Union Bank of California Expands Services to Affluent Consumers and Small Business Owners

  
    
  
  
    
      In its most significant expansion of services to affluent consumers and 
      small business owners to date, Union Bank of California, N.A. is opening 
      35 new Priority Banking offices in 2008. Located within existing Union 
      Bank branches, the offices are staffed by a team of personal bankers who 
      provide one-on-one consulting and a suite of specialized financial 
      services.
    
    
      The bank already has more than 30 Priority Banking units operating 
      throughout its 330 branch network. The majority of the new offices will 
      be strategically located in or around major metropolitan areas, with 10 
      in the San Francisco Bay area, seven in the San Diego region and 13 in 
      the Los Angeles area. With the addition of the new locations, Union Bank 
      will have a total of 71 offices focusing on the specific needs of 
      affluent customers and small business owners.
    
    
      According to Senior Vice President Kirk Van Atta, who directs Union Bank’s 
      Priority Banking program, the units adapt to the preferences of a small 
      but increasingly influential segment of the population. Of the 
      approximately 114 million households in the country, the affluent market 
      represents almost 20 percent with more than $11.7 trillion in investable 
      assets.
    
    
      “Today’s affluent 
      consumers and small business owners are extremely busy, sophisticated 
      and mobile,” said Van Atta. “They 
      demand a higher level of attention, expertise and convenience, and we 
      are in a position to help them achieve the next level of financial 
      success.”
    
    
      Priority Banking caters to individuals and small business owners with 
      more than $100,000 in combined account balances, providing a personal 
      banker, financial planning and portfolio management, investments and 
      insurance. Of particular note, said Van Atta, Priority Bankers help 
      small business owners integrate their personal and business finances 
      into a comprehensive plan to maximize returns, as well as assist them 
      with such issues as succession planning.
    
    
      Based in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation (NYSE:UB) is a bank 
      holding company with assets of $55.7 billion at December 31, 2007. Its 
      primary subsidiary, Union Bank of California, N.A., had 330 banking 
      offices in California, Oregon and Washington, and 2 international 
      offices at December 31, 2007. The company's Web site is located at www.unionbank.com.