January 15, 2004

PEOPLE'S BANK TO OPEN NEW OFFICE IN WEST HARTFORD CENTER AT 1013 FARMINGTON AVENUE

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. - People's Bank will open a new office at 1013 Farmington Avenue in a building adjacent to S.K. Lavery. Built in 1986, the building housed the First Bank of West Hartford in the late 1980s and various other offices. The building has been vacant for the past three years.

People's has completed an extensive renovation of the first floor branch, which includes additional office space for commercial banking, trust and People's financial advisors. The branch also features a drive-up ATM, a drive-up teller, commercial night depository box, safe deposit boxes and ample free parking. The building is owned by S. K. Lavery and has three additional tenants on the second and third floors.

Because this new site offered advantages that People's current location does not, People's Bank will move its 962 Farmington Avenue office, which is adjacent to Max's Oyster Bar, to the new location a block away.

The 5,500 square-foot branch will feature a free coffee bar for People's customers, an investment kiosk with a stock quote machine so that customers will be able to check their investments, and two plasma television sets which will continuously air the financial news channel MSNBC.

"People's is proud to offer West Hartford residents a branch of this innovation and quality," said Robert D'Amore, People's executive vice president, Marketing and Regional Banking. "We are extremely pleased that this location allows us to enhance the customer experience by providing state-of- the-art technology and a convenient ATM drive-up facility."

"West Hartford has always been an excellent market for us," said Michael Casparino, first vice president and growth manager for People's Greater Hartford region. "Because land is at a premium in West Hartford Center, we have been looking for space that would offer West Hartford residents the ease of a drive-up ATM, adjacent parking and a spacious banking interior. We found that building just a block from our current location."

Nancy Brecher will serve as the financial services manager for the new office. Brecher has 15 years of banking experience with People's Bank, with 12 of those years spent in the Hartford market. Brecher holds a Series 7 securities license and is responsible for six other People's branches in the Hartford area.

Patricia Kiely, a lifelong resident of West Hartford, will serve as the customer service manager for the new office. Also with 15 years of banking experience, Kiely knows the West Hartford market well and has spent all of her tenure with People's in the Hartford market.

The new office will offer extended hours and will be open Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

People's (peoples.com) is a diversified financial services company providing commercial, consumer, insurance and investment services. Founded in 1842, it is the largest state-chartered bank in Connecticut with assets of $12 billion, 154 branches and more than 230 ATMs. People's is a leader in consumer and commercial banking, residential lending, insurance sales, supermarket banking and is the nation's 20th-largest issuer of MasterCard and Visa credit cards. People's subsidiaries offer brokerage services, asset management, equipment financing and leasing, and insurance services.