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Seventeen Individual Grants Will Help Museums Teach Youth Across the Country About Saving, Spending and Financial Responsibility Only about one in four U.S. children (27 percent) have learned about saving and investing through their schools, according to parents polled in the recent Nest Egg Score Survey commissioned by A.G. Edwards (NYSE: AGE) and conducted by Harris Interactive(R). And according to that same survey, more than half of U.S. parents with children in the home (56 percent) have not discussed saving or investing with their children. That's why amidst recent reports of negative savings rates and record levels of personal debt, and in conjunction with National Financial Literacy Month, A.G. Edwards, one of the nation's leading financial services providers, is teaming with children's museums nationwide to enhance financial literacy among American youth. Today, at the Association of Children's Museums' annual conference held in Boston, officials from A.G. Edwards announced that the firm has awarded grants totaling a half-million dollars to 17 children's museums nationwide as part of its new "A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Knowledge for Kids" initiative. The grants will help fund unique educational programs at each of the 17 museums to teach children the concepts of earning, budgeting and saving money. "Financial literacy is critical for young people to help them understand not only the importance of planning for everyday expenses and near-term needs, but also the need to save and invest wisely for their future," said Robert L. Bagby, chairman and chief executive officer of A.G. Edwards. "At A.G. Edwards, we embrace our role of providing sound financial advice to our clients, and we believe strongly in the importance of teaching kids about financial responsibility and savings early in life. We're pleased to do our part to provide financial education for the next generation of investors." The 17 grant recipients are: -- Boston Children's Museum (Boston, Mass.) -- The Children's Museum of Cleveland (Cleveland, Ohio) -- Children's Museum of Houston (Houston, Texas) -- The Children's Museum of Memphis (Memphis, Tenn.) -- The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn (Chicago, Ill.) -- Children's Museum of Richmond (Richmond, Va.) -- The Children's Museum of Seattle (Seattle, Wash.) -- Cinergy Children's Museum, Cincinnati Museum Center (Cincinnati, Ohio) -- Fort Worth Museum of Science and History (Ft. Worth, Texas) -- Garden State Discovery Museum (Cherry Hill, N.J.) -- Imagine It! Children's Museum of Atlanta (Atlanta, Ga.) -- The Iowa Children's Museum (Coralville, Iowa) -- Kidspace Children's Museum (Los Angeles/Pasadena, Calif.) -- The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum (St. Louis, Mo.) -- Miami Children's Museum (Miami, Fla.) -- Port Discovery, the Children's Museum in Baltimore (Baltimore, Md.) -- Stepping Stones Museum for Children (Norwalk, Conn.) The 17 participating children's museums open their doors to a total of approximately 5 million visitors annually and offer nearly 750,000 square feet of exhibits and play space that provide an entertaining environment in which to learn. While following general guidelines from A.G. Edwards to create a sound financial education program, each museum will tailor its program to meet the needs of its particular community. The "A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Knowledge for Kids" initiative is modeled after the firm's longstanding support of the successful "Money Doesn't Grow On Trees" program at The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum. That program helps students make connections between everyday living and finances through interactive games and role-playing. Students are given jobs, earn paychecks, make purchasing decisions and learn how to save money for longer-term financial goals. "The positive feedback we've received from the museums about this initiative is encouraging and makes us confident it will be well-received," says Justin Gioia, vice president, director of investor relations and corporate giving for A.G. Edwards. "As we continue to be a proud sponsor of the 'Money Doesn't Grow on Trees' program in our hometown of St. Louis, we're now pleased to be a part of several new financial literacy programs at children's museums across the country. Children's museums are a great resource for today's youth, and their involvement in their respective communities will allow this program to reach the broadest possible audience." A.G. Edwards announces the new campaign at a time when financial education initiatives for youth are clearly needed. According to the Nest Egg Score Survey, only slightly more than half of parents with children aged 6 to 17 (57 percent) have discussed savings or investing with their kids. Most frequently, these parents cite age as a factor: 40 percent consider their children too young to understand. Yet a recent National Endowment for Financial Education symposium concluded that financial literacy is a lifelong process and reaching youth is critical, "the sooner the better." In addition, the quarterly A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score indicates that American adults are doing only a "fair" job at building wealth, on a Poor-Fair-Good-Excellent scale. But while March's inaugural Nest Egg Score of 648 (on a range of 450 to 850) suggests the nation's savings are not as bleak as one might think, that number largely reflects rising housing and stock values. An economic downturn could easily lead to a lower Score, signifying increasing difficulty for Americans in their efforts to build their nest eggs. For more information on the Nest Egg Score, visit nesteggscore.com. In teaming with children's museums, A.G. Edwards seeks to make the benefits of the "Nest Egg Knowledge for Kids" initiative available to as many young people as possible. Janet Rice Elman, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Association of Children's Museums, believes in making sure youth from all backgrounds have the chance to obtain useful knowledge. "A.G. Edwards is doing a great thing by supporting the financial education of young people, especially since this type of education is needed by everyone in our communities," said Elman. "We also appreciate A.G. Edwards' efforts to expand the outstanding programming already available at these museums." Nest Egg Score Survey Methodology Harris Interactive(R) fielded the online survey on behalf of A.G. Edwards between March 14 and March 16, 2006, among a nationwide sample of 2,182 U.S. adults 18 years of age or older, of whom 461 are parents or legal guardians of a child or children living in their household and 295 are parents or legal guardians of a child or children between the ages of 6 and 17. The data were weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity and propensity to be online. In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results for the overall sample of adults have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Sampling error for sub-sample results is higher and varies. This online sample is not a probability sample. Harris Interactive is responsible for fielding the online survey on behalf of A.G. Edwards. A.G. Edwards is responsible for the compilation of data from other sources and for computing the Nest Egg Score and the results reported. About Harris Interactive Harris Interactive (www.harrisinteractive.com), based in Rochester, New York, is the 13th largest and the fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for The Harris Poll(R) and for pioneering leadership in the online market research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering insights that enable confident business decisions, the company blends the science of innovative research with the art of strategic consulting to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and enduring value. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly owned subsidiary Novatris in Paris, France (www.novatris.com), and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. About A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. Drawn to the firm's client-first philosophy, individuals and businesses have turned to A.G. Edwards for sound advice and access to a wide array of investment products and services that can help them meet their financial goals and objectives. Founded in 1887, A.G. Edwards and its affiliates employ nearly 7,000 financial consultants in more than 700 offices nationwide and two European locations in London and Geneva. More information can be found on agedwards.com. How We Do Business A.G. Edwards generally acts as a broker-dealer but may act as an investment advisor on designated accounts, and the firm's obligations will vary with the role it plays. When working with clients, the firm generally acts as a broker-dealer unless specifically indicated in writing. To better understand the differences between brokerage and advisory services, please consult "Important Information About Your Relationship With A.G. Edwards" on agedwards.com/disclosures.