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NEWS RELEASE

Comptroller of the Currency

Administrator of National Banks

NR 2008-50


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dean DeBuck

April 28, 2008  

             (202) 874-5770


Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Promotes
Financial Literacy at Capitol Hill Event

WASHINGTON — The Office of Comptroller of the Currency participated in the Financial Literacy Day on Capitol Hill today to promote awareness of agency efforts to educate and support consumers of financial services. The Capitol Hill Financial Literacy Day was conducted as part of this year's National Financial Literacy Month.

“Events like Financial Literacy Day are excellent opportunities to provide the OCC’s financial literacy information and resources to congressional staff, federal agencies, banks, and the general public,” said Comptroller of the Currency John C. Dugan. “The OCC participates to promote our goal of enhancing consumer financial skills and extending the reach of banks’ products and services to underserved or unbanked markets.”

During the financial literacy event, OCC staff members from the agency showcased a number of OCC's public service campaigns which provide educational messages to local print and radio outlets in English and Spanish nationwide. OCC staff also conducted demonstrations of the OCC's new HelpWithMyBank.gov website. The site, which made its debut last summer, provides information to customers of national banks and answers questions that are commonly asked of the OCC's Customer Assistance Specialists. HelpWithMyBank.gov includes links and references to financial information and resources and currently provides answers to more than 250 common questions, under such broad topics as credit cards, bank accounts, mortgages, consumer loans, insurance, identity theft, leasing, and safe deposit boxes. Since OCC launched the web site, HelpWithMyBank.gov has received approximately 5,000 visits per week.

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The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency was created by Congress to charter national banks, to oversee a nationwide system of banking institutions, and to assure that national banks are safe and sound, competitive and profitable, and capable of serving the banking needs of their customers in the best possible manner.  OCC press releases and other information are available at http://www.occ.gov.  To receive OCC press releases and issuances by email, subscribe at http://www.occ.gov/listserv.htm.