FOCUSING ON FINANCES IN 2007?

FOCUSING ON FINANCES IN 2007?

Bridgewater, NJ , February 07, 2007

 If you’ve just turned the calendar on a new month, and your New Year’s resolution to improve your savings and investing habits is still nothing but a good intention, you’re not alone—but the good news is, it’s not too late to do something. To help you act on your resolve, MetLife is offering a series of free brochures on savings and investing basics. The brochures are available by calling 1-800-MET-LIFE (1-800-638-5433) or by visiting www.metlife.com.

According to a recent MetLife study, more than half of U.S. workers with children under the age of 18 manage their finances by living paycheck-to-paycheck – leaving little room for college savings or planning for retirement. Experts recommend setting aside a three-to-six-month income equivalent to weather the storm in the event of an emergency.

"The key to financial security is establishing a savings plan. You need to start small, even if it’s saving just ten or twenty dollars a month," said Donna DeMaio, President of MetLife Bank, an affiliate of MetLife. "With savings at an all-time low for most Americans, people are putting themselves and their families at risk should something unfortunate happen, such as a health emergency or job loss. The good news is that it’s never too late to start saving, and it’s a lot easier than people think."

To help people learn more about savings and investing and beginning a savings plan, MetLife offers two free brochures: "Investing and Money Basics" and "Building Financial Freedom." "Investing and Money Basics" serves as a primer on investment styles, types of investments and retirement investment vehicles. From savings accounts and CDs to bonds and annuities, this brochure helps potential investors recognize their investment styles, understand the risk/reward relationship, and learn about diversifying investments. "Building Financial Freedom" provides valuable information on how consumers can seize control of their finances and start planning for the future, by understanding the basics of investing and the appropriate steps to prepare financially for the future.

MetLife also offers a variety of web-based calculators designed to help make sense of things, including calculators that can help you determine the best way to save money, plan toward retirement, and take the guesswork out of mortgages. A mortgage calculator that can help calculate monthly mortgage payments, in the event of a new home purchase, is available on www.metlife.com, as well as calculators on retirement savings and a retirement income IQ quiz. Calculators that can help determine how much you are saving, as well as how much of your monthly mortgage payment goes toward principal and interest over the life of a loan, are available at www.metlifebank.com.