“We are delighted to partner with Guaranty Bank to offer the Preferred Rewards Gold Card,” said Matt Botha, Vice President Consumer Partnerships. “This strategic relationship enables Guaranty Bank to offer its customers a valuable rewards Card and provides American Express with an effective channel to gain valuable new Cardmembers.”

“At Guaranty Bank, we're focused on customer service,” said Ron Murff, Guaranty Retail Bank President. “We believe we work harder at meeting the financial needs of our customers than any other bank, and the launch of this co-branded American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card offers further proof.”

The product has an annual fee of $125 that will be waived for the first year, no pre-set spending limit(1), can be used at any location worldwide that accepts American Express ® Cards and offers a number of rich rewards, benefits and services.

Cardmembers are automatically enrolled in the Membership Rewards ® program from American Express and earn points each time they use their Card(2). The Membership Rewards points have no expiration date, no earning cap and can be redeemed with more than 140 partners, including major airlines, hotels, resorts, rental car companies, restaurants and retailers.

The Preferred Rewards Gold Card includes traditional American Express Charge Card benefits and services:

Retail Protections:

• Purchase Protection(1),
• Buyer's Assurance(1),
• Return Protection(1),

Travel Protections:

• Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance(1),
• Global Assist Hotline(1),
• Travel Accident Insurance(1),
• Roadside Assistance Anywhere (1),
• Baggage Insurance(1)
• Access to a worldwide network of 2,200 travel service locations

Lifestyle Benefits:

• Gold Card Events, with access to some of the best seats – often before they go on sale to the general public – for theater, concerts, sporting and family events and more.  
• Event Ticket Protection
• Ticket Savings Center

Card Basic Services:

• 24 X 7 Customer Service,
• Dispute Resolution,
• Fraud Protection Guarantee,
• Identity Theft Assistance

American Express will issue the new Cards and service the accounts. Guaranty will market the Card to existing bank customers through a variety of marketing channels.

“American Express has a strong brand and customer-focused business philosophy, making them a natural fit with Guaranty Bank,” said Murff. “This premier card product is ideal for our customers and adds a new dimension to our current product mix.”

The agreement expands an existing relationship between American Express and Guaranty. In October 2005, Guaranty introduced “My Checking” accounts offering American Express Membership Rewards as a feature of the program. In November, American Express and Guaranty introduced a co-branded American Express Small Business Gold Card and a Platinum Business Cash Rebate Credit Card for the bank's small-business customers.

About American Express
American Express Company (www.americanexpress.com) is a leading global payments, network and travel company founded in 1850.

About Guaranty Bank
Guaranty Bank, with more than $17 billion in assets, operates a network of more than 150 banking centers throughout California and Texas. Guaranty Bank and its affiliates are owned by Temple-Inland Inc. which operates four business segments: corrugated packaging, forest products, real estate and financial services. Temple-Inland's 2.0 million acres of forestland are certified as managed in compliance with ISO 14001 and in accordance with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) Standard of the Sustainable Forestry Board to ensure forest management is conducted in a scientifically sound and environmentally sensitive manner. Temple-Inland's common stock (TIN) is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca Inc. Temple-Inland's address on the World Wide Web is www.templeinland.com. Guaranty Bank is a member of the FDIC.

(1) Coverage is subject to terms, conditions and exclusions of the program.
(2) Membership Rewards program Terms and Conditions apply.

Editor's Note (June 2008): The Event Ticket Protection benefit is not available for Card members who are residents of New York State and any additional Card members on their accounts.

Contacts:
Desiree Fish
212.640.4761
Desiree.C.Fish@aexp.com