NEW YORK, N.Y.— NBT Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:NBTB) of Norwich, New York, will become a component of the NASDAQ Financial-100 Index^® effective at the beginning of trading Friday, December 20, 2002. NBT Bancorp Inc. will replace New York Community Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:NYCB).

With a market capitalization of $586 million, NBT Bancorp Inc. is a financial services holding company with combined assets of $3.7 billion as of September 30, 2002. The Company primarily operates through one full-service community bank with three divisions and through a financial services company. NBT Bank, N.A. has 110 locations, including 43 NBT Bank offices and 27 Central National Bank offices in upstate New York and 40 Pennstar Bank offices in Northeastern Pennsylvania. NBT Bancorp also provides financial services-related products through three companies, M. Griffith, Inc., Colonial Financial Services, Inc. and Pennstar Financial Services, Inc.

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