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RaboPlus Adds Merrill Lynchs Global Allocation Fund Australia to its...

RaboPlus - from Australia's safest bank - today announced it has added the Merrill Lynch 'Global Allocation Fund (Australia)' to its wholesale managed funds online platform.

RaboPlus (http://www.raboplus.com.au) customers can access a selection of wholesale managed funds with as little as $250 to invest and a low entry fee of only 0.75 per cent.

The new fund from BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited (http://www.blackrockinvestments.com.au/cms/public/splash.jspjsessionid=252361208401825919) increases the number of funds on the RaboPlus platform to 58 with global multi-sector funds now representing roughly 20 per cent of the offering.

The actively managed fund primarily invests in global shares, fixed income and emerging markets and can increase or decrease exposure to fixed income investments when equity market conditions are more or less volatile.

RaboPlus Senior Manager Investments and Managed Funds Tim Hewson said: "The fund aims to generate consistent returns with low volatility and is ideally suited for the many first time managed fund investors on RaboPlus."

"In an environment of increasing uncertainty, customers are looking for new ways to generate medium term growth with greater diversification to protect them from the continuing downward pressure of global market sentiment."

With more than 400 securities (listed and unlisted) from 30 countries, the fund combines professional active management with globally diversified exposure to growth and defensive assets as well as a strong long-term performance history.

The fund has performed well given recent volatile market conditions generating gross returns* of 12.36 per cent for 12 months, 12.47 per cent for the 24 months and 15.43 per cent since inception to 29 February 2008. More importantly, the fund has outperformed its benchmark* by 7.93 per cent, 4.89 per cent and 5.89 per cent respectively.

Funds can be bought and sold online 24/7 with the convenience of automated and consolidated administration and reporting as well as the ability to set up regular investor plans and also batch sell units to help customers better manage their potential capital gains liabilities.

Mr. Hewson said the AAA rating of Rabobank by Standard and Poor's provides significant credibility for our customers who get to earn high interest rates on cash in their savings account while deciding which funds to invest in.

For investment interest articles or to contact Tim with comments or questions please visit Tim Hewson's blog, The Confident Investor (http://www.confidentinvestor.com.au/).

Rabobank Australia & New Zealand is a part of the international Rabobank Group, the world's leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking. Rabobank has more than 100 years' experience providing customised banking and finance solutions to businesses involved in all aspects of food and agribusiness. Rabobank has a AAA credit rating and is rated one of the world's safest banks by Global Finance magazine. Rabobank operates in 43 countries, servicing the needs of more than nine million clients worldwide through a network of more than 1500 offices and branches. Rabobank Australia & New Zealand is one of Australasia's leading rural lenders and a significant provider of business and corporate banking and financial services to the region's food and agribusiness sector. The bank has 78 branches throughout Australasia.

*Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Gross performance excludes fees and charges and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions. The benchmark consists of a weighted average of returns for a composite 36 per cent S&P500 (Composite Total Return), 24 per cent Financial Times/S&P Actuaries World Index ex-US (Total return), 24 per cent Merrill Lynch Government Bond Index GA05 (5 year Treasury Bond) and 16 per cent Citigroup Non-USD World Government Debt Index. Outperformance represents the difference between, Gross return and the Benchmark return. Inception date of the Merrill Lynch Global Allocation Fund (Australia) (Class D units) is 4 July 2005.

The issuer of RaboPlus and its related products is Rabobank Australia Ltd ABN 50 001 621 129 AFSL 234700. The IDPS Guide, and full Terms and Conditions relating to RaboPlus products are available on application or at www.raboplus.com.au. Consider relevant disclosure documents when deciding whether to acquire, or continue to hold, RaboPlus products.

RaboPlus deposits are guaranteed by Rabobank Australia Limited's ultimate parent, ranked safest non-government bank by Global Finance magazine, 2007.

Rabobank Australia Limited has a AAA rating from Standard & Poor's. Ratings are subject to change. For the latest ratings information please visit www.standardandpoors.com. Ratings issued by Standard & Poor's (Australia) Pty Ltd are solely statements of opinion and not statements of fact or recommendations to make any investment decisions.

Media Contact: Tony Rasman 0418 208770.

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