TRENTON – Attorney General Peter C. Harvey today kicked off a new program through which the Office of the Attorney General's Bureau of Securities will teach investor education to thousands of high school students throughout New Jersey.

Attorney General Harvey and Franklin L. Widmann, Chief of the New Jersey Bureau of Securities, introduced the new program, called "Consumer University, New Jersey," to hundreds of students during assemblies today in the auditorium of Ridge High School in Basking Ridge and the gymnasium of Westfield High School in Westfield.

Eighteen other schools from throughout New Jersey will be chosen to participate in the new education program during the remainder of the 2005-2006 school year.

"By teaching students good financial habits now, we can start them on the path to a stronger financial future and keep them out of crippling credit card debt," said Attorney General Harvey. "Young people understand the power of money when they spend it, but we want to teach them how they can multiply their spending power by saving money and investing wisely. The sooner students learn the power of saving, the sooner they can begin to take advantage of opportunities in the future."

Consumer University is an assembly-style presentation for high school students designed to create teen investors out of teen spenders. The program facilitator is Alicia Haus, a former financial service industries regulator. Personal stories, geared to teens, are used by the presenter to illustrate how money that teens could save now by forgoing certain luxuries could grow into a small fortune by the time they reach middle age, if the money is invested wisely.

"A teen who understands the fundamentals of informed investing and realizes the benefits of compounding interest at a young age is more likely to make wise spending and saving decisions as an adult," said Bureau Chief Widmann. "We're excited about the opportunity to make these life lessons engaging and something that teens can relate to."

"The New Jersey Investor Education and Protection Program is funded by a grant from the Investor Protection Trust (IPT). The IPT is a nonprofit organization devoted to investor education. Since 1993 the IPT has worked with the States to provide the independent, objective investor education needed by all Americans to make informed investment decisions. www.investorprotection.org"

The program is part of the New Jersey Investor Education and Protection Program, through which the Bureau of Securities brings investor education programs directly to citizens throughout the state to teach them how to invest safely and smartly.

For contact information about this program or for scheduling investor education events by the New Jersey Bureau of Securities, call 1-866-838-6240 or reach them on the Web at www.njsecurities.gov.

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