Recent consolidation activity has accelerated the pace of product enhancements at E*TRADE, with the introduction of solutions and features geared to help investors manage their portfolio with more online information and guidance. Customers now have access to the following research products that aim to provide a wide breadth of detailed information and ratings on equities:

• Premium institutional-quality research - customers with $100K or more in assets at E*TRADE will have free access to institutional equity research on over 850 leading U.S. companies within 50 industries.
• Expanded free research offerings from industry - recognized Independent Research Providers (IRPs), such as Reuters and Standard & Poor's, for all customers-consensus ratings, analyst ratings, and news from leading vendors are now available.
• Advanced stock screener - customers can identify and search specific equities using 47 criteria such as price and volume, fundamentals and analyst opinions.
• Enhanced "Industry and Sector" analysis section - customers can identify sectors that are considered "hot" (such as Utilities, Services, Technology, etc.) and compare sectors.

Integrating Retirement Accounts with Cash Management Tools

Continuing the integration of cash management solutions that began with the introduction of the E*TRADE Complete Investment Account in 2005, eligible customers now have a number of cash management features in their IRA when they upgrade to an E*TRADE Complete IRA. Customers who are age 59 1/2 can write checks, pay bills electronically and use debit cards within their Traditional IRA, IRA Rollover, Roth IRA, Roth IRA Conversion, Simple IRA or SEP IRA.

Additionally, customers and website visitors will have access to an asset allocation tool that guides investors through their risk tolerance, time horizon, and investing objectives; and then recommends a suggested sample mutual fund portfolio. Additional features to be added in Q1 '06 will include a comparative of a customer's selected E*TRADE account holdings to the suggested portfolio, which will indicate if the account is over- or under- weight in any asset class (large cap, small cap, international, fixed income, and cash), and will then permit customers to purchase the suggested mutual funds.

Complimentary Web-Based Education Now On Offer

E*TRADE Securities is committed to providing investors with research and education to help them make thoughtful investment decisions. The Company offers free web seminars on beginning to advanced trading and risk management strategies, including technical analysis and options, that are exclusive to all E*TRADE customers.

"The pace of consolidation activity at E*TRADE benefits customers in numerous ways - E*TRADE customers now have a broader portfolio of tools and services with which to manage their investments," said Michael Curcio, executive vice president of Retail, E*TRADE Securities. "Our strategy is to grow our customer base by drawing investors to these new features, and to keep them at E*TRADE with our differentiated and integrated banking, investing and lending solutions."

The most recent enhancements join a long list of unique investment features and benefits at E*TRADE, such as:

• The financial industry's first two-factor authentication security program for retail investors
• The E*TRADE Complete Investment Account with Intelligent Cash Optimizer
• The E*TRADE Mileage Maximizer Account credit card balance transfer solution
• The 12b-1 mutual fund rebate program
• The 2-Second Execution Guarantee
• The lowest cost ratio Index Funds in the industry