SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - Feb 29, 2012) - California Bank & Trust (CB&T) ([ www.calbanktrust.com ]) is pleased to announce that the bank has been rated "Outstanding" by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in a recent examination that reviewed the institution's community reinvestment activities. The examination review, which began in September 2011, was recently completed and CB&T earned the highest possible rating.

Under the federal Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, banks are required to demonstrate that their deposit facilities serve the convenience and needs of the markets in which they are chartered to do business, including low and moderate income communities. The convenience and needs of markets include the need for credit services as well as deposit services.

To that end, California Bank & Trust partners with nonprofit agencies to identify the unique economic needs of each neighborhood in the communities served by the bank. By using this approach, CB&T focuses on meeting the credit needs of both individuals and businesses through community-specific lending initiatives. These initiatives improve and invest in the local communities through qualified volunteer and community service projects.

During the period last reviewed by the FDIC CRA exam, CB&T originated over $684 million in community development loans and its CRA qualified investments totaled $122 million. Additionally, CB&T employees proudly completed over 7,900 hours of community service during the exam period.

"California Bank & Trust has always focused on relationships and the relationships this bank has with the communities we serve are extremely important," said Steve Herman, First Vice President and Community Reinvestment Manager for California Bank & Trust. "We take our responsibility to the communities we serve very seriously and the outstanding rating on our CRA examination is a reflection of this. CB&T will continue to serve the community, providing support, investment and lending in line with our core standards."

About California Bank & Trust
California Bank & Trust, a subsidiary of Zions Bancorporation (NASDAQ: [ ZION ]), is one of the largest banks headquartered in California with over $10 billion in assets and more than 100 branches statewide. CB&T provides a full array of financial solutions for businesses and individuals, including commercial lending, small business lending, SBA financing, cash management, international banking and wealth management. The professional bankers at CB&T are backed by major resources, yet maintain local decision-making authority and regional market and industry expertise. They are committed to providing clients with valuable business and economic insights and to connecting them with the beneficial business relationships they need to succeed. CB&T, as part of Zions Bancorporation, is a proud recipient of 14 Greenwich Associates 2010 Excellence Awards in banking. To learn more, visit [ www.calbanktrust.com ] or call (800) 400-6080.