Merk Launches Asian Currency Fund including Chinese Yuan

PALO ALTO, Calif. - April 1, 2008 - Merk Investments today announced the launch of the Merk Asian Currency Fund™, a mutual fund that invests in a basket of Asian currencies. Among others, the Fund may include the currencies of China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

The Fund, a pure play on Asian currencies, provides retail investors with a new fundamental investment option to gain exposure to Asian currencies without the risk of Asian stock markets. The Fund gains exposure to these currencies by investing in high-quality, short-term money market instruments of Asian countries or a combination of U.S. dollar denominated securities and forward currency contracts. To gain access to a basket of Asian currencies without the Fund, investors must either determine which currencies they wish to invest in and gain exposure through buying those currencies directly (many of which may not be available to U.S. retail investors); invest in Asian stock or bond funds that introduce stock market, credit and interest risks; or engage in complex and speculative derivative trading.

"For the first time, investors will have access to investing in a basket of Asian currencies, including the renminbi (Chinese yuan), with the ease of investing in a no-load mutual fund," said Axel Merk, president of Fund manager Merk Investments. "Traditionally investors had to invest in speculative stocks to gain exposure to Asia. Now, investors may seek to benefit from a rise of Asian currencies versus the U.S. dollar without equity risk while mitigating credit and interest risk. Further, investors may potentially benefit from the current secular bear market."

Currency exposure allocations for the Fund will be determined based on quantitative and qualitative analysis and they may be adapted as monetary policies and economic environments evolve. "Merk Investments has a tradition enabling investors to achieve long-term diversification through currency investments. In our assessment, given the secular bear market, there is no safe asset anymore and investors may want to consider taking a diversified approach to something as mundane as cash," concluded Merk. "Merk Investments builds on the leadership established with its Merk Hard Currency Fund (MERKX). At Merk Investments, we believe sustainable wealth is built over the long term with superior insights, clear focus and commitment. We strive to invest with discipline while adapting to changing environments."

The Fund is offered in Investor Class Shares. Standard accounts require an initial investment of $2,500. Traditional and Roth IRA accounts; accounts with systematic investment plans; and qualified retirement, pension or profit sharing plans require an initial investment of $1,000. For more information about the Merk Asian Currency Fund, please visit www.merkfund.com