The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 30

C6 BUSINESS LOSANGELESTIMES Strategies to help you capture foreign markets Bankers you can depend on to get you there Thecommercialcapabilities youneed.The relationship-driven culture you want. www.bankofthewest.com COMMERCIAL BANKING Bank of the West. Member FDIC. ANNOUNCEMENT BY OVERLAND FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC (A CALIFORNIA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY) $30,000,000.00 Fixed Rate 36 Month Secured Notes (MINIMUM INVESTMENT $25,000.00) Available only to accredited California investors who have a net worth of at least $1,000,000 or had an income of at least $200,000 (or $300,000 with spouse) in each of the past two (2) years and reasonably expect to equal or exceed that income this year. Other accreditation standards may apply depending on whether the investor is an individual or entity.

No money or other consideration is being solicited or will be accepted. An indication of interest in this offering made by a prospective purchaser of the Notes involves no obligation or commitment of any kind. No sales will be made or commitment to purchase accepted until five (5) business days after delivery of a disclosure statement and subscription information to a prospective purchaser. FOR MORE COMPLETE INFORMATION ABOUT OVERLAND FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC AND THE NOTESCALL 818-342-2477 (Suzy Berg) OR WRITE TO THE COMPANY AT 18627 TOPHAM STREET, TARZANA, CA 91335 LENDING IndyMac ends stock deal IndyMac Bancorp Inc. canceled Chief Executive Michael option to purchase 1million shares of company stock after it reported its first- ever annual loss.

Perry asked the board of the Pasadena-based mortgage lender to make the move upon his own so that IndyMac could make more options available for future grants to other employees, according to a regulatory filing. INTERNET EBay to cease partner auctions EBay Inc. said it would discontinue by year-end the section of its site that allows users to participate in live auctions hosted by other companies. The company said the move would not materially affect its business though millions of users patronize partner auction houses. Aspokesman for San Jose- based EBay said maintaining and improving the 7-year-old Live Auctions platform fell outside the current focus on boosting listings, improving experiences and making the site safer from fraud.

HEALTHCARE WellPoint to track drug safety WellPoint Inc. will use electronic information on medical claims and prescriptions to help regulators track drug safety, a project requested by Congress last year. Data from 35million members will be monitored when the program is fully underway in 2009, the Indianapolis-based insurer said. The goal is to spot drug hazards faster, averting side effects and deaths. COURTS Some Citigroup claims dismissed Part of a $7-billion negligence lawsuit filed by Italian dairy firm Parmalat against Citigroup Inc.

will go to trial May 5, a New Jersey state judge ruled. The decision by Superior Court Judge Jonathan N. Harris dismissed some claims against Citigroup but retained charges that the largest U.S. bank aided Parma- lat insiders in committing an accounting fraud that led to largest bankruptcy in 2003. New York-based Citigroup has maintained it lost hundreds of millions of dollars as a victim of Parmalat.

AIRLINES Southwest sued over inspections Four passengers are suing Southwest Airlines in federal court over flights by dozens of planes that missed inspections during a period of about six years. The lawsuit filed in Birmingham, seeks class-action status. Its claims include breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and negligent and reckless operation of an aircraft. The suit filed Friday contends the class probably covers more than 10,000 people. The Dallas-based carrier temporarily grounded scores of its older Boeing 737 jetliners last month to carry out the inspections.

It faces a fine by the Federal Aviation Administration. AUTOS Hyundai recalling Sonatas over bags Hyundai Motor South largest automaker, is recalling Sonata sedans in the U.S. because the front passenger air bag may not deploy when the seat is occupied by a small adult. Some 2006 to 2008 models are affected, Hyundai said in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Hyundai expects only about of those vehicles will need to have the seat sensor reprogrammed.

From Times Wire Services In Brief ingglobal credit crunch will limit the ability of some developers to get financing and further aggravate the gap between supply and demand, he predicted. Investors in the Canyon- Johnson fund deterred by the national real estate slump, Turner said. were able to impress on our investors that we are not investing for the next two or three years; we are investing for the next Investors in Canyon-Johnson including the California Public System, the University of Michigan and Verizon Communications Inc. can profit when projects that the fund undertakes are sold. For example, Canyon-Johnson and a partner, New Pacific Realty, paid about $100 million for the Center, formerly Transamerica Center, in downtown Los Angeles in 2003, upgraded the property and sold it for more than $200 million.

New pension fund has invested in all three Canyon- Johnson funds, city Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. said. have expanded our investments into real estate and we thought they represented an excellent opportunity to invest in a fund targeting urban centers and also generate a good Thompson said. were pioneers in urban Johnson, a former NBA star known for his enthusiasm and flash on the court, has been a key partner in the money-raising and community outreach efforts.

He also brings to the table his network of corporate partnerships with Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corp. (Magic Johnson Theatres), Starbucks Burger King 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide Inc. and Washington Mutual which has set up home-loan centers in low-income neighborhoods. Johnson said he listened closely to residents in neighborhoods where the real estate funds he represented were invested. just go in and build what we he said.

Locals have asked for such services as bookstores, coffee bars and home furnishing are often not found in our Johnson said. In Milwaukee people asked for a Wal-Mart, and at a shopping center in Houston the neighbors wanted a police substation. Canyon-Johnson is also committed to making its projects environmentally friendly, Turner said. The fund has helped pay for $2 billion worth of green development, he said, including a $70-million residential and retail tower in downtown Nashville. It was the first green residential high-rise in the South- eastpreapproved by the United States Green Building Council.

green is not only the right thing to do environmentally but the smart thing to do because it saves money on power, water and other costs, Turner said. NashvilleMayor Karl Dean keeps a basketball autographed by Johnson in his office, said Paul Ney, director of economic and community development, he is more delighted that a group of savvy investors elected to invest in our downtown revitalization Other cities where Canyon- Johnson has invested include Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Diego and Washington. Two or three major projects are under consideration in Los Angeles, Johnson said, though he declined to offer specifics because negotiations were still underway. will always invest money in L.A.,” he said. is roger.vincent@latimes.com Fund to finance urban projects Fund, from PageC1 address Within minutes, though, she started getting e-mails from friends and colleagues asking why she was searching for them on Reunion.com.

As the day progressed, Schmidt realized that every one of the roughly 250 personal and professional contacts in her online address book had received an e-mail, ostensibly from her, saying that she was searching for them and encouraging them to join her at Reunion.com. had to send an e-mail to everyone apologizing for what she said. Size counts when it comes to social-networking sites. The more members they have, the more they can charge advertisers and the more clout they have with business partners. MySpace boasts 110 million members worldwide.

Facebook claims 70 million active users. Jeffrey Tinsley, Re- union.com’s chief executive, said the privately held company, which was founded in 2002, registers about 1 million new members every month. This is due in no small part to the millions of e-mails sent out monthly to those in each new address book. not doing anything different from any other social- networking Tinsley said. Well, no.

Both MySpace and Face- book also prompt new users to reach out to the people in their e-mail address books. But the two services allow members to decide for themselves who will receive invitations to join, as opposed to Reunion.com’s automatic blitzing of everyone. No less important, the e-mailed invitations are just that invitations. For example, the e-mail from Facebook says: set up a Facebook profile with my pictures, videos and events and I want to add you as a friend so you can see it. First, you need to join Face- book! Once you join, you can also create your own a good deal more straightforward than an e-mail saying that so-and-so is searching for you.

In case, the email that prompted her to open her address book to the company appeared to come from Vera Eck, a Santa Monica psychotherapist whom Schmidt has known for a while. searching for Eck told me. Just an hour or so before Schmidt received her e-mail, Eck, 46, said she received a message from what appeared to be the father of one of the kids in her Cub Scout pack. Curious to know why he was searching for her, she registered at Reunion.com to see if her acquaintance had left amessage. Eck provided access to her Gmail address book as part of the registration process.

And so it goes. Not only does Re- union.com’sautomatic message mislead e-mail recipients by saying that someone known to them is searching for them, it misrepresents the intentions of new members by giving the impression that actively seeking to communicate with the people in their address books. Neither Schmidt nor Eck searched for a single person on Reunion.com. Tinsley, the CEO, said that providing access to e-mail accountsis optional during the registration process. But many people may overlook the small link in the top right-hand corner of the page that says this.

Tinsley described the sending of e-mails to everyone in a address book as a for other Re- union.com members. But when pressed, he acknowledged that users in fact searching for anyone when they agree to invite others to join. could probably be a bit more clear Tinsley said. After we spoke, he tweaked the language on the site to say that Reunion.com will let anyone who a member know that you looked for them, and invite them to Ipointed out that this still indicates a search is being performed when not really the case. Tinsley replied that new members are performing multinamesearch using their address Reunion.com may be a great resource for finding long-lost friends and relations have no idea.

To run a search, you have to register. To register, you have to hand over personal info and, if not careful, access to your entire address book. If you want to use the feature that the company pitches in its e-mails the ability to see been searching for you you have to pay $36 for three months or $60 for a year of full access. Tinsley said about of Reunion.com’s revenue comes from paid subscriptions. The company thus has a clear incentive to lure as many people to the site as possible.

a business Tinsley said. want more people connected, just as MySpace and Facebook do. But not trying to mislead All appearances to the contrary notwithstanding. Consumer Confidential runs Wednesdays and Sundays. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.

Messages mislead e-mail recipients PageC1 had to send an e-mail to everyone apologizing for what LAINE CHMIDT who registered on Reunion.com Representative quotations based on transaction of $1 million or more. notes; U.S. citizens exempt from withholding; inflation-indexed securities (TIPS), principal is adjusted; return is after inflation. Prices quoted in dollars and 32nds; 101.01 means 101. Subject to federal taxes but not to state income taxes.

See latimes.com/rates for more rate data. Source: Bear, Stearns Co. via Street Software Technology Inc. 4.88Apr08p100.05.20... 2.63May08p100.04.75...

3.75May08p100.07.70... 5.63May08p100.11.70-0.01 4.88May08p100.14.91-0.01 5.13Jun08p100.27.86... 5.00Jul08p101.041.01... 3.25Aug08p100.211.19... 4.13Aug08p100.301.21...

4.88Aug08p101.091.28-0.01 3.13Sep08p100.241.24... 4.63Sep08p101.161.26... 3.13Oct08p100.291.24... 4.88Oct08p101.291.27... 3.38Nov08p101.021.46-0.03 4.38Nov08p101.201.48-0.03 4.75Nov08p101.281.45-0.02 4.63Nov08p101.311.39-0.02 3.38Dec08p101.071.46-0.03 4.75Dec08p102.071.53-0.03 3.25Jan09p101.091.48-0.03 3.88Jan09f103.16-0.01 4.88Jan09p102.171.60-0.03 3.00Feb09p101.031.64-0.02 4.50Feb09p102.091.67-0.03 4.75Feb09p102.211.63-0.02 2.63Mar09p100.281.62-0.02 4.50Mar09p102.221.62-0.02 3.13Apr09p101.151.61-0.02 4.50Apr09p102.291.64-0.02 3.88May09p102.091.70-0.03 4.88May09p103.101.73-0.03 5.50May09p104.011.69-0.03 4.88May09p103.151.72-0.03 4.00Jun09p102.201.68-0.03 4.88Jun09p103.231.72-0.03 3.63Jul09p102.091.74-0.03 4.63Jul09p103.201.74-0.03 3.50Aug09p102.081.75-0.04 4.88Aug09p104.021.75-0.04 6.00Aug09p105.181.74-0.03 4.00Aug09p103.011.73-0.03 3.38Sep09p102.071.74-0.04 4.00Sep09p103.061.75-0.04 3.38Oct09p102.121.73-0.04 3.63Oct09p102.251.77-0.04 3.50Nov09p102.231.73-0.04 4.63Nov09p104.151.73-0.04 3.13Nov09p102.021.80-0.04 3.50Dec09p102.261.75-0.04 3.25Dec09p102.121.82-0.04 3.63Jan10p103.051.76-0.05 4.25Jan10f108.05-0.03 2.13Jan10p100.161.82-0.05 3.50Feb10p103.021.77-0.05 4.75Feb10p105.101.76-0.05 6.50Feb10p108.131.80-0.05 2.00Feb10p100.111.79-0.04 4.00Mar10p104.051.76-0.05 1.75Mar10n99.271.81-0.05 4.00Apr10p104.101.78-0.05 3.88May10p104.061.80-0.05 4.50May10p105.171.76-0.06 3.63Jun10p103.301.75-0.05 3.88Jul10p104.221.72-0.06 4.13Aug10p105.051.85-0.06 5.75Aug10p108.271.84-0.07 3.88Sep10p104.261.82-0.06 4.25Oct10p105.301.79-0.06 4.50Nov10p106.191.85-0.07 4.38Dec10p106.131.88-0.07 3.50Jan11f110.03-1.04 4.25Jan11p106.101.87-0.07 5.00Feb11p108.131.92-0.08 4.50Feb11p107.021.94-0.08 4.75Mar11p107.242.03-0.08 2.38Apr11f106.30.04-0.04 4.88Apr11p108.042.09-0.08 4.88May11p108.102.10-0.08 5.13Jun11p109.042.15-0.09 4.88Jul11p108.152.18-0.09 5.00Aug11p109.082.10-0.06 4.63Aug11p107.252.20-0.09 4.50Sep11p107.162.22-0.09 4.63Oct11p107.312.26-0.08 4.50Nov11p107.202.29-0.08 4.63Dec11p108.062.29-0.09 3.38Jan12f111.25.21-0.05 4.75Jan12p108.172.37-0.09 4.88Feb12p109.082.33-0.10 4.63Feb12p108.052.40-0.09 4.50Mar12p107.212.45-0.10 2.00Apr12f106.26.28-0.05 4.50Apr12p107.232.47-0.09 4.75May12p108.252.49-0.09 4.88Jun12p109.112.51-0.10 3.00Jul12f111.08.32-0.07 4.63Jul12p108.132.54-0.11 4.38Aug12p107.252.46-0.10 4.13Aug12p106.132.56-0.11 4.25Sep12p107.002.57-0.11 3.88Oct12p105.132.59-0.11 4.00Nov12p106.142.49-0.12 3.38Nov12p103.082.61-0.11 3.63Dec12p104.142.61-0.12 2.88Jan13p101.022.63-0.11 3.88Feb13p105.192.62-0.12 2.75Feb13p100.132.65-0.12 2.50Mar13n99.082.66-0.11 3.63May13p104.182.65-0.12 1.88Jul13f106.29.53-0.08 4.25Aug13p107.212.69-0.13 12.00Aug08-13103.131.55...

4.25Nov13p107.262.72-0.14 2.00Jan14f107.09.70-0.08 4.00Feb14p106.132.79-0.14 4.75May14p110.212.82-0.16 13.25May09-14111.301.97-0.04 2.00Jul14f107.15.77-0.09 4.25Aug14p107.222.90-0.13 12.50Aug09-14k113.222.00-0.05 4.25Nov14p107.222.95-0.13 11.75Nov09-14k114.312.04-0.05 1.63Jan15f104.27.88-0.10 4.00Feb15p105.273.04-0.15 11.25Feb15k149.313.08-0.18 4.13May15p106.133.10-0.14 1.88Jul15f106.19.93-0.11 4.25Aug15p107.073.14-0.14 10.63Aug15k148.163.15-0.19 4.50Nov15p108.243.18-0.17 9.88Nov15k144.133.22-0.18 2.00Jan16f107.081.02-0.11 4.50Feb16p108.143.26-0.17 9.25Feb16k140.283.28-0.18 5.13May16p112.133.35-0.16 7.25May16k126.303.40-0.18 2.50Jul16f111.131.05-0.13 4.88Aug16p110.163.41-0.15 4.63Nov16p108.243.43-0.16 7.50Nov16k129.063.52-0.18 2.38Jan17f110.111.13-0.15 4.63Feb17p108.133.50-0.16 8.75May17k139.123.62-0.21 4.50May17p107.123.54-0.16 2.63Jul17f112.201.18-0.15 4.75Aug17p109.103.56-0.17 8.88Aug17k140.313.65-0.20 4.25Nov17p105.143.57-0.17 1.63Jan18f103.211.22-0.17 3.50Feb18n99.133.57-0.18 9.13May18k144.303.73-0.23 9.00Nov18k144.263.81-0.24 8.88Feb19k144.053.85-0.24 8.13Aug19k138.053.92-0.24 8.50Feb20k142.123.97-0.26 8.75May20k145.083.99-0.25 8.75Aug20k145.194.02-0.27 7.88Feb21k137.154.09-0.29 8.13May21k140.154.09-0.29 8.13Aug21k140.264.11-0.31 8.00Nov21k139.284.13-0.30 7.25Aug22k132.194.19-0.31 7.63Nov22k137.014.20-1.00 7.13Feb23k131.204.23-0.31 6.25Aug23k122.094.25-0.29 7.50Nov24k138.044.26-0.31 2.38Jan25f108.241.77-0.23 7.63Feb25k139.264.28-1.00 6.88Aug25k131.014.31-0.31 2.00Jan26f102.261.81-0.25 6.00Feb26k120.124.34-0.29 6.75Aug26k130.084.34-1.00 6.50Nov26k127.104.34-0.30 2.38Jan27f108.291.81-0.25 6.63Feb27k128.314.35-0.31 6.38Aug27k126.044.36-1.00 6.13Nov27k123.024.36-0.31 1.75Jan28f98.271.82-0.27 3.63Apr28f129.081.86-0.31 5.50Aug28k114.244.39-0.26 5.25Nov28k111.124.40-0.26 5.25Feb29k111.124.41-0.26 3.88Apr29f134.251.86-1.02 6.13Aug29k123.244.39-0.28 6.25May30k126.094.38-0.30 5.38Feb31k114.044.39-0.28 3.38Apr32f131.001.78-1.03 4.50Feb36k101.234.39-0.29 4.75Feb37k105.264.39-0.31 5.00May37k110.044.38-0.31 4.38Feb38n99.164.40-1.01 Treasuries Notes and Bonds.