamp of approval for CertaPro Painters from the Houzz community and we’re thrilled to welcome them to this elite group of ‘Best Of’ winners.”

With Houzz, homeowners can identify not only the top-rated professionals like CertaPro Painters but also those whose work visually aligns with their own design goals. Homeowners can also evaluate professionals by contacting them directly on the Houzz platform, asking questions about their work and evaluating their responses to questions from others in the Houzz community.

About CertaPro:
Founded in 1991, Oaks, Pennsylvania-based CertaPro Painters is the largest painting company in North America and provides a customer-driven painting experience that is unparalleled in the industry (both commercial and residential). The company expects to add 50 new franchises in 2012, working toward its goal of having more than 400 locations by mid 2013. CertaPro franchisees establish large-scale, regional painting companies backed by CertaPro’s proven business system that has made them North America’s most referred painting company. CertaPro currently has more than 350 locations worldwide including the United States and Canada. For more information, visit http://www.certapro.com. @CertaPro

About Houzz:
Houzz ( http://www.houzz.com ) is the leading online platform for home remodeling, providing inspiration, information, advice and support for homeowners and home improvement professionals through its website and mobile applications. Houzz features the largest residential design database in the world, articles written by design experts, product recommendations, a vibrant community powered by social tools, and information on more than 1.2 million remodeling and design professionals worldwide who can help turn ideas into reality. @houzz_inc

CERTAPRO PAINTERS
150 Green Tree Road, Unit 1003
Oaks, PA 19456
Contact: Kathi Mello
Phone: 484-293-1027
Email: kmello@certapro.com
Website: http://www.certapro.com

Press & Media Contact:
Nicole Benzer
Sanderson & Associates, Ltd
150 Green Tree Road, Unit 1003
Oaks, PA 19456 – USA
312-829-4350
nicole@sandersonpr.com

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Business

Kasasa Changes The Face of Local Banking in Fairmont

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Profinium Financial Introduces Kasasa, a Striking Alternative to the Megabank Rollercoaster

Fairmont, MN, May 03, 2012 – Profinium Financial asks consumers, “Do you Kasasa?” as it becomes the next financial institution in Minnesota to launch the country’s most innovative financial products.

Kasasa® is a new brand of free checking and savings accounts that pays consumers to use their account with what interests them most—high interest or automatic savings. These accounts, combined with the personal service that only community financial institutions can deliver, are offering residents a better checking account option than the megabank experience.

“Consumers deserve to wake up to happier days of banking and leave behind the nightmare of megabank fees and mistreatment. We are pleased to be the first in Truman to offer these unique products,” said Marques Doppler, CEO at Profinium Financial “Kasasa delivers what research shows people really want but believe they can’t have—great financial products with the personal service of a community based financial institution.”

Profinium Financial is offering two Kasasa financial products, Kasasa Cash? and Kasasa Saver?. All Kasasa products are free, reward-based accounts, with no minimum balance to earn the rewards, no monthly service fee, free online banking and nationwide ATM fee refunds.

Kasasa Cash – A free checking account that rewards consumers with high interest for every month they qualify.

Kasasa Saver – A free, high interest saver account linked to a Kasasa Cash checking account. The interest and ATM fee refunds earned in the Kasasa Cash are automatically deposited into the Kasasa Saver account when the account holder qualifies. The balance in the Kasasa Saver account also earns a high rate of interest.

To receive the Kasasa account benefits, each monthly qualification cycle account holders are asked to do a few simple things like, receive an eStatement, use a debit card a minimum number of times, and have an electronic transaction (such as direct deposit) post to and clear their account. If an account holder does not meet the qualifications in a given month, Profinium Financial will alert the individual, who will be eligible the following month for the benefits.

“Extensive research has shown us that consumers would prefer to do business with community financial institutions, but feel they would lose access to products,” continued Doppler “Kasasa is opening people’s eyes to a new banking model where no sacrifices are necessary. It’s a win-win because account holders get innovative products and personalized service.”

In 2009, Kasasa was piloted in six other markets across the U.S. In just the first two months of offering Kasasa, participating community financial institutions reported growth rates upwards of 150% on new account openings and 372% in deposits at institutions focused on deposit growth.

Kasasa is being introduced with an aggressive, highly engaging marketing campaign. It comes to life through a fresh mix of eye-popping advertising, the likes of which exceed the typical megabank’s high-budget programs. The ads feature America’s top slam poets www.kasasa.com/news-and-media/advertising riffing lyrical threads around the theme of “Do you Kasasa?”

Kasasa is distributed to Profinium Financial from BancVue, the leading provider of innovative products, dynamic marketing, and data-driven consulting solutions to community financial institutions nationwide to help them win the war against the megabanks.

For more information on Kasasa accounts, consumers can visit www.profinium.com or www.kasasa.com/profiniumfinancial.

Do you Kasasa?
Kasasa® is the first national brand of the most innovative checking accounts available today. The accounts, offered exclusively by the finest community financial institutions, are designed to be the first and only accounts that actually take an interest in their account holders by rewarding them to use their account with what interests them most—high interest, cash back, automatic savings, money to donate to charity or iTunes® or Amazon.com downloads. Kasasa, developed and distributed by BancVue, marries innovative banking products with the personal touch of community financial institutions. For more information, visit www.kasasa.com.

Contact:
Katie Weathers
CSG PR
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
(404) 791-8245
kweathers@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com