Upromise by Sallie Mae and Barclaycard to Host #CollegeSavingsChat with Personal Finance Expert Jean Chatzky, Parenting Bloggers Amy Lupold Bair and Summer Hull

Questions on Saving for College Will Be Answered Live on Twitter on 529 College Savings Day This Friday, May 29, at 1 p.m. EDT

NEWARK, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Upromise by Sallie Mae, the college savings program, and Barclaycard, will commemorate 529 College Savings Day by hosting a Twitter chat—#CollegeSavingsChat— with financial expert Jean Chatzky and parenting bloggers Amy Lupold Bair and Summer Hull this Friday, May 29, at 1 p.m. EDT. Chatzky will answer live questions from chat participants and provide tips for families on how to start a college savings plan, the pros and cons of 529s, and strategies for contributing regularly to a dedicated saving account. Amy Lupold Bair of Resourceful Mommy and Summer Hull of Mommy Points will also provide their personal insights and tips for parents.

As part of the #CollegeSavingsChat, Upromise will award five prizes of $529 in cash to randomly selected chat participants.

WHAT:		To commemorate 529 College Savings Day, Upromise by Sallie Mae and Barclaycard will host a Twitter chat, #CollegeSavingsChat, with Jean Chatzky (JeanChatzky.com), Amy Lupold Bair (ResourcefulMommy.com) and Summer Hull (MommyPoints.com).
WHERE:		Follow the Twitter chat using the handle #CollegeSavingsChat
WHEN:		529 College Savings Day
		Friday, May 29, at 1 p.m. EDT.
WHO:		Upromise by Sallie Mae, Barclaycard, Jean Chatzky, Amy Lupold Bair and Summer Hull
WHY:		According to How America Saves for College 2015, a national study by Sallie Mae and Ipsos, nine in 10 American parents believe a college education is an important investment in their child’s future, yet fewer than half (48 percent) are saving for college. In addition, among those saving for college, roughly 27 percent are utilizing a 529 plan.

“529 College Savings Day represents an opportunity to remind and encourage families across the country of the importance of saving for college,” said Erin Condon, president, Upromise by Sallie Mae. “We’re thrilled to have Jean Chatzky as well as Amy and Summer joining us to discuss how families can make and maintain the habit of saving for their children’s college education.”

The Upromise MasterCard issued by Barclaycard rewards cardmembers with cash back on all purchases, including up to 10 percent cash back on eligible purchases at more than 850 retailers and travel partners through Upromise.com. Upromise MasterCard cardmembers earned over $50 million in cash back for college in 2014.

“Consistency of savings is one of the most important aspects of college planning,” said Kirsten Osland, managing director, Financial Institution & Affinity Partnerships, Barclaycard US. “Contributing to your son’s or daughter’s college education every time you purchase a cup of coffee or buy groceries can go a long way in growing your child’s college savings fund.”

Earlier this year, Sallie Mae introduced its new 1-2-3 approach to saving for college: open a dedicated savings account, set a goal and make regular contributions, and explore tax-advantaged options like 529 college savings plans.

For more information about Upromise, visit www.upromise.com. For tips on saving, planning and responsibly paying for college visit www.SallieMae.com. To join the Twitter conversation on May 29, just follow #CollegeSavingsChat.

Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) is the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company. Whether college is a long way off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae offers products that promote responsible personal finance including private education loans, Upromise rewards, scholarship search, college financial planning tools, and online retail banking. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

About Barclaycard US

Headquartered in Wilmington, Del., Barclaycard US creates customized, co‐branded credit card programs for some of the nation’s most successful travel, entertainment, retail, affinity and financial institutions. The business also issues its own Barclaycard branded credit cards. For more information on Barclaycard please visit BarclaycardUS.com.

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Sallie Mae
Abigail Harper, 302-451-0230

[email protected]

or

Nicole Dye-Anderson, 302-255-4910

[email protected]

Source: Sallie Mae