ADVISORY/Major Banks, Media Giants, Operation HOPE Join to Launch National Media Campaign for Financial Literacy Month.

News Editors/Business Editors/City Desks

ADVISORY...for Thursday (March 18)

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 2004

Major Banks and Media Companies Unite to Promote

Financial Literacy Throughout 2004

Operation HOPE, Inc. and a coalition of major banks and media organizations are joining to launch the Banking on Our Future Call to Serve/Call to Action National Media Campaign to promote the importance of financial literacy education and call volunteers to action in teaching youth how manage their financial futures.

Media giants Clear Channel Outdoor, Premiere Radio Networks, and Viacom have joined with advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles and Bank of the West, Citibank, E*TRADE Financial, Far East National Bank, FleetBoston Financial, Fremont Investment and Loan, Union Bank of California, Washington Mutual and Wells Fargo & Co. to promote financial literacy during Financial Literacy Month in April, and throughout 2004.

The campaign will rely on remnant media space availability, and will consist of billboards that will roll out in April, featuring a 3-part series financial literacy education ad campaign, radio ads running in urban and mainstream markets throughout the country, and print ads running in local and national lifestyle and business publications. To learn more about the campaign, to view the billboards and print ads, and hear the radio ads, visit Operation HOPE's Web Site (see URL below). The radio ads can also be heard by calling 213-943-6999 and selecting option #2.

http://www.operationhope.org/call_to_serve/

Please join Operation HOPE and partners at a billboard-unveiling event:

                       Thursday, March 18th 2004

                        10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

                         Clear Channel Outdoor
                         19320 Harborgate Way
                          Torrance, CA 90501

Phase I of the Call to Serve/Call to Action National Media Campaign will feature sets of three billboards being rolled out in financial literacy month, which contain two creative billboards promoting financial literacy and one "thank you" billboard to honor the Banking on Our Future partners who are involved in the Call to Serve/Call to Action National Media Campaign. Phase I cities include: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.

Phase II of the Call to Serve/Call to Action National Media Campaign will add Baltimore and Portland to the phase I cities and feature more partner banks in those markets. The billboards will begin to rollout between summer and fall of 2004 as remnant space in each market becomes available.

Operation HOPE, Inc. is a national non-profit self-help organization working to bring economic self-sufficiency to inner-city residents. With more than $185 million in outstanding commitments from its 150 bank and corporate partners for homeownership and small business loans, $117 million in funded loans and over 575,000 customers served in economic literacy, education and related services, Operation HOPE is a national leader in providing economic empowerment tools and services.