Bay-Area College Students to Get Coached on the X's and O's of Personal Finance.

Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman visits UC Berkeley, Stanford and the University of San Francisco this week to provide real-life lessons for financial success with The Hartford's Playbook for Life

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Student-athletes at three San Francisco Bay-area colleges will receive practical lessons in money management as The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG) brings its award-winning Playbook for Life to the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University and the University of San Francisco October 23 and 24. Developed in collaboration with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA[R]), Playbook for Life presents the fundamentals of personal finance to help student-athletes and all college students plan for a bright financial future.

To underscore the importance of financial preparedness, two former NCAA student-athletes will bring to life the Playbook's teachings with practical tips and insights to help students take charge of their finances and plan for life in the "real world." Basketball Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman, a former U.S. Olympian, Old Dominion and WNBA player, and former head coach of the Detroit Shock, will share personal stories of monetary mishaps to help students avoid making similar mistakes. A current ESPN and NBA TV basketball analyst, Lieberman will be joined by Bill Poutre, a former golfer, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship and current head coach of the NCAA Division I men's golf team at the University of Hartford, who will offer students useful information to get their financial house in order.

The San Francisco Bay-area Playbook for Life tour begins this evening with a presentation to University of California, Berkeley students at 7:30 p.m. in the Haas Pavilion, Club Room. The Stanford University presentation will take place tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. in the Arrillaga Family Sports Center, Kissick Auditorium, and the University of San Francisco presentation is scheduled for tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m. in the Fromm Institute, Xavier Hall.

The vast majority of states, including California, do not require a personal finance course for high school graduation, as reported in the 2007 "Survey of the States" by the National Council on Economic Education. Additionally, few students at the college level receive formal instruction on critical topics such as budgeting for housing and living expenses and managing credit card and student loan debt.

Moreover, a recent survey by The Hartford revealed that 71 percent of college students are concerned about their ability to meet financial obligations and 76 percent of college students wish they had more help preparing for their financial future.

While California has one of the nation's lowest state averages for student loan debt, according to a 2006 study by the Project on Student Debt, students in California still graduate with more than $15,000 in college loans. These graduates need to be well-equipped with both the academic knowledge to succeed in their careers and the practical financial skills to tackle the challenges of becoming a financially responsible adult.

Playbook for Life helps students develop tangible skills in money management to face financial pressures as they transition from college to the professional world.

"When I was in school, programs like Playbook weren't available - I had plenty of guidance on the court but no help in preventing bad decisions when it came to money," explained Lieberman. "Our goal is to give students the financial know-how that will put them ahead of the game."

Lieberman, Poutre, and fellow members of Team Hartford, a group of former NCAA student-athletes who have found success both in and out of sports, have brought the Playbook's teachings to students at more than 20 colleges and universities since the program's inception in March 2005. Students across the country are invited to take advantage of the free resources found in the Playbook and on its Web site, www.playbook.thehartford.com.

"The lessons in the Playbook for Life have enriched the lives of student-athletes and college students by encouraging them to start planning for tomorrow, today," said NCAA President Myles Brand. "Understanding the basics of job benefits, credit, debt, saving and investing is critical for creating a game plan for financial security after graduation."

Created by The Hartford as part of the company's philanthropic focus on education and its corporate partnership with the NCAA, the Playbook for Life is designed to give college students a solid understanding of personal finance fundamentals. More than 150,000 guidebooks have been distributed to date, and the program has been widely praised by students, coaches, teachers and parents as a valuable resource for helping all young adults make smart decisions as they plan for their future financial success.

The Hartford survey was conducted among 1,108 college students and 1,086 parents of college students nationwide by Impulse Research Corporation in February 2007 (with a margin of error of +/- 3 percent).

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 380,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaasports.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.

The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest diversified financial services companies, with 2006 revenues of $26.5 billion. The Hartford is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, Brazil and the United Kingdom. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.

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