HARTFORD, Conn. – Playbook for Life, the award-winning national education program designed to help student-athletes get a jump start on their financial future, will open the academic year on August 21 with a visit to the University of Notre Dame, the alma mater of the program’s captain and star player, Allen Pinkett.

As part of the program, developed by The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG), working closely  with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Pinkett, a former Notre Dame and NFL running back, will present fourth and fifth year student-athletes with tips on getting their financial house in order – before setting out for the ‘real world.’ Other students will have an opportunity to attend a separate presentation at 4:00 p.m. at the Career Center in Flanner Hall on the Notre Dame campus. 

Students not only at Notre Dame, but throughout the country, are invited to take advantage of the free resources found in the Playbook for Life guidebook and Web site, www.playbook.thehartford.com.  The guidebook features practical, easy-to-use information on the fundamentals of personal finance needed to start planning for the future.

More than one-third (38 percent) of student-athletes surveyed by The Hartford said they expect to become a millionaire, yet more than half (51 percent) report they have not yet begun planning for their financial future after college. Less than 1 percent of all student-athletes go on to a professional sports career, according to figures from the NCAA.

“My goal in coming back to Notre Dame is to give these students something I never had during my college career – a playbook for life,” said Pinkett.  “I had plenty of direction when it came to sports and school work, but no real guidance on the one subject I would need to be smart about for the rest of my life – personal finance.”

Aside from connecting to Notre Dame students as a Fighting Irish legend, Pinkett, who enjoyed a seven-year professional football career with the NFL, will provide real life stories of personal finance fumbles and lessons learned along the way.   He will be joined at the presentations by Bill Poutre, an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Hartford, head coach of the Division I men’s golf team, and a former member of that team.  In addition to his own lively stories of college finances, Poutre supplies the informational content of the program while engaging his student audiences.

“The goal of the Playbook program is a laudable one – to encourage college students to start thinking about personal finance before they graduate,” said NCAA President Myles Brand.  “No matter what kind of career they choose – in or out of the sports arena – knowing the basics about job benefits, credit, debt, saving and investing will serve them well in the future.” 

Pinkett and fellow members of Team Hartford – a group of former student and professional athletes who have found success both in and out of sports – brought the Playbook for Life’s financial planning message to students at nine colleges and universities during its first 18 months.  Based on the initial success of the program, additional campus events are being planned for this fall and spring 2007.

The Playbook for Life was created by The Hartford, as part of the company’s philanthropic focus on education and its corporate partnership with the NCAA, to help student-athletes gain a solid understanding of personal finance.  Since its launch in March 2005, the program has been widely praised by students, coaches, teachers and parents as a valuable resource for all students and young adults.

The Hartford survey was conducted among 5,585 student-athletes in all NCAA divisions by Impulse Research Corporation in February 2006 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 360,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 49,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA Championships in Division I, II and III sports. For more information, go to www.ncaa.org.

The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest financial services and insurance companies, with 2005 revenues of $27.1 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.