FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                  98-24

                               Press contact:
                               John J. Nester (202) 942-7083
                              
 National Town Meeting on Saving and Investing Set 
                        for April 4

 Public forum caps "Facts on Saving and Investing Campaign"
                        kickoff week

     Washington, D.C., March 17 -- Americans are invited to
spend a Saturday investing in their futures at the "National
Town Meeting on Saving and Investing" on Saturday, April 4.
The free program will focus on how to save and invest
wisely, take control of one's finances, and prepare for
retirement even if living paycheck to paycheck.

     Featuring Arthur Levitt, Chairman of the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission, Denise Voigt Crawford,
President of the North American Securities Administrators
Association, and other experts, the town meeting will be
broadcast live by satellite from Washington, D.C., to more
than 20 locations across the country.  The audio portion of
the two-hour public forum, which begins at 1:00 p.m. (EST),
will also be available live on the Internet at
www.investoreducation.org.

     The town meeting will conclude the week-long kickoff of
the national "Facts on Saving and Investing Campaign," an
unprecedented grassroots effort launched by a coalition of
government agencies, business, and consumer organizations to
motivate Americans to "get the facts" they need to save and
invest wisely, and achieve financial security.

     The campaign's slogan is "Get the facts.  It's your
money.  It's your future."

     "65 million American households will probably fail to
realize one or more of their major life goals because they
have not developed a comprehensive financial plan," Levitt
said at a February 24 news conference to announce the
campaign.  "We are in the midst of a financial literacy
crisis, and many will pay a high price for their lack of
financial knowledge."

     "There's an old saying that knowledge is power,"
Crawford added. "When it comes to investing, knowledge is
protection.  Uninformed, unsophisticated investors make
tempting targets for crooks.  Investors need to be well-
armed with knowledge and a healthy skepticism."

     In addition to the saving and investing tips, including
how to guard against fraud, audience members will have an
opportunity to take the first step toward financial security
by filling out the "Ballpark Estimate."  The one-page form
helps people quickly calculate how much money they should
save this year for retirement.

     The National Town Meeting on Saving and Investing will
be broadcast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Jefferson Auditorium at 14th and Independence, S.W.  Area
residents who would like to attend should call (202) 942-
7111 to reserve a free seat.

     The "Facts on Saving and Investing Campaign" begins
with a series of national and community events from March 29
to April 4, 1998.  Securities regulators from twenty-one
nations in North, Central and South America and the
Caribbean will also offer investor education programs in
their countries during that week.

     For more information, including state-by-state
activities and a copy of the "Ballpark Estimate," visit the
campaign's website at www.investoreducation.org, or call 1-
800-732-0330 to request the "Financial Facts Tool Kit."


                          #   #   #