Countrywide Home Loans, HomeSide Lending, North American Mortgage Company, PNC Mortgage, and Principal Residential Mortgage, five of the nation’s top 25 lenders, will be among the featured Charter Lenders for the October release. These lenders, and others to be added in the future, will offer a wide range of products, including conventional and jumbo loans with fixed or adjustable rates, or balloon payment loans, directly to customers visiting the QuickenMortgage site.

Intuit has also acquired a minority stake in GHR Systems, which is the premier developer of multi-lender networks in the mortgage industry.

QuickenMortgage will enable lenders to reach millions of consumers, who will be able to access QuickenMortgage from the Internet or directly from their Quicken 98 software. Consumers will be able to save time and shop for a mortgage conveniently from their own homes by completing a simple step-by-step online interview.

"We’re trying to make financial decisions easier for consumers, by providing a source for unbiased information and automated decision tools," said Bill Harris, Executive Vice President of Intuit. "And we’re creating a new channel for mortgage lenders to communicate electronically with prospective mortgage applicants, and to acquire new customers at a lower cost."

QuickenMortgage will enable potential home buyers and homeowners seeking to refinance their loans to compare mortgage options, customized for the particular property and the borrower's financial situation. Because of the reduced origination costs inherent in electronic delivery, Intuit anticipates that consumers will save money when obtaining a loan through this channel.

"Intuit's approach is consistent with Countrywide's consumer direct strategy to provide easy direct access to home loan products," said Stan Kurland, President of Countrywide Home Loans. "We feel Intuit's expertise in personal financial software combined with Countrywide's mortgage processing efficiency creates a great opportunity to serve the home loan needs of more consumers."

"HomeSide Lending is excited to be a Charter Lender for Intuit's QuickenMortgage," said Mark Johnson, Homeside’s Executive Vice President of Production. "Given the quality and success of Intuit's other products and services, we anticipate a long and rewarding relationship that benefits not only HomeSide and Intuit, but also our mutual customers."

"We regard Intuit and GHR as cutting-edge players in the electronic delivery of financial services," said Paul Bognanno, President and CEO of Principal Residential Mortgage, Inc. "Blending their strengths with those of Principal Residential and other lenders will create a loan delivery mechanism that will be very convenient and beneficial to the consumer."

"We are excited to be teaming up with Intuit to bring its customers and all Internet users timely information to help them make intelligent decisions regarding mortgage loans," said Jack Guttentag, GHR System’s Chairman. "This alliance will ultimately allow consumers to make a more readily-informed decision about one of the most important decisions in their lives -- buying a home."

GHR, located in Wayne, Penn., has been developing the MARS mortgage software for over 10 years, and has the pre-eminent market-tested multi-lender system. In recent years, over 35 lenders have used the MARS system.

Intuit Inc., a financial software and Web-based services company, develops and markets Quicken, the leading personal finance software; TurboTax, the best-selling tax preparation software; and QuickBooks, the most popular small-business accounting software. Intuit’s Quicken Financial Network (www.quicken.com) offers a complete set of personal finance news, information and tools, including the leading mutual fund and insurance sites. Intuit’s products and services enable individuals, small businesses and financial professionals to better manage their financial lives and businesses.