Americans Make Staying Close to Hearth and Home a Money-Saving Priority, According...

Americans Make Staying Close to Hearth and Home a Money-Saving Priority,
According to a Huntington Bank Survey of 1,000 Consumers

Huntington Offers Five Tips to Help Save for All-Important Rainy-Day Fund

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a Huntington National
Bank survey of more than 1,000 Americans, 77% said they had cut back on eating
out, 72% said they had limited buying clothes and 49% said they no longer go
to the movies in an effort to save money.

Continuing on the food theme, when asked to complete the open-ended phrase:
"No matter how bad things get, I will never cut back on..." Thirty-four
percent said they would never cut back on food, with many indicating they are
getting back to basics with home-cooked meals. One summed up the sentiment by
commenting: "I buy healthy food. It's the most important thing." Others added
that when they do go out to dinner, they buy one entree and split it as a way
of saving money.

The second most popular answer, after food, was health care with 13% saying
they would not cut back on medical needs. That was followed by home
entertainment with 10% indicating that they would keep paying for cable,
internet or satellite dish. As one respondent asked, "Where else can I get
entertainment that is cheap?"

"Huntington launched the savings survey because we know that our customers and
employees are interested in finding out how others are saving," said Mary
Navarro, Huntington's Retail and Business Banking Director. "More importantly,
the survey helps to underscore the need to save. Everyone should establish a
rainy-day fund worth six months of salary. Unfortunately during the recession,
many families have learned the importance of having such a fund."

Though charitable giving is down nationwide, the fourth most frequent answer
in the Huntington survey was that no matter how bad things got respondents
said they would not eliminate what they give to their churches. Several
indicated that despite the recession they continue to give a tenth of their
salary to their churches.

While making home-cooked meals is one way to save, Huntington offers five
additional long-standing and tried-and-true methods of saving. They are:

1. Create a budget: Write down what you spend each day. You may be
surprised
at how much you spend on coffee, pop, snacks, etc. Also write down your
non-discretionary expenses such as rent, mortgage, heating, lights, car
payment, etc. Once you have accumulated all of this information, you
can
decide what you should be placing in savings each month.
2. Consider needs vs. wants: Do you really need another $1.75 cup of
coffee?
A DVD? Or sweater? Even if the item is on sale: It is not a bargain if
you don't need it.
3. Consider getting direct deposit to a savings account or money market:
When your employer offers direct deposit to a checking account, ask
whether you can put a certain percentage in savings. This helps to
place
the money in savings before you have access to it. Plan only to spend
the
money in your checking account. Only touch your savings in a true
financial emergency.
4. Pay your bills on time: This way you won't incur extra charges.
Also, if you use online banking, you will be able to check your balance
every day to determine how much money is available.

5. Consider refinancing mortgages and home equity loans: You want to make
sure that you are paying the lowest interest rates possible.

Whatever the saving method you choose, you might remember the words of one of
Huntington's survey respondents: "I remind myself on a daily basis that I need
to do without some things. Then I make it a game for myself to see how much I
can hold on to in the span between paychecks. Then I dump that money into my
savings account."

Survey Methodology

The online survey was conducted from April 7, to April 30, 2009 and was posted
on www.Huntington.com. While respondents live all over the United States, most
live in the Midwest where Huntington's 600-plus branches are located. The
respondents were predominantly female (73%). The majority of respondents were
in one of two groups: (20.4%) were 25-30 and an equal percent were 40-49. That
was followed by ages 31-39 (19.6%) and 50-59 (18.5%). More than 40% of
respondents said they are saving for a home or to educate their children. More
than 33% said they are saving for retirement.

About Huntington

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a $52 billion regional bank holding
company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Huntington has more than 143 years of
serving the financial needs of its customers. Through our subsidiaries,
including our banking subsidiary, The Huntington National Bank, we provide
full-service commercial and consumer banking services, mortgage banking
services, equipment leasing, investment management, trust services, brokerage
services, customized insurance service program, and other financial products
and services. Our over 600 banking offices are located in Indiana, Kentucky,
Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Huntington also offers retail
and commercial financial services online at huntington.com; through its
technologically advanced, 24-hour telephone bank; and through its network of
almost 1,400 ATMs. The Auto Finance and Dealer Services group offers
automobile loans to consumers and commercial loans to automobile dealers
within our six-state banking franchise area. Selected financial service
activities are also conducted in other states including: Private Financial
Group offices in Florida; and Mortgage Banking offices in Maryland and New
Jersey. International banking services are available through the headquarters
office in Columbus and a limited purpose office located in both the Cayman
Islands and Hong Kong.

SOURCE Huntington Bancshares Incorporated

Media: Maureen Brown, +1-614-480-5512; or Analysts, Jay Gould,
+1-614-480-4060, or Jim Graham, +1-614-480-3878, all of Huntington Bancshares
Incorporated