National Ethics Bureau Raises Membership Standards to Deliver Added Value to Its Members.

SAN DIEGO -- The National Ethics Bureau has announced two new membership standards designed to strengthen the NEB brand and further increase consumer confidence in its growing number of member advisors.

Effective June 1, 2007, NEB applicants -- financial professionals in insurance and securities -- who have been declared bankrupt within four years of their application date will not be considered for membership. Also effective June 1, NEB will disclose to consumers a member's history of settlements and administrative-type violations.

The standards apply to all new memberships effective June 1, 2007. They will also affect existing members whose renewal date occurs after June 1.

"These changes are designed to further raise the bar in terms of member quality," says NEB Chairman Steven R. McCarty. "Consumers today want a financial professional with a clean background and a proven history of appropriate business practices. These new standards will give consumers even greater confidence that NEB approved advisors do business with integrity."

Under the new bankruptcy standard, renewing members who can't qualify because of a bankruptcy within the prior four years will be encouraged to re-apply after meeting the four-year look-back.

According to the new settlement/administrative violation standard, NEB will disclose:

* A member's consumer settlement(s), if any (without naming the consumer).

* A member's administrative-type violations.

* The date of any consumer settlements or administrative violations.

* The NASD's official position on settlements: that they do not indicate guilt or wrongdoing on the part of the advisor.

The new settlement and administrative violation disclosures will apply to all new applicants effective June 1 and to existing NEB members as they re-apply for membership, with the transition completed by June 1, 2008.

Affecting less than four percent of its member base, the new standards will strengthen the NEB brand and help consumers select NEB members with confidence. Ultimately, the goal is to help advisors expand the scope of their businesses by building strong consumer relationships.

Members with questions about these changes should contact NEB Member Services at 800-282-1831.

About National Ethics Bureau:

The National Ethics Bureau[TM] (NEB) is a membership organization of financial professionals who have successfully passed a comprehensive seven-year background check and have agreed to maintain NEB membership standards. All members are admitted into NEB's national registry, which consumers can access free of charge to verify a member's background.

NEB also advocates for business ethics and consumer protection through its trade-magazine columns, conference presentations, consumer guides, monthly Ethics Edge newsletter, and web site (www.ethicscheck.com).

NEB is not a financial marketing organization. It does not sell or endorse any financial products. Nor does it receive commissions, referral payments, or other financial considerations from its members or other entities who sell such products.