Citigroup, NCRC, and the National Center on Poverty Law Hold Financial Education Training Sessions for Non-Profit Organizations.

Business Editors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 2001

Citigroup, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), and the National Center on Poverty Law will hold financial education training sessions for local non-profit organizations on October 25 and 26 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

These training sessions are part of the Citigroup Financial Education Leadership Initiative, which is a national program aiming to give as many as 10,000 low-income, minority and underserved individuals and families greater access to financial products and services through financial education training.

Announced in March 2001, the Citigroup Financial Education Leadership Initiative is being supported with a $1 million grant, payable over two years, made to NCRC by the Citigroup Foundation. NCRC is using the grant to build upon its existing financial education program by training individuals from 150 community-based organizations in five major markets to present the program in their local neighborhoods. The Citigroup Financial Education Leadership Initiative recently offered financial training sessions in Loa Angeles. Future sessions are being scheduled for New York, Miami, and Washington, D.C. in 2002.

"Citigroup is committed to making quality products and services available to everyone and to ensuring that individuals have the financial know how they need to make the best choices as they save money for college, plan for retirement, protect their assets or borrow money to buy a home," said C. Mack, President of Citibank FSB. "We are pleased to partner with NCRC and the National Center on Poverty Law to support this financial education initiative that will help more people build better financial futures for themselves and their families."

"NCRC applauds Citigroup for this important step in promoting economic justice by providing the resources for financial education training," said John Taylor, President of NCRC. "Literally thousands of lives will be impacted by this effort and we are pleased to partner with Citigroup in its effort to bring fair and equal access to credit to America's underserved populations."

"Although Citigroup is a global company, we are very much focused on addressing the needs of local communities," said Pamela P. Flaherty, Senior Vice President of Citigroup Global Community Relations. "Our partnership with NCRC and the National Center on Poverty Law enables us to accomplish this by providing a broad network of local organizations through which we can deliver financial education and make affordable products and service available to everyone."

Citigroup (NYSE:C), the preeminent global financial services company with some 190 million customer accounts in more than 100 countries, provides 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 asset management. Major brand names under Citigroup's trademark red umbrella include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney, Banamex, and Travelers. The Citigroup Foundation primarily focuses its grant making in three areas: financial education, educating the next generation, and building communities and entrepreneurs. Additional information may be found at http://www.citigroup.com.

NCRC is a national trade association of some 800 community organizations whose mission to is promote economic justice and to build wealth and assets for traditionally underserved people.