New York, August 25, 2009 — With bank stability still high on corporate and investor

agendas,Global Finance publishes its 18th annual list of the world’s safest banks. After two tumultuous years that saw many of the world’s most respected banks drop out of the top-50 safest banks list, the dust appears to be settling. Those banks that kept an iron grip on their risk exposure before the financial crisis blew up have consistently topped the table and maintain their standing among the top echelon in this year’s ranking. At the same time, the big name banks that lost their safest bank ranking during the credit crunch are still absent from the list as they struggle to rebuild their credit standing. The “World’s 50 Safest Banks” 2009 were selected through a comparison of the long-term credit ratings and total assets of the 500 largest banks around the world. Ratings from Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch were used. Global Finance has published its “World’s Safest Banks” listing for 18 years and this ranking has become a recognized and trusted standard of creditworthiness for the entire financial world. “It’s been a bumpy two years for the rating agencies and many of the banks they evaluate,”says Global Finance publisher Joseph D. Giarraputo. “More than ever customers all around the world are viewing long term creditworthiness as the key feature of the banks with which they do business.”

Global FInance, which celebrates its 22nd year of publishing in 2009, has 50,000 subscribers and more than 180,000 readers in over 158 countries. This audience includes chairmen, presidents, CEOs, CFOs, treasurers, and other financial officers responsible for making Investments and strategic business decisions for large global companies and financial institutions. Global Finance also targets the 8,000 key portfolio investors who control over 80% of all assets under professional management.