Trading Technology Innovator and Number One North American Prime Broker Will Allow Hedge Fund Clients to Execute Complex Trading Strategies and Have Access to Prime Brokerage Services CHICAGO and NEW YORK, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Merlin Securities, a broker dealer specializing in Prime Brokerage services to hedge funds announced tapping thinkpipes, the institutional arm of thinkorswim, an industry-leading online brokerage and financial technology pioneer, to enable hedge fund clients to execute complex options, equities and futures trading strategies. The combined offering provides Merlin's hedge fund clients access to unmatched, award winning trading technology. thinkpipes combines the best of thinkorswim's industry-leading retail application enhanced with features for the professional trader: direct access to every financial market, advanced options trading functionality, robust portfolio analytics, multi-broker execution, and real-time risk management. The execution platform also allows advanced order types such as contingent, spray, reserve, VWAP, and connectivity through FIX API. "thinkorswim shares our belief that client's needs come first. Since our inception, that has been our key motivator," said Aaron Vermut, COO and co- founder of Merlin Securities. "thinkpipes is an outstanding trading execution platform and our clients will truly benefit from this relationship." "thinkorswim takes great strides to enhance the technology powering its execution platform which has successfully been deployed within some of the largest financial institutions," said Tom Sosnoff, president and co-founder of thinkorswim. "Like thinkorswim, Merlin is pervaded by an entrepreneurial spirit and we are thrilled to add them as a client. We applaud their outstanding performance and dedication to client service." Merlin provides hedge funds with assets from $25 million to $2 billion with prime brokerage services. Recently, Global Custodian, in its 2007 Prime Brokerage Survey, highlighted Merlin's ability to equip hedge fund managers and their investors with a full suite of highly customizable prime brokerage reports integrating daily IRR performance measurement , relative and absolute attribution reporting, risk reports and more. About Merlin Securities Founded in 2004 with offices in New York and San Francisco, Merlin Securities services hedge funds with Prime Brokerage Services. Merlin provides advanced reporting capability for single as well as multi-primed hedge funds. The firm's award winning technology provides hedge fund managers with a dynamic performance attribution and risk management portfolio platform. In addition, the firm has both Agency and Outsourced trading desks that provide clients with trading flexibility and access to all markets. Merlin Securities was named the number one Prime Broker in North America, the number one Prime Broker for single strategy funds and the number one Prime Broker for funds under $100mm in the Global Custodian 2007 Prime Brokerage Survey. Merlin Securities is a member of NASD and SIPC. For more information about the firm and the survey results, please visit our website at http://www.merlinsecurities.com/ About thinkorswim Group, Inc. thinkorswim Inc., the brokerage arm of Investools Inc. [Nasdaq: SWIM], is a leading online brokerage and technology provider focused on offering services to self-directed options traders and active traders. thinkorswim offers customers a broad range of products including equity securities, fixed income, index products, options, futures, other derivatives and foreign exchange. thinkorswim provides unique front end trading platforms that allow its customers to trade electronically and provides sophisticated trading tools and analytics, including tools for implementing complex, multi-leg options strategies. The products and services offered by Investools Inc. have received numerous accolades from third parties including thinkorswim's ranking by Barron's as its top rated software-based online broker and best for options traders (2006 & 2007), and Prophet's top Barron's ranking for best technical analysis tools (2006). For more information about thinkorswim visit http://www.thinkorswim.com/ or call 1-866-839-1100. Media Contacts: For Merlin Securities: John Quartararo 212.822.4825 For thinkpipes/thinkorswim: Fran Del Valle 212.717.5499 DATASOURCE: thinkorswim Group, Inc. CONTACT: Fran Del Valle of thinkpipes, thinkorswim, +1-212-717-5499, ; or John Quartararo of Merlin Securities, +1-212-822-4825, Web site: http://www.thinkorswim.com/ http://www.merlinsecurities.com/

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