High Net Worth Investment Specialist to Grow SYAM Assets, Build Salesforce

SAN FRANCISCO -- S&Y Asset Management LLC (SYAM), a San Francisco-based wealth management company, announced today that it has hired Chuck Else as managing director. S&Y Asset Management is affiliated with Stone & Youngberg, a leading financial services firm offering a comprehensive range of products and services, and this announcement signifies the firm's commitment to providing asset management services for both institutional and individual high net worth clients.

Previously, Else served as senior vice president for Fisher Investments, where he recruited, trained, and managed an investment sales force of 120 people, while gathering more than $150 million in new assets. Most recently, Else founded and chaired Else Investment Company, a private securities and real estate firm. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Vermont.

As managing director of S&Y Asset Management, Else will be responsible for gathering assets for the firm, as well as building SYAM's sales force.

"We are very pleased to have Chuck Else join the SYAM team," said Tom Lockard, Chief Operating Officer of S&Y Asset Management. "Chuck has a proven track record in managing sales and securing assets in the high net worth private client arena. His results-oriented approach and extensive asset management experience will help us grow the SYAM business."

Located in the historic San Francisco Ferry Building, S&Y Asset Management considers each of its client's long-term investment objectives when delivering comprehensive, strategic investment portfolios that are designed to stand the test of time. Emphasizing asset allocation through both traditional and absolute return-oriented investment strategies, SYAM offers investors independent, unconstrained financial guidance.

For more information on S&Y Asset Management, visit www.syam.com.

About Stone & Youngberg: Stone & Youngberg Holdings LLC is a financial services company that provides a comprehensive range of products and services through four subsidiary businesses. Stone & Youngberg LLC, founded in 1931, is a financial services firm specializing in fixed-income securities. Stone & Youngberg LLC led or co-managed the sale of 277 municipal bond issues in 15 states in 2005, and underwrites more issues of land-secured debt than any other firm in the United States . In addition to bond underwriting and sales, Stone & Youngberg LLC provides investment services to individuals, institutions, and government agencies and offers a wide variety of tax-exempt and taxable securities. S&Y Asset Management LLC is Stone & Youngberg's wealth management company; S&Y Capital Group LLC is a private real estate investment, development, and consulting company; and S&Y Financial Services LLC manages structured finance transactions and acts as a swap provider and advisor.

Stone & Youngberg LLC is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Richmond, VA, and Annapolis, MD. Additional information is available at www.syllc.com or by calling 800-447-8663. Member NASD/SIPC.

Source: Derived from information provided by Thompson Financial, 2006.