New Tool Helps Credit Union Members Tap the Power of Investor Education

May 20th - Madison, Wisconsin - Economic turmoil is leaving private investors feeling unsure of themselves. A recent survey conducted by the Securities Investors Association revealed that fewer than half of all investors believe they know enough to make sound investment decisions - and more than 80 percent think the financial service industry should be doing more to educate them.

Credit unions have always been committed to consumer education. Now, credit unions and Credit Union Service Organizations (CUSOs) have a new tool to help individuals better understand today's investment market - and differentiate the value of credit union membership. The Encyclopedia of Personal Finance™, the leading interactive financial learning tool, is available to credit unions at volume discount prices, thanks to a special arrangement between the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and Precision Information, LLC.

Thorough, authoritative, and easy to use, the Encyclopedia CD contains thousands of articles, definitions, and interactive tutorials that cover every aspect of personal finance, including deposit accounts, insurance, securities, and more. Credit unions can use the Encyclopedia as a promotional tool to attract new accounts, build member relationships, and introduce members to new financial products and services.

"Members feel more confident and comfortable when they understand their money-management options," said Jim Hanson, vice president of CUNA's Center for Personal Finance. "That kind of confidence has always been associated with credit unions, and we believe credit unions and CUSOs that use the Encyclopedia will reap the rewards of greater member activity and loyalty."

Hanson said there are many ways The Encyclopedia of Personal Finance™ can help credit unions and their members:

• Credit Unions can use the Encyclopedia as a premium to encourage new accounts or mortgage loan applications.
• The Encyclopedia can help CUSOs interest members in a wider range of investment options, and give them the confidence to invest in securities, insurance, and other products.
• Plus, the Encyclopedia makes an appreciation gift that members truly value.
To learn more about how your organization can put the power of investor education to work, visit buy.cuna.org and enter "PI25345encyclopedia" in the search box.

About Precision Information, LLC: Precision Information is a leading provider of interactive financial education products to financial service firms and millions of individual investors. PI's customers benefit from the company's proprietary database of more than 2500 pages of articles, tutorials, definitions, and quiz questions. Such industry leaders as Ameritrade, Morningstar, Intuit, and New York Life rely on Precision Information to provide accurate, reliable, unbiased, engaging and easy-to-use NASD-compliant material through web, print, and software applications. PI's flagship software product, The Encyclopedia of Personal Finance 2003™, is the most comprehensive personal finance education resource available for the individual investor.

About Credit Union National Association (CUNA): With its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, Credit Union National Association serves more than 90% of America's 10,000 credit unions, which are owned by more than 83 million consumer members. Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives where people are worth more than money. For more information, visit www.cuna.org.