New Century Added to Russell 1000

Nonprime lender New Century Financial Corp. has been added to the Russell 1000 Index, which includes the largest 1,000 securities in the Russell 3000 Index.New Century was previously a member of both the Russell 2000 Index and the Russell 3000 Index. "We are very pleased to become a member of the Russell 1000 Index as this accomplishment reflects our strong performance, continued growth and focus on increasing stockholder value," said Robert K. Cole, New Century's chairman and chief executive officer. "Additionally, we believe that being a member of this large-cap index will increase our visibility to the investment community," he said. New Century can be found online at http://www.ncen.com.