Dutch ING Bank To Launch U.S. Online Bank

Dutch financial services group ING plans to launch an Internet bank in the U.S., which will include coffee shops where customers can meet advisers face to face, the Financial Times reported Saturday.

ING Direct will open in Philadelphia later this summer along with a call center and two coffee shops, backed by a high-profile marketing. On Thursday, ING purchased the financial services and international units of U.S. insurer Aetna for $5 billion in cash. The deal follows closely ING’s May acquisition of Minneapolis-based life insurer ReliaStar and makes ING one of the largest insurance operations in the U.S.