
Consumer Financial Network Launches YouDecide.com
New Web Site to Provide Consumers a 'One-Stop' Resource for Researching, Evaluating and Purchasing Financial Products and Services
'Consumers First' Mission to Revolutionize the Financial Decision-Making Process
Atlanta — October 4, 1999 — The Consumer Financial Network, Inc. (CFN) today announced the launch of YouDecide.com, an innovative, consumer-oriented Web site for the evaluation and purchase of financial products and services.
YouDecide.com will provide consumers with "one-stop" shopping for a broad array of financial services and benefits tailored to meet their individual needs. Product offerings include insurance products, auto and home financing, legal services, vision care, home equity loans, relocation services, and real estate purchases from more than 55 of the nation's leading providers of financial services. A subsidiary of iXL Enterprises (NASDAQ:IIXL), CFN is funded by a $60 million equity investment from GE Capital Equity Investments Group.
Established as an intermediary between the consumer and the provider, YouDecide.com features a multi-provider platform that gives the consumer the ability to comparison shop among the nation's leading financial institutions to find the best value for a product that fits his or her individual financial goals. "YouDecide.com is a comprehensive and objective alternative to the often-cumbersome and confusing process of purchasing financial products and services," commented Cathleen Raffaeli, president of the Consumer Financial Network, Inc. "With all the financial options available today - both on and off-line - we felt it was necessary to respond to the needs of consumers and create a user-friendly web site where they can learn, quote, decide and buy not just one, but many different products, on their own terms."
At YouDecide.com, users can research, review and transact with the nation's leading providers of financial services in a secure, "one-stop shopping" environment - eliminating the need to surf between providers and agents for a specific product. YouDecide.com is an aggregator of financial product offerings from a variety of providers, saving its users time and money.
YouDecide.com maintains its objectivity by establishing a consistent compensation rate across all product providers offered on the site. As a result, YouDecide.com has no vested interest in suggesting one provider over another. Additionally, YouDecide.com uses third parties such as the A.M. Best Insurance Company Ranking System to provide unbiased, independent reviews of the providers on its network. Consumers are able to see these rankings before the transaction process begins.
Once a user registers for free on YouDecide.com, clicks on a desired product or service and enters personal qualifications, the site will compile price quotes and personalized suggestions regarding the user's specific financial concerns, needs and goals. The site also "learns" a member's personal preferences and provides new product updates that cater to each consumer's unique profile.
YouDecide.com is also offered over company Intranets to corporations and professional associations as a human resource benefit for employees or association members. Current corporate and professional association partners include Federal Express, Delta Airlines, Texas A & M University, the Society for Human Resources Management, Bell South and the Treasury Management Association. In total, almost 2 million employees will have access to YouDecide.com products and services by the end of the year.
In addition to being able to communicate in real time with certified financial professionals online, members can access around-the-clock, expert assistance by connecting online or calling the YouDecide.com Teleweb Center.
About YouDecide:
YouDecide.com (http://www.youdecide.com) is a unique e-commerce platform for financial services and related benefits, offered over the Internet and through an around-the-clock teleweb customer service center for individual consumers. YouDecide.com also operates a corporate channel, providing financial solutions for employees of large corporations and professional association members via company Intranets and association web sites.
YouDecide.com was created by the Consumer Financial Network, Inc., a subsidiary of iXL Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:IIXL). Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company's mission is to make a positive difference in people's lives by transforming the way financial services are evaluated and purchased.
For more information on the YouDecide.com and the Consumer Financial Network, Inc., please contact Andrew Silver, LaForce & Stevens, 212/242-9353.
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