COMMERCE MISSOURI TAX-FREE INTERMEDIATE BOND FUND (CFMOX) INSTITUTIONAL SHARE CLASS RANKED NO. 1 IN NATION BY LIPPER ANALYTICAL SERVICES, INC.

(Kansas City, MO – February 3, 2009) – A leading global provider of fund intelligence recently gave the Commerce Family of Mutual Funds its top national ranking. Lipper Analytical Service, Inc., named Commerce’s Missouri Tax-Free Intermediate Bond Fund (CFMOX) Institutional Share Class number one against 89 comparable funds in the organization’s Other States Intermediate Municipal Debt Funds Category for 10-year performance as of 12/31/2008.

The Missouri Tax-Free Intermediate Bond Fund had an annualized return of 4.01% for the 10-year period ending 12/31/08. This return gave the Fund the top national ranking out of 89 funds for the 10-year period ending 12/31/08 in the Lipper Other States Intermediate Municipal Debt Funds Category.

In addition, the Missouri Tax-Free Intermediate Bond Fund had an annualized return of 2.81% for the five-year period ending 12/31/08 which ranked it 14th out of 123 funds in the Lipper Other States Intermediate Municipal Debt Fund’s Category for Five-Year performance.

The investment objective of the Missouri Tax-Free Fund is to seek current income exempt from federal, and to the extent possible, from Missouri income taxes, as is consistent with the preservation of capital. The Fund pursues this objective through investment primarily in municipal securities exempt from regular federal income tax, federal alternative minimum taxes, and Missouri income tax.

Interested customers can research the Missouri Tax-Free Intermediate Bond Fund by using the ticker symbol CFMOX, Institutional Shares. To learn more about The Commerce Funds, call 1-800-995-6365. Visit commercefunds.com or ask your financial advisor for more information.

Performance as of 12/31/08. Lipper Total Return Rankings for the Commerce Missouri Tax-Free Intermediate Bond Fund Institutional Shares were 1 Year: 29 out of 131; 3 Year: 25 out of 128; 5 Year: 14 out of 123. Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., an independent publisher of mutual fund rankings, records rankings for these and other Commerce Funds for one-year, three-year, five-year, and ten-year total returns ended 12/31/08. Lipper compares mutual funds within a universe of funds with similar investment objectives, including dividend reinvestment. Lipper rankings are based on total return at net asset value, do not reflect sales charges and fees waived and expense limitations during the period on which the ranking was based had a material effect on the total return for the period. Lipper rankings do not imply that the fund had a high total return.

Standardized Total Returns are average annual total returns as of the most recent calendar quarter-end. They assume the reinvestment of all dividends, income and capital gains at net asset value. Performance for the Commerce Missouri Tax-Free Intermediate Bond Fund as of 12/31/08 is as follows: 1 Year/2.05%; 3 Year/3.11%; 5 Year/2.81%. The returns represent past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The Fund’s investment returns and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Please visit www.commercefunds.com to obtain the most recent month-end returns. Because Institutional Shares do not involve a sales charge, such a charge is not applied to their Total Returns.

The expense ratio for the Commerce Missouri Tax-Free Intermediate Bond Fund is Current (net) 0.70% and Before Waiver (gross) 0.82%. The total annual operating expenses of the Funds, both current (net of any fee waivers or expense limitations) and before waivers (gross of any fee waivers or expense limitations), are as set forth above. For the Missouri Tax-Free Intermediate Fund, the Adviser has contractually agreed to limit each Fund’s total annual operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses) until October 31, 2009. A Fund’s total annual operating expenses may increase without shareholder approval.

Investments in fixed income securities are subject to the risks associated with debt securities including credit and interest rate risk. When interest rates rise, the prices of bonds and therefore the value of fixed income mutual fund shares can decrease and an investor can lose principal value. The Fund is non-diversified. Due to the small number of bonds generally held in the portfolio, the Fund may be subject to greater risks than a more diversified fund. A change in the value of any single holding may affect the overall value more than it would affect a diversified fund that holds more investments. In addition, the Fund’s investments may subject shareholders to federal alternative minimum tax. The investment income from this Fund may be subject to state income taxes.

A current Commerce Funds prospectus or additional information regarding The Commerce Funds may be obtained by calling 1-800-995-6365, visiting our website at: www.commercefunds.com, or by writing to The Commerce Funds, P.O. Box 219525, Kansas City, MO 64121-9525. Please consider a Fund's objectives, risks, and charges and expenses, and read the prospectus carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund.

About The Commerce Family of Funds

The Commerce Funds, a family of eight mutual funds targeting specific investment goals, are advised by Commerce Investment Advisors, Inc., a subsidiary of Commerce Bank, N.A. Goldman, Sachs & Co is the distributor of The Commerce Funds.

About Lipper Analytical Services, Inc.

Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., with offices in the United States, Europe and Asia, is a leading global provider of fund intelligence. It provides comprehensive and objective information on funds and fund markets. It also provides information, analytical tools, and commentary to fund companies, financial intermediaries, media and individual investors.

About The Commerce Trust Company

The Commerce Trust Company is a division of Commerce Bank, N.A. Commerce Trust administers approximately $19.4 billion in total assets, with investment responsibility for approximately $11 billion as of 12/31/08.

Since 1906, Commerce Trust has been a leading source of tailored asset management, creative private banking, and comprehensive trust services for individuals, families, corporate executives, and business owners. In addition, Commerce Trust serves a variety of institutional clients with customized investment programs as well as sole-source solutions for all of their financial needs.

About Commerce Bank

Commerce Bank, N.A. is a subsidiary of Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH), a $17.5 billion regional bank holding company as of 12/31/08. For more than 140 years, Commerce Bank has been meeting the financial services needs of individuals and businesses throughout the Midwest region. Commerce Bank provides a diversified line of financial services, including business and personal banking, wealth management and estate planning, and investments through its affiliated companies. Commerce Bank operates in approximately 350 locations in the Central United States. Commerce Bancshares also has operating subsidiaries involved in mortgage banking, leasing, credit-related insurance, venture capital and real estate activities.

For additional information contact:

Email: mymoney@commercebank.com†