News Releases

BMO podcast helps Canadian graduates move to the Head of the Class

TORONTO, October 28 2008 – Despite the economic slowdown, the majority of recent and soon-to-be post-secondary graduates remain optimistic as they prepare to enter the next stage in their lives, according to a recent Harris/Decima survey commissioned by BMO Bank of Montreal. The study found the new cohort of graduates to be goal–oriented, with 71 per cent citing paying down student debt as a top priority, 62 per cent consider saving for a down payment on a condo or home an important focus.

As pending graduates bunker down to begin studying for mid-term exams, many are wondering what might be in store for them, post-graduation. To help these students ‘make sense of it all', BMO Bank of Montreal has launched a new student-focused podcast called Head of the Class, where money management topics are discussed with a panel of students.

The first episode of BMO's Head of the Class podcast is hosted by Lesley Scorgie, author of Rich by Thirty: A Young Adult's Guide to Financial Success, and founder of financial consulting company Rich by Inc. Throughout the three-part podcast, Scorgie chats with Robin Greschner, a recent Queen's University graduate, and Jordan Brown, a forth-year student at the University of Saskatchewan, to uncover the issues and concerns that matter most to students.

“Graduation represents a major milestone and the perfect time to discuss financial, career and other life goals,” said Scorgie. “I was impressed with Robin and Jordan's focus and discipline. They had put a lot of thought into what they want and how they plan on getting there.”

Borrowing from questions asked in the BMO student survey, Scorgie explores relevant topics such as:

How to manage student debt
Money-saving and money-management tips and strategies
Where students obtain financial advice
Concerns over Canada's current economic climate
The importance of having a mentor
Getting a head start on saving for retirement

“It's great to know that graduating students are taking money matters seriously, and I hope students will find our podcast helpful and reassuring as we tackle some of their common questions and concerns,” said Scorgie.

Along with providing planning advice for post-secondary students, BMO Bank of Montreal offers special services for current students including, free student banking, a student line of credit and the BMO SPC Mosaik MasterCard. BMO is the only bank that offers one year of free banking after graduation.

The BMO Head of the Class podcast is available at
www4.bmo.com/studentbanking/studentresources/podcasts.html and can also be found on Apple iTunes. Listeners are welcome to send comments or questions to feedback@bmo.com. The English podcast will also be accessible through Lesley's website at www.richbythirty.com.

The Harris/Decima online poll was conducted from July 31 to August 7, 2008 and is based on a sample of 1,005 post secondary students and recent grads, coast-to-coast.

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