Wachovia Introduces New Enhancements to Its Web Site

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wachovia's homepage is getting a facelift. As one part of a larger initiative to enhance its online services, Wachovia.com has been redesigned for easier navigation by customers and visitors to the site.

The new homepage features prominent links to customer service and privacy and security information as well as easy access to areas customers visit most, including loan rates and retirement information. Additionally, the home page now features a login section that allows customers to quickly and conveniently access their online banking, brokerage and retirement plan accounts. And through recent customer credential enhancements, customers no longer use critical identifiers such as Social Security numbers to log in, but alphanumeric combinations that the customer chooses, providing even greater customer protection.

"The site has gone through extensive usability design and customer testing, and we feel confident that customers and others visiting the site will enjoy the benefits and easier navigation it offers," said Lawrence Baxter, chief eCommerce officer at Wachovia. "Wachovia's internal and external Web sites consistently rank in industry studies as having outstanding usability, and with this new design, we expect that to continue."

Other key features include: - Direct access to current interest rates for mortgages, home equity loans and credit cards; - An expanded privacy and security section that gives current information on how individuals can protect themselves against identity theft and fraud. - A new "Remember User ID" check box in the login section, where customers may choose to have the User ID pre-filled or saved for convenience. - Enhanced "Forgot your Password" capabilities. There are no more paper mailings to customers who complete online maintenance to their Password or PIN. Customers who have an e-mail address on file will receive an immediate e-mail confirmation of the maintenance. Customers without a valid e-mail address on file will continue to receive paper mail confirmation. - Visually impaired customers will find the homepage easier to read and navigate using screen readers. - Customers accessing the site using wireless devices will notice the homepage has been optimized for those devices. - The homepage has been optimized for quicker downloading.

"These enhancements are just the first step in a series of upgrades we have planned for the site," Baxter said. "There are a lot of features that customers and visitors to the site will notice immediately and some behind- the-scenes upgrades that will go unnoticed but will add to the ease of use and navigation on the site."

Other key features will remain on the site including information geared towards visitors and customers looking for information about small businesses and corporate and institutional and wealth management products and services. A prominent link to Wachovia.com/espanol will be placed in the center of the page to provide access to Wachovia.com's growing Spanish-language capabilities. Corporate and investor relations information will also be easily located on the site as will the ability to search for branch and ATM locations directly from the homepage.

About Wachovia

Wachovia Corporation is one of the largest providers of financial services to retail, brokerage and corporate customers, with retail operations from Connecticut to Florida and west to Texas, and retail brokerage operations nationwide. Wachovia had assets of $506.8 billion, market capitalization of $80.3 billion and stockholders' equity of $46.5 billion at March 31, 2005. Its four core businesses, the General Bank, Capital Management, Wealth Management, and the Corporate and Investment Bank, serve 13 million household and business relationships primarily through 3,277 offices in 15 states and Washington, D.C. Its full-service retail brokerage firm, Wachovia Securities, LLC, also serves clients through 693 offices in 49 states and five Latin American countries. Our Corporate and Investment Bank serves clients primarily in 10 key industry sectors nationwide. Global services are offered through 33 international offices. Online banking and brokerage products and services also are available through Wachovia.com.