Citi Supports Financial Education for Low-Income Households in China

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, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Citi's major brand names include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.

Citi China
Citi first established an office in China on May 15, 1902, in Shanghai. Today Citi is the premier foreign bank operating in China, offering the broadest product range of any foreign bank in China. Citi currently operates seven corporate & investment bank branches – Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chengdu and Hangzhou, twenty consumer bank outlets in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Hangzhou. With operations in more than 100 countries around the world, Citi is the most global of all foreign banks in China.

Citi Foundation
The Citi Foundation supports organizations that help people improve their lives, businesses to grow, and communities to prosper around the world. The Citi Foundation focuses its grants primarily in three areas: financial education, educating the next generation, and building communities and entrepreneurs. Additional information can be found at http://www.citigroupfoundation.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 ten-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 Citi Foundation guidelines, links and resources and the Citi Financial Education Program Curriculum and Facilitator's Guide may be found at http://financialeducation.citigroup.com.

Microfinance Opportunities
Microfinance Opportunities was established in 2002 as a microenterprise resource center to promote customer-focused microfinance. For more information visit www.microfinanceopportunities.org or www.globalfinancialeducation.org.

Freedom from Hunger
Freedom from Hunger, founded in 1946, ensures that poor people have access to microfinance, health protection services, and life skills training to achieve food security for their families. www.ffhresource.org.


	Printer Friendly Page		FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) January 15, 2008 Citi Supports Financial Education for Low-Income Households in China Beijing – Citi China announced today the launch of a new "Training of Trainers" (TOT) program in Beijing, designed to enhance the economic well-being of low-income households by teaching them the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to adopt good money management practices and make better financial choices. The training is being run under an initiative called the Global Financial Education Program, which is led by a strategic partnership between two organizations, Microfinance Opportunities and Freedom from Hunger. The Beijing workshop will be run for 25 people from 13 financial organizations across China, including microfinance institutions, commercial banks, and the central bank. The eight-day workshop consists of five distinct modules – budgeting, savings, debt management, bank services, and financial negotiations – using a curriculum developed by Microfinance Opportunities and Freedom from Hunger based on extensive research and testing in developing countries. Trainers from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Rural Development Institute, who represented China at a Master Trainers workshop last year in India, will deliver the course using a learner-centered educational approach. "Families at all income levels share the same aspirations," said Richard Stanley, Chairman of Citibank (China) Co. Ltd. "Those people on low incomes need to be informed and skillful with their money management to achieve their goals. As a dedicated supporter of financial education, Citi is proud to leverage our resources and knowledge to help more people, especially poor people, to become better equipped to improve their quality of life and move up the economic ladder." Financial education is regarded as a win-win investment for both consumers and financial service providers as it enables people to better manage their resources, understand their financial options, and improve their financial wellbeing. In addition, a more informed customer knows how to get the best out of a financial institution's products and services. After the workshop, the trainees will disseminate their new-found knowledge and skills to a wider audience among poor communities by organizing either TOT workshops or direct training sessions. "The curriculum of the Global Financial Education Program addresses the limited financial literacy levels that are common among low-income households. We appreciate the generous support of the Citi Foundation which has enabled the program's successful implementation in more than 25 developing countries, and we look forward to the positive impact the program will bring to poor communities in China," said Danielle Hopkins, Manager, Global Financial Education Program, Microfinance Opportunities. The core curriculum for the Global Financial Education Program was completed and published in 2006, and since then, it has been disseminated through regional and country workshops, translated into seven languages and created a global network of financial educators. The next phase is to develop additional curricula on new topics relevant to diverse market segments. Emerging themes include insurance, remittances, youth, consumer protection, and electronic banking. Citi is a leading contributor to financial education, both in China and around the world. 2008 will mark a significant year in financial education for Citi in China, with plans for a number of programs aimed at improving the financial capability of youth and adults at different life stages. # # # 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, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Citi's major brand names include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com. Citi China Citi first established an office in China on May 15, 1902, in Shanghai. Today Citi is the premier foreign bank operating in China, offering the broadest product range of any foreign bank in China. Citi currently operates seven corporate & investment bank branches – Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chengdu and Hangzhou, twenty consumer bank outlets in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Hangzhou. With operations in more than 100 countries around the world, Citi is the most global of all foreign banks in China. Citi Foundation The Citi Foundation supports organizations that help people improve their lives, businesses to grow, and communities to prosper around the world. The Citi Foundation focuses its grants primarily in three areas: financial education, educating the next generation, and building communities and entrepreneurs. Additional information can be found at http://www.citigroupfoundation.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 ten-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 Citi Foundation guidelines, links and resources and the Citi Financial Education Program Curriculum and Facilitator's Guide may be found at http://financialeducation.citigroup.com. Microfinance Opportunities Microfinance Opportunities was established in 2002 as a microenterprise resource center to promote customer-focused microfinance. For more information visit www.microfinanceopportunities.org or www.globalfinancialeducation.org. Freedom from Hunger Freedom from Hunger, founded in 1946, ensures that poor people have access to microfinance, health protection services, and life skills training to achieve food security for their families. www.ffhresource.org.