CLEVELAND, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

-- Net Loss of $729 Million Driven by Continued Actions to Build Reserves; Loan Loss Provision Declines 25% from Second Quarter

-- Pre-Tax Pre-Provision Operating Earnings of $636 Million Up 17% Year-Over-Year

-- Tier 1 Capital Ratio of 11% Among Highest of All Major U.S. Banks and $6.6 Billion Above Regulatory "Well-Capitalized" Minimum

-- Retail Deposits Stable in Quarter and Grow Year-Over-Year, Reflecting Steady Household Growth and Expansion

-- Net Charge-offs Flat with Second Quarter Excluding Writedowns from Reclassification of Marine Loans to Held for Sale

-- $8.4 Billion of Exit Portfolio Loans, Representing 8% of Total Loans, Account for 40% of Total Charge-Offs; Remaining Exit Portfolio Shows Stable to Improving Trends

-- Performance Improvement Initiative Targets Total Annual Savings of $500-$600 Million by 2011; $240 Million to be Realized in 2009

National City Corporation (NYSE: NCC) reported a net loss for the third quarter of 2008 of $729 million, driven primarily by continued actions to build loan loss reserves. This compares to a net loss of $1.8 billion in the second quarter of 2008, and a net loss of $19 million in the third quarter a year ago. On a year-to-date basis, the net loss was $2.7 billion in 2008 compared to net income of $647 million in 2007.

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Diluted net loss per common share was $5.86 for the third quarter of 2008 and $9.51 on a year-to-date basis, inclusive of a $4.4 billion one-time noncash preferred dividend recorded in September 2008 on convertible preferred stock issued as part of National City's $7 billion capital raise completed in April. The noncash dividend had no impact on total capital or net income. Excluding diluted net loss per common share would have been $.85 in the third quarter of 2008 and $3.60 on a year-to-date basis based on weighted average common shares outstanding of 877 million and 745 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2008, post conversion of preferred shares, the Corporation had approximately 2.0 billion common shares outstanding. Had those shares been outstanding from the beginning of the period, diluted net loss per common share would have been $.37 for the third quarter of 2008, exclusive of the noncash preferred dividend.

The provision for loan losses was $1.2 billion, down $408 million, or 25%, from the preceding quarter. Net charge-offs were $844 million in the third quarter of 2008, up $104 million from the preceding period due to $134 million of writedowns from reclassifications of loans to held for sale.

Pre-tax pre-provision operating earnings were $636 million in the third quarter of 2008, about equal to the preceding period, and up $93 million from the third quarter a year earlier. On a year-to-date basis, pre-tax pre-provision operating earnings were approximately $1.9 billion in both 2008 and 2007.

As of September 30, 2008, the Corporation's Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio was 10.98%, $6.6 billion in excess of the well-capitalized minimum. Total risk-based capital was 14.86% and tangible equity to assets was 8.93% at September 30, 2008.

Summary financial highlights for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2008, compared to prior periods, are shown below:




                             Third    Second       Third
    ($ in millions, except  Quarter   Quarter     Quarter      YTD      YTD
     per share data)         2008      2008         2007      2008      2007

    Consolidated net
     (loss)/income          $(729)   $(1,757)       $(19)    $(2,657)   $647
    Pre-tax pre-provision
     operating earnings*      636        638         543       1,867   1,870
    Tier 1 capital ratio    10.98%     11.06%       6.78%
    Total risk-based
     capital                14.86      14.87       10.37
    Tangible equity to
     tangible assets         8.93       8.94        5.29

*See reconciliation to consolidated net (loss)/income near the end of this release.

Chairman's Comments

Chairman, President and CEO Peter E. Raskind said, "Despite the extraordinary disruptions in the financial markets this quarter, National City continued to maintain a strong capital position and build our franchise for the future. The competitive strength and resilience of our core banking franchise is underscored by the year-over-year growth we achieved in retail deposits and net new households as well as the expansion of existing households. By aggressively executing on our direct and integrated strategy, we continued to gain market share, better leverage cross-selling opportunities and establish deeper, more robust customer relationships across our business. The performance improvement initiative we currently have underway will accelerate the implementation of this strategy, reduce costs and improve our ability to serve customers more efficiently and effectively."

"Not surprisingly, the larger macro-economic environment affected credit quality in our portfolios during the quarter. Reflecting this, we bolstered reserves by $318 million during the quarter, and by $2.0 billion year-to-date. Loan loss provisions declined by $408 million from the last quarter, and we continue to actively manage down our risk exposure and aggressively pursue loss mitigation strategies. Net charge-offs for the quarter were flat, excluding writedowns on loans reclassified to held for sale."

Exit Portfolio

The Corporation's Exit Portfolio (formerly termed "Liquidating Portfolio") was formed so that loans remaining from exited businesses and discontinued products could be managed separately from National City's core retail banking, corporate banking and wealth management businesses. This $21 billion portfolio consists of broker-originated home equity loans, nonprime mortgages, non-agency mortgages, residential construction loans, and automobile, marine and recreational vehicle loans originated through dealers.

These loans, which are in run-off mode, have been declining about $500 million per month, and are actively managed to mitigate losses by a dedicated team headed by recently appointed Executive Vice President James LeKachman, an experienced risk management executive. Significant resources and talent are devoted to this effort, which includes ongoing evaluation of potential strategic alternatives. Undrawn home equity lines have declined $2.9 billion since year end."

"A limited number of segments within our Exit Portfolio generated the majority of net charge-offs for the quarter," said Mr. Raskind. "Specifically, $8.4 billion of Exit Portfolio loans, representing 8% of the company's total loans, accounted for 40% of total net charge-offs. The remainder of our Exit Portfolio showed stable or improving trends. Importantly, we have no exposure to Option ARM-type mortgages. We are actively managing down and mitigating losses from the Exit Portfolio and have the capital flexibility to consider a variety of alternatives for these loans."

Performance Improvement Initiative

National City also has begun implementation of a previously announced performance improvement initiative to enhance earnings power and ability to grow in a scalable manner. The initiative is focused on reducing costs and driving changes in organizational structure and operations that will increase operating efficiency and accelerate the benefits of National City's direct and integrated strategy. Based on analysis completed to date, the company expects this initiative to result in run-rate annual savings of $500-$600 million by 2011. The company estimates that $240 million of this reduction will be realized in 2009, and expects to take associated charges in the range of $80 to $100 million. While anticipated personnel impacts are still being assessed, at this point, the company expects a reduction of approximately 4,000 positions or 14% of its total workforce, over the next three years.

The performance improvement initiative is based on a rigorous, comprehensive analysis of operations conducted over the past quarter with the help of a leading consulting firm.

Two executives whose units comprise 60% of the bank's costs are leading the initiative: Dan Frate, Vice Chairman and Head of Retail Banking, and Jon Gorney, Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Operations and Information Systems. In addition, Jeff Tengel, who previously ran National City's National Commercial business, is leading this effort on a day-to-day basis.

Although the review is ongoing, based on the analysis to date, the key areas of focus for this initiative include:

-- Immediately executing on a series of tactical, high-impact expense reductions to drive greater efficiencies and reduce procurement and headcount-related costs, worth approximately $165-200 million in annual savings.

-- Systematically streamlining and consolidating operations to optimize middle and back office functions, better integrate sales effort across the Company's footprint and improve the ability to serve customers more efficiently and cost-effectively, worth approximately $285-350 million in annual savings.

-- Reshaping the Company to simplify its management structure and extend the impact of its direct and integrated strategy across the organization, worth approximately $50 million in annual savings.

Raskind said: "This important initiative is the centerpiece of our ongoing efforts to transform National City, drive sustainable, profitable growth and deliver value to our customers and shareholders. Our goal is to create a much more focused, straightforward and streamlined organization with enhanced expense control and risk management as part of its core DNA. At the same time, we are committed to continued investment in our core franchise to expand and deepen our customer relationships."

Additional Actions to Strengthen Management and Improve Performance

In addition to its progress managing down its Exit Portfolio and implementing its performance improvement initiative, National City has taken the following steps to further strengthen its management team and improve performance, including:

-- Combining regional and national commercial operations under one corporate banking division, now operating under the leadership of recently appointed Executive Vice President, Rick Michel, with a more streamlined and integrated organizational structure.

-- Investing in new product management capabilities and analytics in corporate banking to enhance return on capital, while continuing to de-emphasize non-core portfolios and business segments.

-- Enhancing the financial planning and alternative investment capabilities in the Private Client Group, which completed the rollout of its Emerging Affluent client offering and expanded its Ultra Affluent offering.

-- Driving household growth in retail banking through strong "Bank at Work" penetration, and expanding household relationships through National City's industry leading Points program.

-- Improving cross-selling efforts to generate a substantial increase in mortgages made to retail banking customers.

Financial Review

In April 2008, the Corporation issued contingently convertible preferred stock with a conversion price of $5.00 per common equivalent share, which was below the then-current market price of National City's common stock. In September 2008, upon stockholder approval of the conversion of this stock, the Corporation recorded a noncash preferred dividend, in the form of a transfer from retained earnings to capital surplus, of $4.4 billion. This preferred stock dividend had no impact on cash, total stockholders' equity, regulatory capital or net income. Net income available to common stockholders, which is the numerator in the computation of diluted earnings per common share, has been reduced by this noncash preferred dividend. Excluding this noncash preferred dividend, diluted loss per common share was $.85 in the third quarter of 2008 and $3.60 on a year-to-date basis.




    ($ in millions,        Third     Second     Third
     except per share     Quarter   Quarter    Quarter      YTD       YTD
     data)                 2008       2008       2007       2008      2007

    Tax-equivalent
     net interest
     income               $1,024     $1,021     $1,102     $3,114    $3,316
    Provision for
     loan losses           1,184      1,592        368      4,169       635
    Noninterest income       386        431        624      1,955     2,009
    Noninterest expense    1,335      2,277      1,396      4,624     3,738
    (Loss) income before
     income taxes         (1,109)    (2,417)       (38)    (3,724)      952
    Income tax
     (benefit) provision
     and tax equivalent
     adjustment             (380)      (660)       (19)    (1,067)      305
    Net (loss) income       (729)    (1,757)       (19)    (2,657)      647
    Preferred dividends
     - cash                  (16)       (14)         -        (30)       (2)
    Preferred dividends
     - noncash            (4,400)         -          -     (4,400)        -
    Net (loss) income
     available to common
     stockholders        $(5,145)   $(1,771)      $(19)   $(7,087)     $645
    Diluted (loss)
     earnings per
     share                $(5.86)    $(2.45)     $(.03)    $(9.51)    $1.07
    Noncash preferred
     dividend per share    (5.01)         -          -      (5.91)        -
    Diluted (loss)
     earnings per share
     excluding noncash
     preferred dividend     (.85)     (2.45)      (.03)     (3.60)     1.07
    Weighted average
     diluted common
     shares                  877        723        588        745       604
    Common shares
     outstanding at
     period end            2,036        760        633

Net Interest Income

Tax-equivalent net interest income was $1.0 billion for the third quarter of 2008, about equal to the immediately preceding quarter, and down about 7% compared to the third quarter a year ago. Net interest margin was 2.99% in the third quarter of 2008, up 2 basis points from the preceding period. Net interest margin was down 44 basis points compared to the third quarter a year ago due to higher levels of nonperforming assets and higher funding costs. Average earning assets for the third quarter of 2008 were $136.8 billion, down slightly compared to the preceding quarter, and up 7% compared to the third quarter a year ago. The year-over-year growth in earning assets reflects higher balances of federal funds sold and short-term liquid investments.

Tax-equivalent net interest income was $3.1 billion for the first nine months of 2008, down 6% compared to the prior year. Net interest margin was 3.05% for the first nine months of 2008, down 52 basis points compared to the same period in 2007. The lower margin in 2008 was attributable to the same factors described above. Average earning assets were $136.4 billion on a year-to-date basis in 2008, up 10% from the same period a year ago. The year-to-date growth in earning assets was due to higher balances of federal funds sold and short-term investments, and a larger loan portfolio, partially offset by a smaller balance of loans held for sale.

Provision for Loan Losses

The provision for loan losses was $1.2 billion in the third quarter of 2008, down from $1.6 billion in the preceding quarter, and up from $368 million in the third quarter of 2007. The following table shows the provision for loan losses separately for the Core and Exit Portfolios.




                     Third        Second       Third
                    Quarter      Quarter      Quarter      YTD         YTD
    ($ in millions)   2008         2008         2007       2008        2007

    Core Portfolio   $506         $512         $217      $1,370        $350
    Exit Portfolio    678        1,080          151       2,799         285
    Total          $1,184       $1,592         $368      $4,169        $635

The provision for loan losses in the two most recent quarters included supplemental reserves for emerging credit trends. In the third quarter of 2008, a $31 million loan loss reserve was established for potentially higher losses on credit card loans. In the second quarter of 2008, a $478 million supplemental reserve was established for potentially higher losses on exited residential real estate and home equity loans resulting from declining housing markets. On a year-to-date basis, the provision for loan losses was $4.2 billion in 2008 compared to $635 million in 2007.

Net charge-offs were $844 million in the third quarter of 2008, and included $134 million of writedowns on loans transferred to held for sale. Absent this transfer, net charge-offs were slightly lower than the second quarter of 2008 as losses on the Exit Portfolio have held steady. The following table shows net charge-offs separately for the Core and Exit Portfolios.




                              Third   Second     Third
                             Quarter  Quarter   Quarter      YTD       YTD
    ($ in millions)           2008     2008       2007       2008      2007
    Core Portfolio:
      Commercial loans
       and leases             $53       $39        $16       $116       $58
      Commercial construction
       and real estate        106        61         13        193        24
      Mortgage and other
       consumer*              131       109         57        355       142
      Total Core              290       209         86        664       224
    Exit Portfolio*           554       531         55      1,458       162
    Total                    $844      $740       $141     $2,122      $386

*Third quarter and YTD 2008 include writedowns on loans transferred to held for sale.

Net charge-offs in the Core Portfolio were $290 million in the third quarter of 2008 versus $209 million in the second quarter with increased losses concentrated primarily in commercial construction. Net charge-offs for the Exit Portfolio were $554 million in the third quarter of 2008, inclusive of $126 million of writedowns on loans transferred to held for sale. On a year-to-date basis, net charge-offs were $2.1 billion in 2008, of which $1.5 billion related to Exit Portfolio.

Loans 90 days past due were $1.1 billion at September 30, 2008, down somewhat from June 30, 2008, primarily due to a lower level of delinquent residential real estate loans within the Exit Portfolio. Loans 90 days past due as of September 30, 2007 are not directly comparable as the Corporation accelerated the classification of certain past-due loans to nonperforming status in 2008. The following table reports delinquent loans for both the Core and Exit Portfolios:




    ($ in millions)                September 30,      June 30,   September 30,
                                        2008            2008          2007
    Core Portfolio:
      Commercial loans and leases       $25             $28           $42
      Commercial construction and
       real estate                      141             146           123
      Residential real estate           301             308           393
      Home equity and other consumer    115             111            81
      Total Core                        582             593           639
    Exit Portfolio:
      Residential real estate          $519            $543          $734
      Home equity and other consumer      7              11            44
      Total Exit                        526             554           778
    Loans held for sale                  13               9            43
      Total                          $1,121          $1,156        $1,460

Nonperforming assets were $3.5 billion at September 30, 2008, up $411 million from the preceding quarter, with the growth primarily in commercial, commercial construction loans and exited mortgage loans. Ongoing weakness in the housing markets continues to affect loans related to residential real estate development. Other real estate owned declined by 4% compared to June 30, 2008, due mainly to larger fair value writedowns on foreclosed properties. The following table shows nonperforming assets for both the Core and Exit Portfolios.




    ($ in millions)                September 30,     June 30,   September 30,
                                       2008            2008          2007
    Core Portfolio:
      Commercial loans and leases      $296            $236          $152
      Commercial construction and
       real estate                    1,128             920           415
      Residential real estate           303             261           191
      Home equity                        13              16            15
    Total Core                        1,740           1,433           773
    Exit Portfolio:
      Residential real estate         1,100             997            86
      Home equity                       184             160             2
    Total Exit                        1,284           1,157            88
    Other real estate owned             505             528           324
    Loans held for sale                   8               8            26
      Total                          $3,537          $3,126        $1,211


    The allowance for loan losses increased to $3.8 billion as of September
30, 2008, up from $3.4 billion at June 30, 2008.  The allowance for loan
losses was 3.40% of portfolio loans and 124% of nonperforming loans as of
September 30, 2008.


    ($ in millions)              September 30,       June 30,   September 30,
                                      2008             2008         2007
    Core Portfolio                   $1,715          $1,497        $1,063
    Exit Portfolio                    2,037           1,937           310
     Total                           $3,752          $3,434        $1,373
    As a percentage of portfolio
     loans                             3.40%           3.03%         1.23%

Noninterest Income

Noninterest income was $386 million in the third quarter of 2008, down $45 million from the second quarter, and down $238 million from the third quarter a year ago. On a year-to-date basis, noninterest income was approximately $2.0 billion in both 2008 and 2007.




                              Third    Second     Third
                             Quarter   Quarter   Quarter     YTD      YTD
     ($ in millions)           2008      2008      2007      2008     2007

    Deposit service charges    $273      $260      $229      $763     $656
    Loan sale and servicing
     (loss) revenue*            (56)     (141)       85       (92)     398
    Security (losses) gains**   (77)      (11)        -       427       26
    All other                   246       323       310       857      929
     Total noninterest income  $386      $431      $624    $1,955   $2,009

*MSR hedging losses and mortgage recourse provision included within loan sale and servicing (loss)/revenue in all periods.

**Gain on redemption of Visa shares included within YTD 2008 security gains.

Deposit service fees were $273 million in the third quarter of 2008, up 5% compared to the second quarter and up 19% compared to the third quarter a year ago. This growth reflects higher fee generating transaction volumes as well as a larger number of deposit accounts. On a year-to-date basis, deposit service fees were $763 million, up 16% from the same period last year, resulting from the same factors previously described, as well as an acquisition completed in the last half of 2007.

Loan sales and servicing loss was $56 million in the third quarter of 2008, $85 million better than the preceding quarter, but $141 million worse than the third quarter a year ago. The net loss from loan sales and servicing arose from net mortgage servicing right (MSR) hedging losses. Net MSR hedging (losses)/gains were $(189) million in the third quarter of 2008, $(146) million in the second quarter of 2008, versus $64 million in the third quarter a year ago. Loan sale revenue improved compared to the preceding quarter due to a lower provision for estimated recourse losses on potential mortgage loan repurchases. On a year-to-date basis, the loan sale and servicing loss was also driven by net MSR hedging losses as well as lower mortgage production and sales volume. On a year-to-date basis, net MSR hedging (losses)/gains were $(394) million in 2008 and $25 million in 2007.

Net security losses arose from other-than-temporary impairment of available for sale securities of $91 million in the third quarter of 2008 and $29 million in second quarter of 2008. On a year-to-date basis, net security gains of $532 million were realized on the partial redemption of Visa Class B shares, partially offset by other-than-temporary impairment losses of $136 million. No redemptions or impairments were recognized in 2007.

Noninterest Expense

Noninterest expense was $1.3 billion in the third quarter of 2008, down $942 million from the second quarter, and down $61 million from the third quarter a year ago. On a year-to-date basis, noninterest expense was $4.6 billion in 2008, up about $886 million from the prior year due to asset impairment charges.




                             Third     Second      Third
                            Quarter    Quarter    Quarter    YTD      YTD
    ($ in millions)          2008        2008       2007     2008     2007
    Salaries, benefits and
     other personnel costs   $563        $619       $642    $1,841   $1,917
    Impairment, fraud and
     other losses*            134       1,098        257     1,035      277
    Foreclosure costs         122          61         17       232       40
    All other                 516         499        480     1,516   1,504
      Total noninterest
       expense             $1,335      $2,277     $1,396    $4,624   $3,738

*Goodwill impairment and Visa indemnification included within impairment, fraud and other losses in all periods.

Salaries, benefits and other personnel costs decreased 9% compared to the preceding quarter and 12% compared to the third quarter a year ago due to reductions in staffing, lower business volumes, and lower incentive compensation. On a year-to-date basis, personnel costs were down 4% compared to the prior year. Cost savings from reduced staffing levels in 2008 were partially offset by lower deferrals of loan origination costs resulting from the adoption of fair value for certain loans held for sale at the beginning of the year.

Impairment, fraud and other losses for the third quarter of 2008 included a provision of $87 million for Visa indemnification obligations, as well as an impairment loss of $28 million for real estate under development associated with a prior acquisition. In the second quarter of 2008, impairment, fraud and other losses included a goodwill impairment charge of $1.1 billion. The third quarter of 2007 included a provision of $157 million for Visa indemnification obligations, $44 million of asset impairments, and a $25 million litigation settlement. On a year-to-date basis, the higher losses in 2008 reflect the previously described indemnification obligation and asset impairments, partially offset by a release of Visa indemnification liabilities established in prior periods.

Foreclosure costs increased to $122 million in the third quarter, up $61 million from the immediately preceding quarter, and up $105 million versus the third quarter a year ago. Larger fair value writedowns were recognized in the third quarter of 2008 based on more aggressive property disposition strategies. Compared to the third quarter a year earlier, foreclosure costs have increased due to more loans in foreclosure and higher expected and realized losses associated with declining property values. The same factors accounted for the higher foreclosure costs on a year-to-date basis.

Balance Sheet

Loans

Average portfolio loans were $111.7 billion in the third quarter of 2008, down $2.4 billion from the second quarter of 2008, and up $7.2 billion from the third quarter a year ago. Average loans held for sale were $2.1 billion in the third quarter of 2008, down almost $1 billion from the preceding quarter, and down $10.5 billion from the third quarter a year ago. The table shown below summarizes the average balances for both the Core and Exit Portfolios, as well as loans held for sale.




    ($ in millions)            Third Quarter   Second Quarter   Third Quarter
                                    2008            2008            2007
    Core portfolio                $90,604         $91,302         $85,913
    Exit portfolio                 21,062          22,763          18,526
     Total portfolio loans        111,666         114,065         104,439
    Loans held for sale             2,131           3,075          12,643

The average balance of the Core Portfolio was down slightly compared to the preceding quarter but up $4.7 billion compared to the third quarter a year ago primarily due to a September 2007 acquisition. The Exit Portfolio declined from the second quarter with ongoing paydowns and charge-offs. The Exit Portfolio balance increased compared to third quarter a year earlier as residential construction and non-agency mortgage loans were added to this portfolio in 2008. Loans held for sale declined compared to prior periods which reflects the curtailment of non-agency mortgage-related products and wholesale channels. Late in the third quarter of 2008, the Corporation's $1.2 billion marine portfolio was transferred to held for sale. This reclassification did not have a significant impact on the average balances reported above.

Deposits

Average total deposits were $98.7 billion in the third quarter of 2008, down less than $1 billion compared to the preceding quarter, and up $5.2 billion compared to the third quarter a year ago. Average core deposits, excluding mortgage escrow and custodial balances, were $83.3 billion in the third quarter of 2008, down $1.0 billion compared to the second quarter of 2008, and up $5.7 billion compared to the third quarter a year ago. New customers and accounts were added during the quarter, which partially offset declines in deposit balances in excess of FDIC insurance limits. Compared to the third quarter a year earlier, deposits have grown with continued household growth and expansion as well as a September 2007 acquisition.

Capital

Total stockholders' equity was $17.2 billion at September 30, 2008 and tangible stockholders' equity was $12.5 billion, up $4.9 billion compared to December 31, 2007. During the second quarter of 2008, the Corporation raised $7.0 billion of equity capital by issuing common stock, contingently convertible preferred shares and warrants. On September 15, 2008, stockholders approved the conversion of the contingently convertible preferred shares, and shortly thereafter, these shares were exchanged into approximately 1.3 billion common shares. This exchange had no effect on cash, total stockholders' equity or regulatory capital. Capital ratios are shown in the table below.




                                      Third          Second         Third
                                     Quarter         Quarter       Quarter
                                      2008            2008           2007

    Tier 1 capital                    10.98%          11.06%         6.78%
    Total risk-based capital          14.86           14.87         10.37
    Tier 1 leverage                   10.07           10.33          6.96
    Period end equity to assets       11.85           11.70          8.98
    Period end tangible equity to
     assets                            8.93            8.94          5.29

Pre-Tax Pre-Provision Operating Earnings

Consolidated net (loss)/income, measured in accordance with GAAP, is the principal and most useful measure of earnings and provides comparability of earnings with other companies. However, management believes presenting pre-tax pre-provision operating earnings provides investors with additional information in order to better understand the company's underlying operating trends. Pre-tax pre-provision operating earnings, as defined by management, represents net (loss) income excluding income tax (benefit) expense, the provision for loan losses, as well as other items as shown below. The following table reconciles consolidated net (loss)/income presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to pre-tax pre-provision operating earnings.




                              Third     Second     Third
                             Quarter    Quarter   Quarter    YTD       YTD
    ($ in millions)            2008      2008       2007     2008      2007
    Consolidated net
     (loss)/income            $(729)   $(1,757)    $(19)   $(2,657)    $647
    Income tax (benefit)
     expense                   (391)      (667)     (26)    (1,093)     283
    Provision for loan
     losses                   1,184      1,592      368      4,169      635
    MSR hedging losses
     (gains)                    189        146      (64)       394      (25)
    Foreclosed asset losses     122         61       17        232       40
    Securities losses/
     (gains)                     77         11        -       (427)     (26)
    Litigation and
     indemnification losses     148        214      223        161      273
    Goodwill and other asset
     impairments                 41      1,080       44      1,135       43
    Derivative gains on
     equity-linked instruments   (5)       (42)       -        (47)       -
    Pre-tax pre-provision
     operating earnings        $636       $638     $543     $1,867   $1,870

Conference Call

Management of National City will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. (ET) on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 to discuss the third quarter 2008 results. Presentation slides to accompany the conference call remarks may be found at http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=64242&p=irol-presentations . Interested parties may access the conference call by dialing 1-800-230-1951. Participants are encouraged to call in 15 minutes prior to the call in order to register for the event. The conference call will also be accessible via the Company's Web site, nationalcity.com/investorrelations. Questions for discussion at the conference call may be submitted any time prior to or during the call by sending an email to investor.relations@nationalcity.com.

A replay of the conference call will be available from 10:00 a.m. (ET) on October 21, 2008, until midnight (ET) on October 28, 2008. The replay will be accessible by calling 1-800-475-6701 (domestic) or 320-365-3844 (international) using the pass code of 893755 or via the Company's Web site.

National City Corporation (NYSE: NCC), headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the nation's largest financial holding companies. The company operates through an extensive banking network primarily in Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and also serves customers in selected markets nationally. Its core businesses include commercial and retail banking, mortgage financing and servicing, consumer finance and asset management. For more information about National City, visit the company's Web site at nationalcity.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations or forecasts of future events and are not guarantees of future performance, nor should they be relied upon as representing management's views as of any subsequent date. The forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially include, without limitation, the Corporation's ability to effectively execute its business plans; changes in general economic and financial market conditions including the housing and residential mortgage markets; changes in interest rates; changes in the competitive environment; continuing consolidation in the financial services industry; new litigation or changes in existing litigation; losses, customer bankruptcies, claims and assessments; changes in banking regulations or other regulatory or legislative requirements affecting the Corporation's business; and changes in accounting policies or procedures as may be required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or other regulatory agencies. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements is available in the Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, and subsequent filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Copies of these filings are available at no cost on the SEC's Web site at sec.gov or on the Corporation's Web site at nationalcity.com/investorrelations. Management may elect to update forward-looking statements at some future point; however, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.





                                    Unaudited
                              National City Corporation
                         CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
                       (In millions, except per share data)

                                                          2008
                                             3rd Qtr     2nd Qtr     1st Qtr
    EARNINGS

    Tax-equivalent interest income            $1,853      $1,886      $2,132
    Interest expense                             829         865       1,063
    Tax-equivalent net interest income         1,024       1,021       1,069
    Provision for loan losses                  1,184       1,592       1,393
    Tax-equivalent (NIE) NII after
     provision for loan losses                  (160)       (571)       (324)
    Noninterest income                           386         431       1,138
    Noninterest expense                        1,335       2,277       1,012
    (Loss) income before taxes and tax-
     equivalent adjustment                    (1,109)     (2,417)       (198)
    Income tax (benefit) expense                (391)       (667)        (35)
    Tax-equivalent adjustment                     11           7           8
    Net (loss) income                          ($729)    ($1,757)      ($171)
    Net (loss) income available to common
     stockholders(1)                         ($5,145)    ($1,771)      ($171)
    Effective tax rate                         (34.9)%     (27.5)%     (17.0)%

    PER COMMON SHARE
    Net (loss) income:
        Basic                                 ($5.86)     ($2.45)      ($.27)
        Diluted                                (5.86)      (2.45)       (.27)
    Dividends paid                               .01         .01         .21
    Book value                                  8.37       15.07       20.61
    Tangible book value                         6.09        8.94       11.53
    Market value (close)                        1.75        4.77        9.95
    Average shares:
        Basic                                  877.3       722.9       633.4
        Diluted                                877.3       722.9       633.4

    PERFORMANCE RATIOS
    Return on average common equity                -           -           -
    Return on average total equity                 -           -           -
    Return on average assets                       -           -           -
    Net interest margin                         2.99%       2.97%       3.18%
    Efficiency ratio                           94.71      156.79       45.84

    LINE OF BUSINESS (LOB) RESULTS
    Net Income:
    Retail Banking                              $132        $150         $97
    Corporate Banking                            (27)     (1,107)         92
    Mortgage Banking                            (174)       (193)        (76)
    Asset Management                               7          20          19
    Exit Portfolios                             (405)       (677)       (579)
    Parent and Other                            (262)         50         276
    Total Consolidated National City
     Corporation                               ($729)    ($1,757)      ($171)

    LOB Contribution to Diluted Earnings
     Per Share:
    Retail Banking                              $.15        $.21        $.15
    Corporate Banking                           (.03)      (1.53)        .14
    Mortgage Banking                            (.20)       (.27)       (.12)
    Asset Management                             .01         .03         .03
    Exit Portfolios                             (.46)       (.94)       (.91)
    Parent and Other                           (5.33)        .05         .44
    Total Consolidated National City
     Corporation                              ($5.86)     ($2.45)      ($.27)



                                                        2007

                                          4th Qtr  3rd Qtr  2nd Qtr 1st Qtr
    EARNINGS

    Tax-equivalent interest income         $2,381   $2,360  $2,255  $2,218
    Interest expense                        1,272    1,258   1,159   1,100
    Tax-equivalent net interest income      1,109    1,102   1,096   1,118
    Provision for loan losses                 691      368     145     122
    Tax-equivalent (NIE) NII after
     provision for loan losses                418      734     951     996
    Noninterest income                        597      624     764     621
    Noninterest expense                     1,567    1,396   1,186   1,156
    (Loss) income before taxes and tax-
     equivalent adjustment                   (552)     (38)    529     461
    Income tax (benefit) expense             (226)     (26)    175     134
    Tax-equivalent adjustment                   7        7       7       8
    Net (loss) income                       ($333)    ($19)   $347    $319
    Net (loss) income available to common
     stockholders(1)                        ($333)    ($19)   $346    $318
    Effective tax rate                      (40.5)%  (58.4)%  33.6%   29.5%

    PER COMMON SHARE
    Net (loss) income:
        Basic                               ($.53)   ($.03)   $.60    $.50
        Diluted                              (.53)    (.03)    .60     .50
    Dividends paid                            .41      .41     .39     .39
    Book value                              21.15    21.86   21.45   22.12
    Tangible book value                     12.03    12.38   13.02   14.05
    Market value (close)                    16.46    25.09   33.32   37.25
    Average shares:
        Basic                               633.2    588.1   572.7   631.7
        Diluted                             633.2    588.1   580.4   640.5

    PERFORMANCE RATIOS
    Return on average common equity             -        -   11.35%   8.98%
    Return on average total equity              -        -   11.37    8.99
    Return on average assets                    -        -    1.00     .94
    Net interest margin                      3.30%    3.43%   3.59    3.69
    Efficiency ratio                        91.86    80.89   63.76   66.50

    LINE OF BUSINESS (LOB) RESULTS
    Net Income:
    Retail Banking                           $174     $172    $193    $170
    Corporate Banking                         151      150     178     226
    Mortgage Banking                         (346)    (125)     24     (26)
    Asset Management                           24       21      29      27
    Exit Portfolios                          (188)     (29)     62      13
    Parent and Other                         (148)    (208)   (139)    (91)
    Total Consolidated National City
     Corporation                            ($333)    ($19)   $347    $319

    LOB Contribution to Diluted Earnings
     Per Share:
    Retail Banking                           $.28     $.29    $.33    $.27
    Corporate Banking                         .23      .25     .31     .35
    Mortgage Banking                         (.55)    (.21)    .04    (.04)
    Asset Management                          .04      .04     .05     .04
    Exit Portfolios                          (.30)    (.05)    .11     .02
    Parent and Other                         (.23)    (.35)   (.24)   (.14)
    Total Consolidated National City
     Corporation                            ($.53)   ($.03)   $.60    $.50



                                                        Nine Months Ended
                                                           September 30,
                                                      2008              2007
    EARNINGS

    Tax-equivalent interest income                   $5,871            $6,833
    Interest expense                                  2,757             3,517
    Tax-equivalent net interest income                3,114             3,316
    Provision for loan losses                         4,169               635
    Tax-equivalent (NIE) NII after
     provision for loan losses                       (1,055)            2,681
    Noninterest income                                1,955             2,009
    Noninterest expense                               4,624             3,738
    (Loss) income before taxes and tax-
     equivalent adjustment                           (3,724)              952
    Income tax (benefit) expense                     (1,093)              283
    Tax-equivalent adjustment                            26                22
    Net (loss) income                               ($2,657)             $647
    Net (loss) income available to common
     stockholders(1)                                ($7,087)             $645
    Effective tax rate                              (29.2)%             30.4%

    PER COMMON SHARE
    Net (loss) income:
        Basic                                        ($9.51)            $1.08
        Diluted                                       (9.51)             1.07
    Dividends paid                                      .23              1.19
    Book value
    Tangible book value
    Market value (close)
    Average shares:
        Basic                                         745.0             597.4
        Diluted                                       745.0             604.3

    PERFORMANCE RATIOS
    Return on average common equity                        -            6.60%
    Return on average total equity                         -             6.61
    Return on average assets                               -              .62
    Net interest margin                               3.05%              3.57
    Efficiency ratio                                  91.21             70.20

    LINE OF BUSINESS (LOB) RESULTS
    Net Income:
    Retail Banking                                     $379              $535
    Corporate Banking                                (1,042)              554
    Mortgage Banking                                   (443)             (127)
    Asset Management                                     46                77
    Exit Portfolios                                  (1,661)               46
    Parent and Other                                     64              (438)
    Total Consolidated National City
     Corporation                                    ($2,657)             $647

    LOB Contribution to Diluted Earnings
     Per Share:
    Retail Banking                                     $.51              $.89
    Corporate Banking                                 (1.40)              .91
    Mortgage Banking                                   (.59)             (.21)
    Asset Management                                    .06               .13
    Exit Portfolios                                   (2.23)              .08
    Parent and Other                                  (5.86)             (.73)
    Total Consolidated National City
     Corporation                                     ($9.51)            $1.07


    (1) Includes a $4.4 billion non-cash preferred stock dividend arising from
        the Series G preferred stock conversion during the third quarter of
        2008.



                                    Unaudited
                              National City Corporation
                      CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (continued)
                                  ($ in millions)

                                                           2008
                                              3rd Qtr     2nd Qtr     1st Qtr

    CREDIT QUALITY STATISTICS
    Net charge-offs                             $844        $740        $538
    Provision for loan losses                  1,184       1,592       1,393
    Loan loss allowance                        3,752       3,434       2,582
    Lending-related commitment allowance          71          75          67
    Nonperforming assets                       3,537       3,126       2,752
    Annualized net charge-offs to average
     portfolio loans                            2.67%       2.61%       1.88%
    Loan loss allowance to period-end
     portfolio loans                            3.40        3.03        2.23
    Loan loss allowance to nonperforming
     portfolio loans                          124.07      132.59      114.25
    Loan loss allowance (period-end) to
     annualized net charge-offs               111.78      115.45      119.22
    Nonperforming assets to period-end
     portfolio loans
      and other nonperforming assets            3.19        2.74        2.37

    CAPITAL AND LIQUIDITY RATIOS
    Tier 1 capital(1)                          10.98%      11.06%       6.67%
    Total risk-based capital(1)                14.86       14.87       10.31
    Leverage(1)                                10.07       10.33        6.49
    Period-end equity to assets                11.85       11.70        8.53
    Period-end tangible equity to assets
     (2)                                        8.93        8.94        5.00
    Average equity to assets                   11.69       11.35        8.76
    Average equity to portfolio loans          15.78       15.30       11.62
    Average portfolio loans to deposits       113.11      114.58      118.23
    Average portfolio loans to core
     deposits                                 126.85      127.65      131.57
    Average portfolio loans to earning
     assets                                    81.61       82.80       85.75
    Average securities to earning assets        7.00        6.16        6.38

    AVERAGE BALANCES
    Assets                                  $150,740    $153,852    $153,032
    Portfolio loans                          111,666     114,065     115,379
    Loans held for sale or securitization      2,131       3,075       4,494
    Securities (at cost)                       9,582       8,491       8,588
    Earning assets                           136,833     137,755     134,552
    Core deposits                             88,027      89,357      87,691
    Purchased deposits and funding            41,666      43,361      47,475
    Total equity                              17,618      17,455      13,411

    PERIOD-END BALANCES

    Assets                                  $145,035    $153,673    $155,038
    Portfolio loans                          110,462     113,420     115,859
    Loans held for sale or securitization      3,246       2,385       4,536
    Securities (at fair value)                 8,826       9,404       8,449
    Core deposits                             85,637      91,096      89,135
    Purchased deposits and funding            38,719      40,603      48,733
    Total equity                              17,182      17,981      13,223



                                                          2007
                                         4th Qtr   3rd Qtr   2nd Qtr   1st Qtr

    CREDIT QUALITY STATISTICS
    Net charge-offs                        $275      $141       $98      $147
    Provision for loan losses               691       368       145       122
    Loan loss allowance                   1,762     1,373     1,136     1,104
    Lending-related commitment
     allowance                               65        54        61        63
    Nonperforming assets                  1,523     1,211       848       801
    Annualized net charge-offs to
     average portfolio loans                .96%      .54%      .39%      .61%
    Loan loss allowance to period-end
     portfolio loans                       1.52      1.23      1.14      1.11
    Loan loss allowance to
     nonperforming portfolio loans       161.55    159.42    202.16    206.08
    Loan loss allowance (period-end)
     to annualized net charge-offs       161.24    245.43    291.06    184.68
    Nonperforming assets to period-end
     portfolio loans
      and other nonperforming assets       1.31      1.08       .85       .80

    CAPITAL AND LIQUIDITY RATIOS
    Tier 1 capital(1)                      6.53%     6.78%     6.56%     7.08%
    Total risk-based capital(1)           10.27     10.37     10.28     10.13
    Leverage(1)                            6.39      6.96      6.53      6.92
    Period-end equity to assets            8.95      8.98      8.64      9.51
    Period-end tangible equity to
     assets (2)                            5.29      5.29      5.43      6.26
    Average equity to assets               8.88      8.71      8.83     10.45
    Average equity to portfolio loans     11.94     12.10     12.27     14.66
    Average portfolio loans to
     deposits                            115.45    111.70    110.74    111.78
    Average portfolio loans to core
     deposits                            130.20    128.17    127.87    128.66
    Average portfolio loans to earning
     assets                               84.60     81.43     81.48     80.79
    Average securities to earning
     assets                                6.58      6.11      5.84      6.34

    AVERAGE BALANCES
    Assets                             $152,566  $145,095  $138,587  $137,810
    Portfolio loans                     113,484   104,439    99,689    98,198
    Loans held for sale or
     securitization                       8,340    12,643    12,615    11,769
    Securities (at cost)                  8,826     7,835     7,143     7,704
    Earning assets                      134,142   128,249   122,344   121,543
    Core deposits                        87,164    81,484    77,964    76,322
    Purchased deposits and funding       47,450    47,093    44,604    43,001
    Total equity                         13,554    12,636    12,231    14,398

    PERIOD-END BALANCES

    Assets                             $149,852  $154,166  $140,636  $138,559
    Portfolio loans                     116,022   111,991    99,683    99,566
    Loans held for sale or
     securitization                       4,290    11,987    14,421    10,693
    Securities (at fair value)            8,731     8,977     7,024     7,208
    Core deposits                        87,536    86,450    79,043    77,884
    Purchased deposits and funding       44,822    49,193    45,036    42,897
    Total equity                         13,408    13,843    12,147    13,170



                                                        Nine Months Ended
                                                           September 30,
                                                      2008              2007

    CREDIT QUALITY STATISTICS
    Net charge-offs                                 $2,122              $386
    Provision for loan losses                        4,169               635
    Loan loss allowance
    Lending-related commitment allowance
    Nonperforming assets
    Annualized net charge-offs to average
     portfolio loans                                  2.46%              .51%
    Loan loss allowance to period-end
     portfolio loans
    Loan loss allowance to nonperforming
     portfolio loans
    Loan loss allowance (period-end) to
     annualized net charge-offs                     132.38            266.24
    Nonperforming assets to period-end
     portfolio loans
      and other nonperforming assets

    CAPITAL AND LIQUIDITY RATIOS
    Tier 1 capital(1)
    Total risk-based capital(1)
    Leverage(1)
    Period-end equity to assets
    Period-end tangible equity to
     assets (2)
    Average equity to assets                         10.60%             9.31%
    Average equity to portfolio loans                14.22             12.98
    Average portfolio loans to deposits             115.29            111.41
    Average portfolio loans to core
     deposits                                       128.68            128.23
    Average portfolio loans to earning
     assets                                          83.37             81.24
    Average securities to earning assets              6.52              6.09

    AVERAGE BALANCES
    Assets                                        $152,535          $140,524
    Portfolio loans                                113,696           100,798
    Loans held for sale or securitization            3,229            12,346
    Securities (at cost)                             8,889             7,561
    Earning assets                                 136,382           124,070
    Core deposits                                   88,358            78,609
    Purchased deposits and funding                  44,157            44,914
    Total equity                                    16,167            13,082

    PERIOD-END BALANCES

    Assets
    Portfolio loans
    Loans held for sale or securitization
    Securities (at fair value)
    Core deposits
    Purchased deposits and funding
    Total equity


    (1) Third quarter 2008 regulatory capital ratios are based upon
        preliminary data.
    (2) Excludes goodwill and other intangible assets.



    Supplemental financial information available at:
    http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/64/64242/sup/3Q08.pdf

SOURCE National City Corporation