Investing for Success Investor Awareness Program Expands to Hispanic Community

Contacts:
Idalia P. Fernandez, Hispanic College Fund, 202/296-5400
Denise Murray, Investment Company Institute, 202/371-5420

Washington, DC, May 23, 2002 - A bilingual version of the award-winning online Investing for Success investor education workshop was launched today to bring important financial education and investor awareness messages to the nation’s growing Hispanic population.

The interactive workshop, invertirconexito.icief.org, was announced today as part of the enhancements made to the Investing for Success program, a partnership that includes the National Urban League; the Coalition of Black Investors–Investment Education Fund; and the Investment Company Institute Education Foundation, an affiliate of the Investment Company Institute, the national association of American mutual funds, closed-end funds, and unit investment trusts.

“Now entering its third year, the Investing for Success program is receiving extraordinarily high ratings from workshop participants, and the fund industry, through its foundation, is excited about expanding the program’s reach into the Hispanic community,” said Institute Executive Vice President Julie Domenick.

Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, but research shows that nearly three-quarters of Hispanic households are worried that they may not be saving enough to meet future needs, such as retirement and the higher education of their children, Domenick said.

“To make financial knowledge more accessible to the Hispanic Community, a new version of the Investing for Success website has been developed for Hispanic audiences,” Domenick said. “The website, in both Spanish and English, will offer all of the important messages and resources of the Investing for Success workshops. We also are pleased to announce that we will be working hand-in-hand with the Hispanic College Fund, Inc. to promote the program.”

The Hispanic College Fund, based in Washington, DC, is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the next generation of Hispanic business leaders in America by awarding scholarships to deserving Hispanic students.

“We look forward to helping to bring the Investing for Success program to new audiences and to motivate the Hispanic community to aggressively take advantage of the power of investing,” said Fernando Barrueta, the president and chief executive officer of the Hispanic College Fund.

Barrueta said a significant challenge in the Hispanic community today is education. “According to the U.S. Census, less than 10 percent of Latinos are college graduates,” he said. “One of the most significant reasons fewer Hispanic students are enrolling in college is lack of financial resources. I am confident that the Investing for Success partnership will help Hispanic investors make informed investment decisions and build a solid financial foundation for themselves and generations to come.”

The online workshop, offered in both Spanish and English, features animated graphics and video clips of Hispanic investors and finance professionals commenting on their own experiences. Participants will learn how to match financial goals to types of investments; assess their risk tolerance; and evaluate whether their investment expectations are realistic given their goals and risk tolerance. The multimedia presentation also covers the importance of realistic expectations and the benefits of long-term investing for financial goals such as a child’s higher education or a secure retirement.

The searchable, self-paced workshop is organized in 10 self-contained units. Through the use of a navigation bar, participants can link to the beginning of any unit from anywhere in the workshop. Each unit includes an overview, an explanation of how participants will benefit from completing the section, a lesson with educational materials, and illustrations of specific examples. Units also contain links to additional online material, an interactive quiz and an action plan. Domenick said the web-based workshop would benefit anyone who wants to become familiar with basic principles of investing.