At the Indiana University event, Lieberman, a former U.S. Olympian, Old Dominion University and WNBA player, and former head coach of the Detroit Shock, will draw on her own experiences off the court to bring to life the personal finance fundamentals in the Playbook for Life.

“By sharing my own financial mishaps, I can help students steer clear of the mistakes I could have easily avoided if I had something like the Playbook for Life when I was in school,” explained Lieberman, who is also a current ESPN and NBA TV basketball analyst. “Knowledge of personal finance basics is an essential life skill; our goal is to empower students to make smart decisions to build a solid financial future.”

Shaheen, an Indiana University alum who, in his role at the NCAA oversees the Men’s Division I Basketball Championship and the NCAA® Corporate Champion and Partner program, of which The Hartford is a member, will provide a special introduction to the evening. He will underscore the value of creating a financial game plan before transitioning from college to life in the “real world.”

With limited classroom instruction in personal finance and the mounting pressures of credit card and student loan debt, many college students find themselves in need of guidance on dealing with the myriad financial challenges that await them upon graduation. In Indiana, the average college student carries $21,179 in student loan debt, which is above the national average of $19,646, according to a 2007 analysis by The Project for Student Debt.

Moreover, a recent survey by The Hartford found that nearly half (47 percent) of college students nationwide say their parents have had to bail them out of debt at some time. This survey also revealed that 71 percent of college students are concerned about their ability to meet financial obligations and 76 percent of college students wish they had more help preparing for their financial future.

Joining Lieberman and Shaheen to help Indiana University students get their financial house in order is Bill Poutre, a former student golfer and adjunct professor of entrepreneurship, and current head coach of the NCAA Division I men’s golf team at the University of Hartford. He will cover the Playbook’s practical information on setting goals, budgeting, establishing good credit, and understanding savings and investing basics.

Lieberman, Poutre and fellow members of “Team Hartford” - a group of former student-athletes who have found success both in and out of sports - have brought the Playbook message to students at nearly 30 colleges and universities since the program’s inception in March 2005. The Hartford and NCAA also encourage students across the country to take advantage of the free resources found in the guidebook and on the Web site, www.playbook.thehartford.com.

“The educational preparedness of student-athletes is a primary focus of the NCAA. It’s through the dedication of professors, athletic advisors, and programs like NCAA CHAMPS/Life-Skills and the Playbook for Life that we continue to provide our student-athletes with the practical tools and guidance to tackle the challenges that lie ahead after graduation,” said Shaheen. “In fact, all student-athletes, and college students in general, stand to benefit from the Playbook’s lessons in responsible money management.”

The 2008 Playbook campus tour kicked off with a presentation at the University of Portland yesterday and, in addition to the Indiana University event, is continuing with presentations at Oregon State University and Portland State University this week.

Created by The Hartford as part of the company’s philanthropic focus on education and its corporate partnership with the NCAA, the Playbook for Life has been widely praised by student-athletes, the general student body, coaches, teachers and parents as a valuable resource for helping all young adults make smart financial decisions.

The Hartford survey was conducted among 1,108 college students and 1,086 parents of college students nationwide by Impulse Research Corporation in February 2007 (with a margin of error of +/- 3 percent).

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 380,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaasports.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.

The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest diversified financial services companies, with 2007 revenues of $25.9 billion. The Hartford is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, Brazil and the United Kingdom. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.

HIG-C

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