Market Rates Insight's Webinar Reveals How Banks and Credit Unions Can Unlock Non-Interest Revenue from Lifestyle Financial Services

Online Event Profiles Results of First Ever Consumer Service Fee Study Shows Where Consumers See Value and What They Will Pay for Lifestyle Financial Services.

SAN ANSELMO, Calif. (June 13, 2012) -- This week, Market Rates Insight will host two webinars that will reveal the results of the first Nationwide Integrated Study on Service Fees designed to gauge consumer acceptance of fee-based services from banks and credit unions. The survey reveals that a new category of “lifestyle financial services” is emerging that presents new revenue potential for financial institutions from non-interest income. The webinars will be presented Wednesday, June13, at 11:00 AM ET and Thursday, June 14, at 3:00 PM ET.

Market Rates Insight conducted the Nationwide Integrated Study on Service Fees in April, polling more than 1,500 consumers nationwide about their attitudes about various services offered by financial institutions. What the survey revealed was that consumers have a higher perceived value for services that provide convenience and enhance their lives, such as credit score monitoring, identity theft alerts, mobile banking services, personalized couponing services, and person-to-person payments. The Study also shows that these “lifestyle financial services” offer a higher perceived value and promote greater customer loyalty.

Among other findings, the Study shows that consumers are willing to pay on average $3.63 for lifestyle financial services, and credit union members indicated a higher likelihood to use such services (68.7%) than bank customers (66.3%). Foremost among the services that consumers indicated they would seek from financial institution is Identity Theft Alerts. More than 82 percent of those surveyed indicated they would be likely to buy Identity Theft Alert services from their bank or credit union at an average monthly fee of $4.07. Ranking second was Credit Score Reporting, with more than 73 percent indicating they were likely to buy this service at an average fee of $3.39 per month.

Our new Study on Service Fees makes clear that there is a huge opportunity for financial institutions to realize new revenue from this new category of financial services that consumers say they want,” said Dr. Dan Geller, Executive Vice President of Market Rates Insight and the architect of the study. “Banks and credit unions continue to feel the pressure from low interest rates. This study not only points to a new revenue source, but also to a new way to build customer loyalty by offering services that will determine who consumers will trust with their money.

For more information and to register for these free webinars, visit http://www.marketratesinsight.com or send email to webinar@marketratesinsight.com.

About Market Rates Insight
For more than two decades, Market Rates Insight (MRI) has been helping clients price with precision by providing banks, thrifts, credit unions, and other financial institutions with comprehensive market intelligence on deposits, loans, and fees. MRI uses deposit surveys, mortgage and consumer loan surveys, fees and features studies, new product alerts, benchmarking and market share analysis to give subscribers the intelligence needed to strategically position products, optimize pricing and react to emerging trends. MRI’s products include web-enabled, customizable report programming, proprietary product research tools, searchable databases, market alerts, and online dashboards that aggregate key client data to provide real-time interactive views on how they rank against their specific competitors.

Market Rates Insight is located in San Anselmo, California. For more information, see http://www.marketratesinsight.com.

Photos available upon request

For additional information contact:
Tom Woolf
Market Rates Insight
(415) 259-5638

TripInsurance.com Partners with Travel by Design to Create the Vacation of a Lifetime for Facebook Sweepstakes Winner

Leading Travel Insurance Provider Allies with Leading Custom Travel Planner to Offer Dream Vacation for "Conquer the World" Sweepstakes Grand Prize Winner.

LOS GATOS, Calif. (June 13, 2012) -- TripInsurance.com, the most trusted online resource to help travelers find the trip coverage they need, is partnering with Travel by Design, a leading provider of custom travel services that cater to travelers who have a desire for epicurean, sports, adventure, and cultural experiences, to create a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience for the winner of TripInsurance.com’s “Conquer the World” sweepstakes.

The #ConquertheWorld sweepstakes runs through June 25, 2012, and the winner receives a cash prize of $5,000 to use toward a vacation trip or anything they like. As part of the prize, the winner can choose to have Travel by Design create a custom travel experience worth up to the value of the grand prize. Travel by Design specializes in creating unforgettable custom travel experiences such as unique culinary, special destination, sports packages, adventure packages, and special-interest experiences. For example, Travel By Design has created unique travel experiences for previous clients, including an eight-day Food & Wine Tour of the Amalfi Coast with Chef Shaun Doty; a four-day art excursion to New York City with the Sperlman College of Fine Arts; a 15-day Journey for Food Lovers to India with Chef Suvir Saran; and a nine-day culinary tour of Mexico with Chef Ivy Stark.

When we created the #ConquertheWorld sweepstakes, our idea was to make it possible to give someone the kind of trip they would never dream of taking as a routine vacation,” said Dan Skilken, CEO and founder of TripInsurance.com. “We want to inspire people to travel, and partnering with Trip by Design allows us to offer some awesome travel experiences that you will never find anywhere else.”

We are delighted to be asked to work with TripInsurance.com to support their #ConquertheWorld sweepstakes,” said Tammy Zacks, founder of Travel by Design. “Travel should be a unique experience for everyone, which is why we create one-of-a-kind travel experiences. And just as travel needs to be a unique experience, we know that individual travel insurance needs are unique as well, which makes this sweepstakes alliance a great partnership.”

TripInsurance.com’s #ConquertheWorld sweepstakes runs through June 25, 2012, and there is no fee or obligation to enter. Contestants simply visit the sweepstakes link on the TripInsurance.com home page, or visit TripInsurance.com on Facebook and click on the sweepstakes tab and accepting the Sweepstakes Application. The winner will be drawn at random and will receive a grand prize of $5,000 in cash to use on a dream trip to anywhere they choose. The winner will pay a minor booking fee of $500 for Travel by Design to develop their ideal vacation to fit their budget and time schedule. TripInsurance.com will also give away the ultimate travel duffle, a travel bag made of water-resistant heavy-duty “ballistic” nylon worth $50 each, to 50 winners as second prizes. To be eligible, participants must be 18 years of age or older and legal residents or citizens of the United States.


About Travel by Design

Based in Atlanta, Travel by Design (TBD) was founded by Tammy Zacks, who applies her more than 15 years of experience designing corporate travel events to create hand-crafted, dream journeys for clients. Tammy understands that experiential travel needs to appeal to individual tastes and desires, and using her extensive contacts in the travel industry, Tammy is able to create authentic travel experiences that connect clients to a destination and its people.

For more information, visit them on the web at http://www.travelbydesigninc.com.

About TripInsurance.com

TripInsurance.com is the online resource for comprehensive and affordable travel insurance. Most travelers really don't understand the details and benefits of travel insurance, and buy based on recommendations from a travel agent or a third party. TripInsurance.com simplifies buying travel insurance by providing comparison-shopping online for the best coverage at the lowest prices. TripInsurance.com is committed to making insurance terms easy to understand, providing the best available coverage categorized by customers’ specific needs, and allowing travelers to buy direct from leading underwriters to achieve savings of 40% or more. The company is fully licensed for Property and Casualty, Life, and Accident and Health insurance in all 50 states, and the staff are fully trained and licensed insurance professionals.

For more information, visit http://www.tripinsurance.com.

Contact:
Dan Skilken
TripInsurance.com
(408) 337-2345

Tom Woolf
Gumas Advertising
(415) 621-7575

Madonna Cougar Dance & Look-Alike Contest Feature Cougar Cruise Grand Prize

Madonna is now the world's premiere cougar, so middle-aged women are encouraged to emulate her at a fun party in San Francisco.

San Rafael, CA, June 13, 2012 -- Contact: Tom Andrews, 415/507-9962

Cougars are invited to compete at the first-ever Madonna Cougar Dance & Look-Alike Contest, Lucky Friday the 13th of July, 2012, 8pm-12, at Sinbad’s, Pier 2 along the Embarcadero, San Francisco CA 94111. The winner of the contest will receive a free berth on The Western Caribbean Cougar Cruise, December 8-13, 2012, sailing roundtrip from Tampa, Florida to the fun ports of Key West and Cozumel aboard Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas.

Since Demi Moore’s breakup with Ashton Kutcher, Madonna is now the world’s foremost cougar,” says Rich Gosse, author of The Cougar Imperative: Why MidLife Women MUST Choose Younger Men. “Madonna consistently refuses to date men her own age. They can't keep up with her. She is the #1 role model for cougars worldwide.” Rich Gosse is the Executive Producer of CougarEvents.com and has organized numerous cougar events and cruises worldwide. He is available to the news media for interviews by calling 415-479-3800.

The Madonna Cougar Dance & Look-Alike Contest is sponsored by The Society of Single Professionals, the world’s largest non-profit singles organization. The cost to attend is $20 at the door. Adult cougars and cubs of all ages are invited. Anyone interested in more information may visit http://www.cougarevents.com or call 415-507-9962.

The Western Caribbean Cougar Cruise is sponsored by The Singles Travel Company, which organizes affordable travel for singles worldwide. Anyone interested in information about the Cougar Cruise and many other trips for singles may visit http://www.singlestravelcompany.com or call toll-free 1-888-286-8687.

Contact:
Rich Gosse
Society of Single Professionals
205 Mark Twain Avenue, San Rafael CA 94903
415-507-9962