iShares 529 Plan Joins Arkansas in Celebrating College Savings Awareness Day on May 29

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- iShares, a global leader in Exchange Traded Funds and investment manager of Arkansas’s iShares 529 Plan, encourages Arkansas families to focus on the future on May 29, the state’s College Savings Awareness Day. The iShares 529 Plan, which helps families save for higher education in a tax-advantaged account, supports Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe and Treasurer Martha Shoffner in their rallying cry to pursue the goal of attending college, even in difficult times.

“Arkansas has improved scholarship programs and accessibility in recent years, but planning ahead remains the best way to make college an affordable option for students,” Governor Beebe said. “Saving early can give parents a break on their taxes and more security that their children will someday become college graduates.”

Treasurer Martha Shoffner, who oversees Arkansas’s 529 Plans in her role as chairperson of the state’s Section 529 Plan Review Committee, added: “Saving for college is essential for Arkansas families to achieve their long term dreams and to excel in a highly competitive work environment. We share these important goals and continue to encourage families to set money aside for higher education.”

As a savings plan created specifically to help students and their families fund higher education, the iShares 529 Plan has grown steadily since it was first introduced. In fact, assets in the Plan have more than doubled since the Plan’s inception¹. And because of its flexibility, transparency, and low fees, the Plan was just one of five advisor-sold 529 plans to earn an “Above Average” rating among 23 advisor sold plans rated in Morningstar’s annual 529 Industry Survey in 2010.

Arkansas offers a state income tax deduction of up to $5,000 a year ($10,000 for married couples) to families who contribute to an Arkansas-sponsored 529 plan account.

“The growth of the iShares 529 Plan is proof that saving for college is top of mind for a growing number of families,” said Stephen Jobe, Director of iShares 529 Programs at BlackRock. “The Plan’s success is based on two simple pieces: families recognize that it takes planning and perseverance to save for college, and the iShares 529 Plan provides a unique way to set that in motion. We look forward to continuing in the same strong direction and to helping more Arkansas families every year.”

As part of its ongoing support of educational and artistic endeavors in Arkansas, the iShares 529 Plan will serve as a Premier Sponsor of the 2011 Little Rock Film Festival from June 1-5. The Plan’s participation includes the presentation of the Charles B. Pierce Award for Best Film “Made in Arkansas,” which recognizes the most vibrant and creative films produced by Arkansas filmmakers.

About the iShares 529 Plan: The iShares 529 Plan is a college savings plan sponsored by the State of Arkansas. It is available through financial advisors, and is the only 529 plan with all Exchange Traded Funds as the underlying investments. With Exchange Traded Funds at its core, the iShares 529 Plan breaks new ground in the 529 plan arena by offering attractive benefits, including low expenses and transparency. For more information about the iShares 529 Plan, please visit www.ishares529.com.

About iShares: iShares is the global product leader in exchange traded funds with over 440 funds globally across equities, fixed income and commodities, trading on exchanges worldwide. The iShares Funds are bought and sold like common stocks on securities exchanges. The iShares Funds are attractive to many individual and institutional investors and financial intermediaries because of their relative low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account. The iShares customer base consists of the institutional segment of pension plans and fund managers, as well as the retail segment of financial advisors and high net worth individuals. For more information about iShares, please visit www.ishares.com.

About BlackRock: BlackRock is a leader in investment management, risk management and advisory services for institutional and retail clients worldwide. At March 31, 2011, BlackRock’s AUM was $3.648 trillion. BlackRock offers products that span the risk spectrum to meet clients’ needs, including active, enhanced and index strategies across markets and asset classes. Products are offered in a variety of structures including separate accounts, mutual funds,iShares^® exchange traded funds, and other pooled investment vehicles. BlackRock also offers risk management, advisory and enterprise investment system services to a broad base of institutional investors through BlackRock Solutions^®. Headquartered in New York City, as of March 31, 2011, the firm has approximately 9,300 employees in 26 countries and a major presence in key global markets, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East and Africa. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.blackrock.com.

About the Little Rock Film Festival: The annual Little Rock Film Festival showcases the best in Narrative, Documentary, and Short films from around the World, as well as parties, panels, workshops, and youth programs. It offers cash and awards for the top films in each category, and also devotes programs and prizes specifically for Southern and Arkansas films. Founded in 2005 by Little Rock natives and Documentary Filmmakers Brent and Craig Renaud, along with Owen Brainard and Jamie Moses, the LRFF is committed to promoting the film industry in Arkansas and partnering with local organizations and businesses in continuing the growth and development of Downtown Little Rock. For information about the Little Rock Film Festival please visit www.littlerockfilmfestival.org.

For more information about the iShares 529 Plan, contact your financial advisor, call 1-888-529-9552 or visit www.ishares529.com to obtain a Program Description and Participation Agreement which includes investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information; read and consider it carefully before investing or sending money. Upromise Investments, Inc. Co-Distributor and Underwriter; BlackRock Fund Distribution Company, Co-Distributor.

If you are not an Arkansas taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary’s home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

The iShares 529 Plan is a college tuition savings program sponsored by the State of Arkansas and is administered by the Arkansas 529 Plan Review Committee. Upromise Investments, Inc., and Upromise Investment Advisors, LLC, serve as the Program Manager and Recordkeeping and Servicing Agent, respectively, with overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations, including marketing and co-distribution of the Plan. BlackRock Fund Distribution Company also has responsibility for co-distribution of the Plan. BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. serves as Investment Manager for the Plan. The Plan’s portfolios, although they invest in exchange traded funds, are not exchange traded funds. Units of the Portfolios are municipal securities and the value of units will vary with market conditions.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. and BlackRock Fund Distribution Company are subsidiaries of BlackRock, Inc., none of which is affiliated with Upromise.

Neither BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A., and its affiliates nor Upromise and its affiliates provide tax advice. Please note that (i) any discussion of U.S. tax matters contained in this communication cannot be used by you for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties; (ii) this communication was written to support the promotion or marketing of the matters addressed herein; and (iii) you should seek advice based on your particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.

© 2011 BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. iShares^® is a registered trademark of BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. All other trademarks, servicemarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 529-0187-0511

* Not FDIC Insured * No Bank, State or Federal Guarantee * May Lose Value

¹ Source: BlackRock. 12/31/2010

For iShares
Media RelationsChristine Hudacko, 415-670-2687
christine.hudacko@blackrock.com
or
Media Relations
iShares 529 Plan:Jamie Giller, 781-449-3244
jamie@ebbenzallgroup.com

Source: iShares