Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

Schwab has created a new model of financial services that melds technology and people to provide an integrated "high-tech" and "high-touch" service for investors ranging from the self-directed full-time active investor to investors who prefer to delegate the day-to-day management of their portfolios.

MISSION

Schwab's mission is to provide customers with the most useful and ethical financial services in the world.

ORGANIZATION

Founded in 1974 as one of the country's first discount brokerages, The Charles Schwab Corp. today provides through its subsidiaries a broad array of financial services to individual investors, independent investment managers, retirement plans, and institutions. The company serves more than six million active customer accounts both domestically and internationally, with a network of more than 300 branches, offices, telephone service centers, automated phone services, and the Internet.

Schwab provides multilingual services for customers who speak no English through its Asia Pacific Services Center and its Latin American Center, and has 24,300 employees worldwide and 9,600 registered representatives. Today, the company is headed by founder Charles R. Schwab (who is chairman and co-CEO), and David S. Pottruck (who is president and co-CEO).

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., is a full-service financial services company, offering investment guidance, trading and brokerage services, and a full range of investment and financial products. Schwab is dedicated to helping customers make their own informed financial decisions with confidence.

Schwab offers a range of investment planning services, including registered representatives available via phone day and night, online asset allocation and retirement planning tools, and more intensive programs such as Core and Explore and the Schwab AdvisorSource referral program.

The Mutual Fund MarketPlace makes available more than 3,000 funds from more than 350 fund families, including 32 Schwab funds. Schwab also serves active traders with programs such as Signature Services, which offers commission discounts and up-to-date research.

With a presence on all major listed stock exchanges, including options markets, Schwab's Capital Markets and Trading, a division of Charles Schwab & Co., executes trades, participates in Ipos and secondary offerings, and provides fixed-income investments.

Schwab Retirement Plan Services, Inc., provides retirement planning guidance, products, record-keeping, and administrative services to sponsor companies, employees, and individuals; in 1998, customer assets in retirement plan accounts totaled $20 billion.

Schwab delivers an innovative model of full-service investing designed to empower the individual investor. As the investing landscape has evolved, Schwab has been a catalyst of change, improving access to information, education, and new products and services.

If you have further questions about Charles Schwab Corp., please contact the company at www.schwab.com or 800 435-4000.

Information herein was taken from the Charles Schwab website at www.schwab.com.