Alan S. Blinder to Speak on Financial Modernization Act At U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Financial Services Conference.

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov.4, 1999--

Alan S. Blinder, a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, will address the Financial Modernization Act and its affect on the financial services industry at the U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Financial Services Conference, Tuesday, November 9, at the Waldorf =Astoria Hotel in New York. Blinder is the keynote luncheon speaker.

Blinder is on leave from Princeton University, where he is the Gordon S. Rentschler Memorial Professor of Economics and co-director of the Center for Economic Policy Studies. From 1994 to 1996, Blinder was vice chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. In his position, he represented the Federal Reserve System at various international meetings, and was a member of the Board of Governors' committees on Bank Supervision and Regulation, Consumer and Community Affairs and Derivative Instruments.

His talk is part of the 11th annual U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Financial Services for institutional investors held Tuesday, November 9 and Wednesday, November 10 at the Waldorf = Astoria Hotel. The conference features presentations by more than 40 financial institutions in four sectors: banks and thrifts; commercial finance and leasing; specialty finance; and financial business services.

"In its 11-year history, the U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Financial Services Conference has become one of the country's leading conferences for growth companies in the financial industry," said Thomas Schreier, U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray director of Research. "It's a tremendous opportunity to hear from some of the most exciting companies in the industry."

Management teams will make 25-minute presentations addressing issues that are important to the institutional investor community. Investors are invited to attend a breakout session after each company presentation.

Event participation and attendance is by invitation. Clients may register on the company's client Web site: clientaccess.pjc.com. For information on the Financial Services conference, please contact our conference hotline [phone] x8885. Members of the media who would like to attend may contact either Elizabeth Child, U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, 612 342-6594 or Mike MacMillan, MacMillan Communications, 212 473-4442.

U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp, provides a full range of investment products and services to businesses, institutions and individuals. The company's investment banking business has grown exponentially in the last several years by focusing on the needs of growth companies in the health care, technology, financial institutions, consumer and industrial growth sectors. U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray has a national reputation for its expertise in fundamental research and equity and debt financing. U.S. Bancorp offers a comprehensive range of financial solutions through U.S. Bank, First American Asset Management, U.S. Bancorp Libra Investments and U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray. For more information, visit our Web site at www.piperjaffray.com.

Nondeposit investment products are not insured by the FDIC, are not deposits or other obligations of or guaranteed by U.S. Bank National Association or its affiliates, and involve investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested. Securities products and services are offered through U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Inc., member SIPC and NYSE, Inc., a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp.