Salomon Smith Barney Hosts Financial Symposium For Hispanic/Latino Investors.

“The Art of Building & Preserving YourAssets” was the focus of a special symposium held last night at The Dallas
Museum of Art in Dallas, Texas. This is also the central theme of the Firm’s initiative to increase direct access to financial experts and enhance the flow of financial information to and among the Hispanic/Latino community. The symposium comes on the heels of Citigroup’s acquisition of one of Mexico’s largest and most successful banks, Banamex. The Dallas event is part of a continuing series of educational seminars across the country, including several successful events held this year in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

Independent research revealed Hispanic/Latino individuals tend to be more financially conservative than the general affluent population, holding the majority of their money in savings and checking accounts. Their investable assets are typically placed in tangible resources, such as real estate. However, despite deep-rooted skepticism of financial institutions, there is great interest and demand within these communities for personalized high-quality information about building and preserving their assets. In response, Salomon Smith Barney developed this investor education initiative to provide more direct exposure to financial experts and sophisticated investment information within Hispanic/Latino communities.

“Our respect and understanding of the importance of the Hispanic/Latino community is evident in our recent transaction with Banamex. While Salomon Smith Barney considers this a very empowered market, research has shown a reluctance to invest due to a traditional reliance on family support later in life, a general skepticism of financial institutions, and a lack of reliable information about investment alternatives,” explained Jorge A. Garza, Director of Public Finance for Salomon Smith Barney. “The goal of Salomon Smith Barney’s initiative is to provide these individuals and their families with insightful information and broad access to make informed financial decisions both for today and for their future.”

Hosted by Mr. Garza and Guillermo Jimenez-Sepulveda, Executive Vice President & General Manager of Banco Nacional de Mexico — Banamex, the Dallas symposium included discussions by:

* Lionel Sosa, Author, “The Americano Dream: How Latinos Can Achieve
Success in Business and Life”

* Gordon Bell, CFA, Vice President & Portfolio Manager, Smith Barney
Asset Management

The Salomon Smith Barney program was held in conjunction with the exhibitions of “Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art,” the first U.S. exhibit of the Banamex Folk Art collection, and the largest private collection of Mexican folk art in the world.