Oct. 26, 2009 (PR Newswire) --

SEATTLE - Despite one of the toughest economies in its history, Seattle's Pioneer Square is showing signs of a comeback with the help of its newest resident.

Be there when local dignitaries, leaders of the Pioneer Square Community Association, the President of ING DIRECT USA and President of ShareBuilder Securities Corporation unveil a new set of colorful street banners that will help attract and welcome visitors to Pioneer Square. In May, ShareBuilder, the brokerage subsidiary of ING DIRECT, moved its headquarters and 300 employees from Bellevue to Pioneer Square. The banners will draw attention to the district's greatest assets: historic attractions, shopping, entertainment, residential housing, art galleries and sporting venues.

WHO:    Local dignitaries including Washington State Attorney General Rob
McKenna, Seattle City Councilmember Jan Drago, King County
Director Sergio Cueva-Flores, Pioneer Square Community Association
Interim Executive Director Leslie G. Smith, ING DIRECT USA
Chairman and President Arkadi Kuhlmann, ShareBuilder President Dan
Greenshields, former Seahawk Mack Strong, as well as residents,
merchants and business owners who live and work in Pioneer Square.

WHAT:   A press conference and celebration to commemorate the unveiling of
new street banners in Pioneer Square. Local dignitaries will also
share their collective plans to revitalize Seattle's most-historic
district.

WHEN:   10 a.m., Friday, October 30, 2009

WHERE:  ING DIRECT
ShareBuilder
83 South King Street
Eighth Floor
Seattle, Washington
NOTE: PLEASE CHECK IN AT THE FRONT DESK.  MEDIA AND GUESTS WILL
BE ESCORTED TO THE EIGHTH FLOOR

WHY:    To celebrate Pioneer Square's rich history and to promote private-
public partnerships that help the district to gain momentum even
in the toughest of economic climate.

About ING DIRECT USA and ShareBuilder

ING DIRECT, the nation's largest direct bank and largest thrift, is dedicated to inspiring Americans to become a nation of savers. Since its inception in 2000, more than 7.7 million Americans have entrusted their savings with ING DIRECT, building the bank to $91.4 billion in assets. ING DIRECT has developed a comprehensive social media Savers Community, including Twitter, Facebook and its We, The Savers blog. For more information about ING DIRECT call 1-800-ING-DIRECT, and for information about its commitment to financial education visit Planet Orange.

ShareBuilder Securities Corporation is an online brokerage designed for automatic, long-term investing. The company's vision is to increase the personal investing rate of the average American by helping individuals build and manage wealth over the long term. Customers pay low commissions on individual transactions, have no account minimum and can choose from three pricing programs. For more information about ShareBuilder, please visit www.sharebuilder.com or www.ingdirect.com. ShareBuilder offers investment products including stocks, exchange-traded funds, and mutual funds. ShareBuilder Securities Corporation, a subsidiary of ING Bank, fsb, is a registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC.

Securities products are: Not FDIC insured - Not Bank guaranteed - May lose value

Style note to Editors: ING DIRECT is always capitalized and never referred to as ING.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Dan Branley  (206) 914-1231
dbranley@launchcmus.com

Steve O'Halloran (302) 467-6643
sohalloran@ingdirect.com

/PRNewswire -- Oct. 26/

SOURCE ING DIRECT