Chase [NYSE:JPM], MasterCard and Telemundo today announced a financial education tour that is especially customized to meet the needs of Hispanic consumers in five major markets across the nation, kicking off in Chicago on Tuesday, Aug. 14 and wrapping up in Houston on Monday, Aug. 20. Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and San Jose are all stopping points for the tour.

Chase, MasterCard and Telemundo believe educating consumers about smart financial practices and money management is crucial. Chase recently worked with Freddie Mac to be the exclusive advertising sponsor in select markets of ?Nuestro Barrio? (?Our Neighborhood?), a Spanish-language TV mini-series about Hispanic life in the United States. This series subtly combines storylines with educational messages about important financial issues, including money management, credit and homeownership.

MasterCard has worked with the Hispanic College Fund for over a decade, providing direct scholarship support to more than 50 Hispanic college students. In 2004, the ?MasterCard Hispanic Excellence Award? was launched to provide assistance to promising young Hispanic scholars. Meanwhile, MasterCard's Debt Know How program extends consumer education and credit management resources to Spanish-speaking Americans on its Web site, www.mastercard.com/comomanejarsusdeudas. Recently, LatinaStyle named both Chase and MasterCard as two of the 50 Best Companies for Latinas in 2006, while Hispanic Magazine chose MasterCard for its Corporate 100 list for the third consecutive year in 2005.

?We planned this tour to be an easy, interactive way to bring financial education into our Hispanic customers' backyards,? said Gary Flood, president, Global Key Accounts, MasterCard Worldwide. ?MasterCard already offers a wealth of resources on managing credit, and our hope is to enhance that information by partnering with Chase and Telemundo to encourage good financial planning and make certain this tour is a success.?

Similarly, Chase has participated in efforts to provide Hispanic consumers with the right financial products and services. Chase recently launched Rapid Cash®, an easy, safe and free service to help U.S. customers send money to family members in Mexico. Chase also offers an increasing array of Spanish-language services, such as bilingual branch employees and customer service in language, as well as credit card applications, new cardmember materials and card statements in Spanish.

?We know how important it is for our customers to have access to advice as they plan for their future, so we continually look for ways to make it convenient for our customers to get that information in their neighborhood area,? said Kathy Witsil, senior vice president, Chase Card Services. ?With that in mind, Chase and MasterCard teamed up with Telemundo to host this tour, with the goal of empowering and educating Hispanic consumers about their personal financial choices.?

?At Chase, we are committed to providing Hispanic consumers with products and services tailored to their specific needs, as well as financial guidance to help them manage their money,? said Rebeca Vargas, senior vice president, head of multicultural segments for Chase. ?This is why we are inviting consumers to attend a financial education seminar in a relaxed environment. Attendees will have the opportunity to talk to Telemundo's expert in finances as well as Chase bankers who will be there to answer any questions.?

At each event, consumers will hear from a guest financial expert from the hit Telemundo morning news show, ?Cada Día,? and will receive financial advice and tips in a fun setting. Consumers will also have the opportunity to meet and greet a special Telemundo celebrity guest at the event, such as, Natalia Streignard?star of successful telenovelas like ?La Tormenta? and ?Anita No Te Rajes.? Both Chase and MasterCard will provide valuable information to help attendees plan for and achieve their financial goals.

?We are very excited to work with MasterCard and Chase to educate U.S. Hispanics on financial services information,? said Don Browne, president of Telemundo Network. ?At Telemundo, we believe it is important for our audiences to be well-versed on something as important as their financial future.?

Event Details

  • Location: Chase Branch, 2900 Woodridge, Houston, Texas 77087
  • Date: Monday, Aug. 20
  • Schedule: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
  • Refreshments and opportunity to meet Natalia Streignard and a Telemundo financial expert

For more information about the San Jose financial education event or other tour locations, please visit www.chase.com/tourfinanciero.

About MasterCard Worldwide

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 16 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com.

About Telemundo

Telemundo, a U.S. Spanish-language television network, is the essential entertainment, news and sports source for Hispanics. Broadcasting unique national and local programming for the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, Telemundo reaches 93% of U.S. Hispanic households in 142 markets through its 16 owned-and-operated stations, 36 broadcast affiliates and nearly 684 cable affiliates. Telemundo is wholly owned by NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.

About JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $1.4 trillion and operations in more than 50 countries. The company has more than 152 million credit cards issued. Under the Chase and JPMorgan brands, the firm serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients. Information about the firm is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

Chase Card Services
Tanya Madison, 302-282-5547
tanya.m.madison@chase.com
or
MasterCard
Joanne Trout, 914-249-6644
joanne_trout@mastercard.com
or
Telemundo
Michelle Alban, 305-889-7585