PRINCETON, N.J., April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognizing the importance of
financial education around the world, Merrill Lynch today launched its first-
ever International Saving Month campaign. As part of the program, the firm
will provide saving workshops and financial education materials to families
and teachers through Merrill Lynch offices in the United States, Canada,
Japan, Australia and other venues around the world.
The campaign is an expansion of Merrill Lynch's National Saving Month(SM),
which the firm, along with state governors across the U.S., is sponsoring in
April for the sixth consecutive year. Both globally and in the U.S., Merrill
Lynch believes it is vital to teach children and families the importance of
developing good financial habits at an early age.
Merrill Lynch's expanded program also breaks new ground with the joint
development of financial-literacy curricula and public-service announcements
with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). This year's
savings-education kit also includes a new "Money Matters" edition of Merrill
Lynch's Brain Quest quiz game, a special college-planning guide produced with
Time School Publishing and a wider range of educational materials for all
ages.
"Merrill Lynch research has found that early financial education makes a
difference in savings habits later in life," said Allen N. Jones, Senior Vice
President and Director of Marketing, Merrill Lynch Private Client Group. "Our
new International Saving Month materials give children, parents and teachers
the opportunity to make learning about financial matters fun and applicable to
everyday life."
This year, Merrill Lynch is offering new, free educational materials,
including:
-- "Money Matters in the Millennium," financial literacy curricula
jointly developed with and distributed by the U.S. Committee for
UNICEF;
-- A special Merrill Lynch "Money Matters" edition of Brain Quest, an
educational question-and-answer deck filled with fun money trivia
for kids of all ages;
-- Young Entrepreneur Kits for children and teens on how to start
their own business;
-- an Education Pack for teens featuring tip sheets on Moving Out: What
it Really Costs to Live on Your Own, How the Stock Market Works,
Teen's Guide to Budgeting, Getting on the Road (tips for owning your
first car), Getting to College, Welcome to the World of Credit, Your
Career: Getting Started on the Road to Success, and a glossary of
financial terms and definitions;
-- and a special InTime college-planning guide developed and
distributed with Time School Publishing on financial aid, essay
writing, college costs, careers and budgeting
Merrill Lynch continues to provide its Saving and Your Family brochure --
a basic money -- management guide for parents and children (also available in
Spanish) -- as well as its comic book, "The Further Adventures of Savin' Dave
and the Compounders," and a 20-minute video, "Time to Save."
As in the past years, Merrill Lynch Financial Consultants are
conducting Teach-Ins at schools around the U.S. on the importance of saving,
offering tips and sharing fun ideas on ways to save and achieve financial
goals.
The Merrill Lynch Private Client Group serves more than four million
households, small- to-mid-sized businesses and regional financial
institutions using a financial-planning-based approach. Among the many
services available to Merrill Lynch clients are brokerage, personal credit,
insurance, home financing and trust services, as well as retirement and
group-employee-benefit services and business financing.
Merrill Lynch clients are served by more than 18,200 Financial Consultants
in more than 900 branch offices worldwide. As of Dec. 31, 1998, investors
had entrusted Merrill Lynch with more than $1.4 trillion in client assets.
For more information or to receive free International Savings Month
materials, call 1-800-MERRILL ext. 4027, or visit http://plan.ml.com/family
SOURCE Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.ml.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/555800.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 555800
CONTACT:
Wendell Collins of Merrill Lynch Publicity,
609-282-3121, or fax, 609-282-1295, Wendell_Collins@ml.com
NOTE TO EDITORS: This week Merrill Lynch will release the results
of its second annual teen poll on money matters. TV stations
interested in footage related to International Saving Month
should contact APTN (if they are subscribers) or Fred Yager of
Merrill Lynch at 212-449-7355.
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