Investing for Success Program to Be Held in San Diego, CA
Workshop Offered to Area Residents as Part of National African-American Investor Education Partnership

Washington, DC, January 22, 2004 - The National Urban League and the Investment Company Institute Education Foundation announced today that San Diego, CA will be the site of the next Investing for Success workshop on Thursday, February 19, 2004.

The two-and-one-half hour program is aimed at informing middle-income African Americans about the benefits of long-term investing. Using a series of worksheets, participants learn to assess their risk tolerance and retirement needs and develop an action plan. They will also receive a series of investor awareness brochures, a DVD that includes interviews with investors and investment professionals, and information on additional resources.

Marc H. Morial, president of the National Urban League, said, "The Investing for Success program is designed to inspire African Americans to become more knowledgeable about investing for retirement and to take advantage of opportunities to accumulate wealth. This partnership is one of the first steps toward accomplishing the National Urban League's mission to enable African Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity, and power in the 21^st century. The National Urban League and ICIEF share an important goal of helping African Americans to become economically self-sufficient."

Registration is from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and the program is scheduled between 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. at Tubman-Chavez Multicultural Center located at 415 Euclid Avenue. Sponsors are the National Urban League, the San Diego Urban League, Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (PIMCO), and the Investment Company Institute Education Foundation. Kelly Johnson, Vice President of Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC will present the workshop. To reserve a space at the free workshop, call 619/266-6265 before Wednesday, February 18.

The San Diego workshop is the latest in a series of investor education workshops aimed at providing information to investors about building wealth while maintaining realistic expectations and encouraging long-term investment planning. Investing for Success workshops were developed in response to surveys that show that, despite a significant increase in investor awareness among African Americans, the community directs a smaller portion of its income to long-term investments than other groups with similar incomes. Studies indicate the primary reason African Americans cite for not investing is lack of knowledge.

"The Investing for Success program brings important information about the benefits of long-term investing to the African-American community," said Institute Executive Vice President Julie Domenick. "Program participants agree that the workshop is clearly presented, useful, and something they would recommend to others. Together with the National Urban League and its local affiliate we look forward to bringing the program to San Diego."

For those unable to attend a workshop, ICIEF offers an award-winning web course that integrates all the workshop materials in an interactive, multimedia format.

Investing for Success workshops have taken place in Philadelphia, PA; Los Angeles, CA; Houston, TX; Boston, MA; New York, NY; Seattle, WA; Washington, DC; Baltimore, MD; Chicago, IL; Atlanta, GA; Columbia, SC; Miami, FL; Chattanooga, TN; Birmingham, AL; Phoenix, AZ; Milwaukee, WI; Fort Wayne, IN; Fort Lauderdale, FL; New Orleans, LA; Louisville, KY, Denver, CO, and Minneapolis, MN. All have received high ratings from participants. Additional workshops are being planned.

The National Urban League is the nation's oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream. The Investment Company Institute Education Foundation is an affiliate of the Investment Company Institute, the national association of American mutual funds, closed-end funds, and unit investment trusts.