INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Vantage Financial Group, Inc. (Vantage), a full-service insurance and financial services company, announced today that it has purchased 100 percent of the stock of M&E Investment Group, Inc. (M&E), a private client investment management and financial consulting boutique. M&E, a Pennsylvania corporation with its headquarters in Pittsburgh, was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated and conducted business under the name Barney C. Guttman & Associates, Inc.

As a result of the transaction, M&E has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vantage and will operate in Pittsburgh as Barney C. Guttman & Associates, Inc., a Vantage Financial Group Company. The deal was completed on November 15, 2007. The purchase price was not disclosed.

"My team and I are pleased to be affiliated with a firm like Vantage - we are like-minded and focused on growing our presence in the Pittsburgh area," said Barney Guttman.

There are no changes required for the firm's clientele since both Vantage and Guttman use a common brokerage platform.

Vantage also acquired the money management practice of John Bogert, CPA. The acquisition of this Mentor, Ohio-based firm was completed in August 2007. Carl M. Ferrazza, a Vantage principal and producer, is the new managing owner of this practice.

Vantage, which now has 88 employees, expects to achieve top line investment revenue growth of more than 25 percent as a result of these two acquisitions.

"The addition of M&E/Barney C. Guttman & Associates and John Bogert's practice to the Vantage family further strengthens our commitment to growing our business regionally," said Martin Uhle, principal shareholder, president and CEO of Vantage. "We will continue to offer our clients the highest levels of service and expertise in the areas of financial planning, group benefits, and advisement."

About Vantage Financial Group

Founded in 1969, Vantage Financial Group, Inc. provides a complete range of individual and business planning alternatives, plus total financial planning and investment services. These include individual life and business insurance; employee benefit plans offering group life, medical, dental, disability income, long term care insurance and prescription drug programs; retirement planning; flexible-spending health plans; estate distribution planning services; third-party administration; and litigation settlement support. More information on Vantage can be found at www.VanFin.com .

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Source: Vantage Financial Group, Inc.

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