Final acceptance ratio for ING DIRECT reaches 91.21 percent

(Munich, 18 August 2008) With the end of the statutory additional acceptance period, which ran until 13 August 2008, ING DIRECT N.V. achieved a final acceptance ratio of 91.21 percent with its cash offer of EUR 64 per Interhyp share - and thus the declared goal of a solid majority in Interhyp AG. Therewith, the transaction is as announced closed in the course of the third quarter 2008.

ING DIRECT, the direct banking unit of ING Group N.V., announced on 19 May 2008 that it would submit a voluntary public takeover offer. With a cash price of EUR 64 per share ING DIRECT had offered - under consideration of a dividend amounting to a total of EUR 4.10 per share - a 42 per cent premium over Interhyp’s Xetra closing share price on 16 May 2008. The original acceptance period ran from 20 June through 24 July 2008, the statutory additional acceptance period from 31 July through 13 August 2008. Closing of this offer was not subject to a minimum acceptance ratio. Interhyp’s founders and Co-CEOs Robert Haselsteiner and Marcus Wolsdorf supported the transaction from the beginning.

About Interhyp
With EUR 5.7 billion in new residential mortgage volume in 2007, Interhyp is Germany's leading residential mortgage broker. Interhyp combines the power of the Internet with high quality mortgage advice. More than 250 mortgage consultants can choose independently among the products of more than 70 mortgage lenders to provide borrowers with rates that are significantly below those of traditional branch-based retail banks. In addition to its direct channel, Interhyp offers face to face advice in its offices in Augsburg, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bremen, Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Karlsruhe, Leipzig, Mannheim, Munich, Nuremburg, Stuttgart and Wiesbaden. Interhyp AG shares are listed at Frankfurt Stock Exchange (SDAX) with the code IYP and the ISIN: DE 00005121701.

Press contact
Christian Kraus, SVP Corporate Communications, Telephone +49 89 20 30 7 13 01