Vertical Lend Partners with National Tax Software Firm

TaxSlayer Pro Alliance to Expand Product Marketing

New York – November 29, 2004 – Vertical Lend, the trusted mortgage partner of choice for financial professionals, announced today a new strategic partnership with TaxSlayer Pro, a leading professional tax software developer.

Through the partnership, both TaxSlayer Pro and Vertical Lend will cross-promote each other to an established national client base.

"This partnership is a natural extension of Vertical Lend's commitment to helping financial professionals expand and develop their businesses," said David Peskin, CEO of Vertical Lend. "Just as Vertical Lend has enabled financial professionals to expand their sources of income, Tax Slayer's innovative software and value-added services allow tax preparers to realize cost-savings through increased productivity."

In the increasingly consolidated world of financial services, Vertical Lend's unique turnkey business model has enabled over 2,000 financial professionals to diversify their businesses by offering a comprehensive range of mortgage products.

Already, TaxSlayer Pro's clients are finding success under Vertical Lend's program. One TaxSlayer Pro user said he'd already originated five mortgages in just over one month as a Vertical Lend associate.

"In years past, I had customers that came in and got their taxes done, and asked me about mortgages - but I always had to refer them over to someone else in the business. Now I can handle their business myself," said Lester Huff, owner of the Sicklerville, N.J.-based Huff Tax Services. "I've been in this business for 23 years, and beyond a shadow of a doubt, this will be an integral part of my business going forward. I have over 2100 customers, and I’ve already started informing them about our expanded services."

"We're very happy to introduce our clients to the benefits of Vertical Lend's unique program," added Nick Srott, director of sales for TaxSlayer Pro. "We take our mission of boosting our clients' bottom line very seriously, and feel that Vertical Lend will only further help our clients expand their businesses."

About Vertical Lend
Vertical Lend is the trusted partner of choice for leading financial professionals seeking to better serve their clients, and diversify their practices by offering a comprehensive range of residential mortgage products. Established in 1999, Vertical Lend and its retail division, Mortgage Warehouse, have closed over $2.0 billion in loans. With over 2,000 associates throughout the U.S., Vertical Lend's unique platform allows accountants, financial planners, tax preparers and insurance agents to originate mortgages under its turnkey business model.

About TaxSlayer Pro
TaxSlayer Pro, an Augusta, Ga.-based subsidiary of Rhodes Financial Services, was one of the first firms to develop tax preparation software fully incorporating electronic filing. Today, their tax preparation software and value-added services are used by tax professionals across the country, while their consumer product line has enabled thousands of individuals to process their own returns.

Media Inquiries:
Ben Abelson
Vertical Lend
(631) 773-5139
babelson@verticallend.com