Newsroom Releases

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pioneer Services now offers free financial education podcasts for military
Financial PEP Talk series launch part of Financial Literacy Month celebration

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Apr 19, 2010) April is Financial Literacy Month, but for more than a decade Pioneer Services has celebrated financial education every month, creating more than three dozen articles, two books, and in-office materials designed to help military families take control of their finances. These efforts have been recognized in recent years with four awards from industry and educational groups.

The company's library of materials just got even better with the addition of the Pioneer Educational Podcast series' "Financial PEP Talk," released this Financial Literacy Month in order to give service members yet another way to access financial education. The podcasts, which last just six to 10 minutes, are available on the company's website at www.PioneerServices.com/podcast, where users can listen or download an MP3 file. By the end of April, there will also be an iTunes feed to which users can subscribe and listen to at their convenience.

"These podcasts give us another way to share the financial knowledge we've gained from more than 77 years in the industry," said Chief Marketing Officer Karen Von Der Bruegge. "Military families can now choose how they want to learn money management: reading an article or book, visiting our offices for one-on-one consultations, and now, listening online or on an MP3 player. Whatever their preference, we have an option."

The first three episodes cover setting financial goals, developing a spending and savings plan, and the changes consumers will see due to the recently-implemented Credit CARD Act. A new Financial PEP Talk episode will be released regularly, with future topics to include how to prioritize debts, creating an emergency savings account, how to choose a bank, tips for online borrowing, and many more.

To listen to the Financial PEP Talk, visit www.PioneerServices.com/podcast.

Pioneer Services, the military banking division of MidCountry Bank, provides financial services and award-winning education to members of the Armed Forces. For more than 20 years, Pioneer Services has been a leader in military lending, offering military loans, retail lending, and award-winning financial education programs through a network of offices and on the Internet. Pioneer Services is proud to support military families and communities through a variety of partnerships, programs, and sponsorships.

For more information visit www.PioneerServices.com. For loan information, visit PioneerMilitaryLoans.com.

###

Scott Cahill
Public Relations, Pioneer Services
media@pioneerservices.com
ph: 816-448-2300
fax: 816-561-9333

All loan applications subject to our credit policies. No official US military endorsement is implied. MidCountry Bank is a member FDIC.

###

You can also visit our press kit for more information about who we are and how we serve those in uniform.

Members of the media - please visit Pioneer Services' media page.

The timing of these postings is made at the discretion of Pioneer Services. Readers should not assume that the information contained on this site has been updated or otherwise contains current information. Pioneer Services does not review past postings to determine whether they remain accurate, and information contained in such postings may have been superseded.