Empire Financial Group Launches Empirenow.com In Conjunction With Corporate Expansion

Business Wire, Oct 25, 1999

LONGWOOD, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 1999--

Empire Financial Group, Inc. announced today the launch of a newly designed online trading site at www.empirenow.com.

The completely revamped site is the electronic component of an overall expansion in response to customers' needs. By the end of the month, Empire will move into a newly acquired building to accommodate the hiring of 20 new employees. These additions to Empire's investment advisor and client support teams are part of the company's commitment to providing investors with quality assistance.

"As the bases for competition between online brokerages continue to shift, the experiences of current online consumers is the best measure of the industry's performance," says Kevin Gagne, president of Empire Financial Group, Inc., "Our upgraded web presence is designed with customer usability as the primary goal." As a result, Empire Financial Group's trading site, www.empirenow.com, was designed to deliver enhanced access to streamlined and efficient trading.

Empirenow.com offers a tightly integrated suite of trading services, portfolio management capabilities, and a vast array of free financial market data and company research reports. The site also features a new commission structure, offering trades beginning at $6.95, with the first five market equity trades free for new online customers. Real-time quotes are also available for active investors. Empirenow.com provides strategically placed and extensive online help features to assist users in entering stock orders, getting company research, or adding funds to an account. "The intuitive design of our site, the speed of execution of our trades, and the competitive pricing of our service enable us to provide a truly valuable trading experience," says Gagne.

Empire provides its customers with a full range of services that highlight its user-based focus. Empirenow.com offers its customers access to investment professionals without requiring them to open a new account. All online accounts are assigned a broker and client support representatives are on-hand for customer inquiries and requests. "We believe that our ability to offer a human touch to complement electronic investing is in tune with investor expectations for real value in online investing," says Gagne.

About Empire Financial Group

Empire Financial Group, Inc. is a full-service, financial services firm that provides discount brokerage and other financial services to retail and institutional customers. Located on the web at www.empirenow.com, Empire Financial Group was established in 1990, and is headquartered in Longwood, FL.