Regions Launches Online Small Business Resource Center

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--Regions Bank, a part of Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE: RF) and one of the nation's top small business-friendly lending institutions, has enhanced the small business portion of its Web site to provide a comprehensive Small Business Resource Center.

The Small Business Resource Center at www.regions.com focuses on managing finances, offering practical guidance on preparing a balance sheet, managing cash flow, valuing a business and protecting a business through contracts. And, it comes complete with free access to online workshops, worksheets and planning guides.

"These online educational workshops provide a wealth of information, and they are free," said William E. "Bill" Askew, Regions executive vice president-Consumer and Business Banking. "Everything is there - from information on how to conduct market analysis and develop a business plan to how to analyze the competition and build brand awareness. There are even calculators to help people figure out how much capital they would need to start a business.

"It's just one more way we can meet our customers' needs - and help them achieve their financial dreams," said Askew.

Upholding its tradition of banking America's entrepreneurs, Regions was ranked earlier this year as one of the top small business-friendly financial services providers in the country by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the fourth year in a row it has received such a distinction.

Regions placed third in the category of small business lending by large banks and bank holding companies in the "SBA's Small and Micro Business Lending in the United States for Data Years 2002-2003" study, which was released in 2005. Small business lending is defined as business loans of less than $1 million. Regions was also ranked as one of the country's Top 5 small business-friendly lenders for the fourth year in a row in a study of Community Reinvestment Act-reporting banks, coming in at No. 2.

About Regions Bank:

A community-focused bank with local leadership in the markets it serves, Regions Bank currently offers full-service commercial and retail banking from more than 1,350 offices and a 1,600-ATM network across 16 states throughout the South, Midwest and Texas. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the bank, a part of Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE: RF), draws on the resources of its parent company's other affiliates, including Morgan Keegan, to ensure that both business and retail customers can avail themselves of a full range of financial products and services in the areas of mortgage banking, securities brokerage and insurance. Additional information about Regions Bank and Regions Financial Corporation - a member of both the Forbes and Fortune 500 and one of the nation's Top 15 banks - can be found at www.regions.com.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.