Press Releases

AFTER MEETING WITH STEVE FORBES THE NOBLE FINANCIAL GROUP SAYS IT APPLAUDS THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE'S SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGY - SEEKS CHECKS AND BALANCES ON FLAT TAX ISSUES

Contact: Mark Hopkinson 561/ 750-9800 x14
Email: mhopkinson@TransMediagroup.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
BOCA RATON, FLORIDA. NOV. 24, 1999 - The Noble Financial Group said today that it applauds the small business initiatives of US Presidential Candidate Steve Forbes. The announcement follows a meeting on November 12, 1999 between Noble Financial President Nico Pronk and Mr. Forbes in Newport Beach, California.

The meeting which preceded the US Presidential Candidate's featured speech to the Capital Conference of the Regional Investment Bankers Association (RIBA) was attended by a select group of RIBA members.

Mr. Pronk, a member of the RIBA Board of Directors and Chairman of the RIBA Membership Committee, said, "It was a useful opportunity to engage Mr. Forbes in a discussion on the need for every Presidential candidate to focus on small business strategy. Steve Forbes knows the US capital markets and knows that their success is critical to sustaining growth. He also realizes that our future is going to be more and more dominated by small businesses and G.A.O statistics show that the most important jobs are being created by small business." "The challenge as I told him will be to have enough checks and balances in place on the issue of flat taxes," Pronk said.

RIBA President, Jeffery Adduci said, "RIBA was pleased to provide Steve Forbes with a platform to launch his small business initiative. The fact that a presidential candidate chose RIBA to introduce his small business strategy is testimony to RIBA's dominance in the expansive and dynamic small issuer marketplace. RIBA is counseling other candidates on the issues impacting this critical segment of the marketplace."

The Noble Financial Group and its affiliate companies provide full-service retail brokerage, investment banking and corporate finance services as well as private investment management to high net worth clientele. It is currently undertaking an ambitious plan to further expand its reach by bringing more independent brokerages under its umbrella.

The Regional Investment Bankers Association (RIBA) is a national association of regional and independent broker-dealer and investment banking firms seeking to improve conditions in their industry, to strengthen the free enterprise system and provide a vital source of information to its NASD member firms and the investing public.

Editorial Note: Color or black & white photograph available showing Mr. Forbes with Noble Financial's Nico Pronk and Wayne Horne and RIBA's Jeffery Adduci.