SEB's German bank, BfG, now has 150,000 e-bank customers

SEB's German bank, BfG, now has 150,000 e-bank customers The number of e-bank customers in BfG passed the 150,000 mark in January. This represents an increase of 85,000, or 131 per cent, in a year. The number of e-bank customers a year ago was 65,000. BfG has been a subsidiary of SEB for a year. Like SEB, BfG, which is the fifth largest privately owned bank in Germany, focuses on e-banking, but also has 177 offices throughout Germany that assist BfG's approximately one million customers with advisory services pertaining to savings and investments, among other services. To help BfG customers begin e-banking, they receive a free "start-up package," and Internet advisors are available at all bank offices to answer questions about e-banking. BfG expects e-banking transactions to increase through its online broker SEBdirect and through cooperation with two financial portals: wallstreet:online and the Gerling insurance group. Customers can already trade securities via wallstreet:online. Orders, account transfers and portfolio management are handled by SEBdirect. BfG's name is being changed to SEB in the beginning of the second quarter 2001. SEB, which has become one of Europe's leading Internet bankers in recent years, now has more than 800,000 e-customers in Europe. SEB is a financial group focused on e-banking, savings and growth companies. SEB is one of the largest financial groups in Scandinavia, with SEK 942 billion in funds under management and total assets of SEK 1 108 billion (30 September 2000). The Group has approximately 20,000 employees and is represented in some 20 countries around the world. SEB has today approximately 630 retail and private banking branches, mainly in Sweden, Germany and the Baltic region and 830,000 e-banking customers in six countries. SEB started recently an online brokerage service, SEBdirect, in Germany and will start e-banking in England and in Norway this year. Read more about SEB: www.seb.net For further information, please contact: Boo Ehlin, Press Manager, +46 8 763 85 77, + 46 70 763 85 77 Lotta Treschow, Head of Investor Relations, 46 8 763 95 59 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/02/02/20010202BIT00920/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/02/02/20010202BIT00920/bit0002.pdf