Monster and Bank of America Continue Collaboration to Educate College Students About...

Monster and Bank of America Continue Collaboration to Educate College Students
About Smart Money Management
"Ultimate Money Skills: Scholars, Dollars, Budgets & Bills" program and
interactive website help students develop financial literacy skills

MAYNARD, Mass., April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Making It Count, an educational
service provider for students and parents, and a business unit of Monster
Worldwide, Inc. (Nasdaq: MNST), and Bank of America, one of the world's
largest financial institutions, today announced the "Ultimate Money Skills"
program will begin its third nationwide tour this month. More than 275 live,
in-school presentations will focus on teaching college students how to manage
all of their finances, including how to utilize banking services, minimize
debt, manage loan repayments, design a personal budget and use credit cards,
responsibly.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050720/CLW086LOGO-b )
As a companion to this year's program, Making It Count and Bank of America
also launched http://www.ultimatemoneyskills.com , a supplemental online guide
that further supports development of students' financial literacy skills. The
interactive site features relevant content regarding issues such as identity
theft, investing, managing loans and budgeting. It will also include a money
management blog that addresses handling campus finances, written by and for
college students; and a "Money Issue of the Month" promotion, offering
students the chance to win $100 for submitting solutions to money-related
challenges.
"A recent MonsterTRAK survey* revealed that 81 percent of 2007 college
graduates polled accrued more than $10,000 in student loan debt while
attending school," said JR Cifani, vice president and general manager, Making
It Count. "These findings underscore how important it is for young students
to educate themselves on making smart financial decisions."
"Bank of America understands that financial management is complex, and
when students don't learn to manage their finances effectively, their finances
can end up managing them. That's why it is so important for students to gain
basic money management skills early in life," said JoLynn Ensminger, senior
vice president, Bank of America, Student Card. "We are very excited about our
continued sponsorship and expansion of the Ultimate Money Skills program and
believe that it will provide students with the information and tools they need
to make smart decisions with their money today and in the future."
Students and administration who attended the "Ultimate Money Skills"
program in 2007 found the presentation extremely effective, rating the program
a 9.2 and 9.4 out of 10, respectively, for value.
"The [Ultimate Money Skills] program is a no-nonsense, engaging way to
introduce the complex issues related to money management to students," said
Wonda Shipman, associate dean of student development at New Jersey City
University, Jersey City, New Jersey.
In addition to offering financial solutions specifically designed for
students, such as CampusEdge(R) Checking, Bank of America also provides a
Student Financial Handbook, an easy-to-use guide to assist students in
managing their money. A free copy is available for download at
http://www.bankofamerica.com/studentbanking .
For more information regarding the "Ultimate Money Skills" program or
additional Making It Count programs presented in conjunction with Bank of
America, please visit: http://www.makingitcount.com .
*MonsterTRAK's 2008 Entry Level Job Outlook was conducted from February
12-22, 2008 via targeted online distribution to nationwide MonsterTRAK
customer companies, as well as college students and recent alumni who are
MonsterTRAK members. Results were recorded from 1,117 employers, 654 of which
qualified to take the entire survey, and 3,603 students and alumni. This poll
is not scientific and reflects the opinions of only those Internet users who
have chosen to participate.
About Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions,
serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large
corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and
other financial and risk-management products and services. The company
provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving more than 59
million consumer and small business relationships with more than 6,100 retail
banking offices, more than 19,000 ATMs and award-winning online banking with
more than 24 million active users. Bank of America is the No. 1 overall Small
Business Administration (SBA) lender in the United States and the No. 1 SBA
lender to minority-owned small businesses. The company serves clients in 175
countries and has relationships with 99 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500
companies and 83 percent of the Fortune Global 500. Bank of America
Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
About Making It Count
Making It Count provides a nationally recognized series of live, in-school
presentations that educate and motivate teens to excel in both personal and
professional educational endeavors. Delivered by a roster of skilled
presenters from a variety of backgrounds, including members of the U.S.
Olympic Team, the corporate-sponsored programs reach more than 2.5 million
students every year, and are hosted at over 5,000 high schools and 650
colleges nationwide. More information is available at
http://www.makingitcount.com .
About Monster Worldwide
Monster Worldwide, Inc. (Nasdaq: MNST), parent company of Monster(R), the
premier global online employment solution for more than a decade, strives to
inspire people to improve their lives. With a local presence in key markets in
North America, Europe, and Asia, Monster works for everyone by connecting
employers with quality job seekers at all levels and by providing personalized
career advice to consumers globally. Through online media sites and services,
Monster delivers vast, highly targeted audiences to advertisers. Monster
Worldwide is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the NASDAQ 100. To learn more
about Monster's industry-leading products and services, visit
http://www.monster.com .
Special Note: Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for historical information contained
herein, the statements made in this release constitute forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking
statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, including statements
regarding Monster Worldwide, Inc.'s strategic direction, prospects and future
results. Certain factors, including factors outside of Monster Worldwide's
control, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in
the forward- looking statements, including economic and other conditions in
the markets in which Monster Worldwide operates, risks associated with
acquisitions, competition, seasonality and the other risks discussed in
Monster Worldwide's Form 10-K and other filings made with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, which discussions are incorporated in this release by
reference.
SOURCE Bank of America

Diane Wagner of Bank of America, +1-312-828-2932,
Diane.wagner@bankofamerica.com; or Tara Murray of Monster, +1-978-461-8126,
tara.murray@monster.com