November 5, 2002 - Melville, NY - Vertical Lend, a service that enables financial professionals to offer clients loans from nationally recognized lenders, has formed an alliance with Orrtax Software, Inc. that will enable tax professionals to place residential, commercial and small-business loans online, directly from their IntelliTax launchpad.

"Clients turn to financial professionals for advice on mortgages and other loans, but when it comes to actually placing the loans, they go to someone else," said David Peskin, president of Vertical Lend. "Now financial professionals can retain this loan business and earn the commissions they deserve."

Using the power of the Internet, IntelliTax users can access, complete and submit a simplified loan application to Vertical Lend right from the product's Outlook-style launch pad, with just a simple mouse click. Upon receipt of the loan application, a Vertical Lend Account Executive will work with the tax professional to facilitate the process.

"Since the tax preparer will be compensated by Vertical Lend, this alliance provides an opportunity for IntelliTax users to create an additional revenue stream for themselves while offering an extra level of convenience and value-added service to their own client base," says Stacey Kapustka, TRE Orrtax Director of Marketing. "Our goal at Orrtax is to become a business partner with our clients and help them expand their business."

Financial professionals can become Vertical Lend Associates by using the IntelliTax Launch Pad to link to a special page designed especially for Orrtax clients or by visiting www.verticallend.com. Vertical Lend offers Associates free introductory training, back-office support and access to its online marketing department.

"With banks now providing a wider range of financial services from tax planning to investments, tax professionals who refer clients to banks run the risk of losing their business," said Vertical Lend's Peskin. "By working with a financial professional, clients get better advice and make more informed decisions, while the financial professional is able to offer a broader range of services and gain additional income."

About Orrtax
Orrtax is a leader in professional tax software and electronic filing. Its federal and state tax software, along with state-of-the-art, on-site electronic filing services are currently utilized by the nation's largest tax service bureau, major tax franchises, companies and individual Electronic Return Originators. With more than 5,000 users nationwide, Orrtax is one of the ten largest tax software companies in the country. An exclusive agreement with Microsoft to license its TaxSaver® technology for integration into IntelliTax™, Orrtax's Windows-based professional tax preparation product, ensures that the Orrtax suite of products remains at the forefront of technology and innovation. For more information about Orrtax or IntelliTax, visit www.Orrtax.com.

About Vertical Lend
Vertical Lend Inc. enables financial professionals to offer clients a suite of lending solutions such as residential and commercial mortgages, small business loans and business lines of credit. Since its establishment in 1996, Vertical Lend and its retail division, Mortgage Warehouse, have closed more than $1 billion in loans. Many of these loans were originated by the company's 1,400 associates, most of whom are accountants, financial planners, tax preparers and insurance agents, who are paid on a commission basis. Headquartered in Melville, NY, Vertical Lend has 1,400 Associates nationwide. The company can be contacted at www.verticallend.com or by calling 1-877-692-7762.