FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C)
April 23, 2007
Citi Introduces a Personal Finance Guide to Help Turn Money Messes into Money Successes: The Citi Commonsense Money Guide for Real People
Puts Education on the Forefront and Tackles Today's Financial Woes
New York – Citi, the leading global financial services company, is introducing its first-ever personal finance guide, The Citi Commonsense Money Guide for Real People. (Rodale Publishing; April 17, 2007, $25.95) Tapping into the experience of Citi in providing financial advice to consumers, the book offers easy-to-understand solutions to overcome common financial hurdles including saving regularly, paying down debt, facing unexpected financial curveballs and more. Citi employees provided expertise and Dara Duguay, Director of Citigroup’s Office of Financial Education, edited it.
The Citi Commonsense Guide for Real People shows readers how to achieve financial health by tackling the various aspects of money management through a series of simple yet effective steps. The guide is divided into three easy-to-follow sections, which together teach consumers how to avoid the financial pitfalls that life can present.
“You don’t need an MBA or to be a math major to get a handle on your financial situation,” says Duguay. “Average people can use the book’s commonsense advice and honestly review their personal financial direction. It is never too late to get your finances in order, get out of debt, learn to save money, and start an education or retirement fund. Financial education and knowledge are your greatest assets.”
In section one, “Get Back on Track,” Citi takes a look at several situations where people find themselves in turmoil, such as running out of money before the next payday, keeping credit in check, falling behind on a mortgage payment or covering college costs. Section one takes these challenges and presents practical solutions through a strategy to get back on the road to financial freedom.
Once a plan is set in motion, section two, entitled “Basic Training,” addresses the fundamental building blocks of financial responsibility. This section focuses on the various aspects of establishing a secure foundation for the future, ranging from creating a budget, sharing a financial life with a loved one, teaching children about financial responsibility and credit, to learning about home loans, insurance, college funds and retirement.
The final section addresses potential “Curveballs” such as losing a job unexpectedly, or becoming a victim of identity theft. Above all, this section goes back to the basics of education as the most efficient and effective method of making the right choices and getting back on track.
In keeping with its commitment to financial education, Citigroup will donate all profits from book sales to not-for-profit organizations and programs that support and teach financial education.
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Citi
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, insurance, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.
Citi Financial Education Program
Based on the belief that knowledge is your greatest asset, the Citi Financial Education Program is a global, company-wide effort to identify, support and implement initiatives that help give individuals, families and communities the tools needed to make sound financial decisions. Citi's 10-year, $200 million global commitment is focused in three areas: Personal, Small Business and Institutional Financial Education. Additional information about Citi Financial Education Program, including Citigroup Foundation guidelines, links and resources and the Citi Financial Education Program Curriculum and Facilitator's Guide may be found at http://financialeducation.citigroup.com.
About the Editor
Dara Duguay, Director of the Citigroup Office of Financial Education, is an author of two popular personal finance books, Don’t Spend Your Raise and Please Send Money. She is the former Executive Director of the non-profit Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy in Washington, DC, an accomplished public speaker, and a recipient of the medal of Merit from the U.S. Treasury’s Savings Bond Volunteer Committee. A native of Chicago, Duguay currently resides in Washington, DC.