NEW YORK and ARLINGTON, Va., April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's "Joining Forces" initiative, McGraw-Hill (NYSE: MHP) and the Better Business Bureau's (BBB) Military Line are joining together to develop and deliver expanded financial literacy and consumer protection programs to military families.  The campaign builds on six years of BBB Military Line training initiatives and McGraw-Hill's decade-long commitment to ensuring financial literacy for all.  The combined effort will reach more than 40,000 military families initially and will include a full complement of online and onsite financial resources including webinars, mobile applications, workshops and promotions. 

According to an October 2010 FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) study entitled, "Financial Capability in the United States:  Military Survey," military populations suffer disproportionately from financial strain (poor credit, high debt, foreclosures, etc.) due to service members' unique circumstances of long deployments, protracted family separation and frequent moves.  The study notes, "Improving financial capability is not only important for military service members and their families, it also affects the military as a whole.  When military families make poor financial decisions, the cost of those decisions can undermine military readiness."

"Lack of financial literacy can become a serious national security issue, as well as an unnecessary and burdensome distraction for our service members and their families," said Stephen A. Cox, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.  "Financial readiness is critical to mission readiness and BBB Military Line is honored to work with McGraw-Hill to make this happen."

"McGraw-Hill is proud to work with BBB's Military Line to equip the armed forces and their families with the tools to make informed financial decisions," said Harold McGraw III, Chairman, President and CEO of McGraw-Hill.  "We applaud First Lady Obama and Dr. Biden for launching this worthy campaign and McGraw-Hill stands ready to do our part."

About McGraw-Hill

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global financial information and education company that helps professionals and students succeed in the Knowledge Economy.  Leading brands include Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, Platts energy information services and J.D. Power and Associates.  With approximately 21,000 employees in more than 280 offices in 40 countries, the Corporation's sales in 2010 totaled $6.2 billion. 

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McGraw-Hill's philanthropic mission is to ensure financial literacy for all.  Please visit www.mcgraw-hill.com/site/cr/community/financial-literacy for additional information about its financial literacy programs. Additionally, stay up-to-date about McGraw-Hill's Financial Literacy Now campaign on Twitter and Facebook.

About BBB Military Line

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Military Line program, established in 2004 and in partnership with the DOD Financial Readiness Campaign, brings financial workshops tailored to the military for adults and teens; participates in community fairs, conferences, and military installation events; and provides consumer protection information and services --- all through the efforts of local BBB offices throughout the US.  Our program empowers our military communities and builds bridges between civilian and military cultures through face to face interaction and cooperation.   Our online presence provides financial literacy and military consumer information, along with consumer threat alerts that specifically target the military population.   Please visit www.bbb.org/military  for more information.

Connect with BBB Military Line on Facebook.

SOURCE The McGraw-Hill Companies; Better Business Bureau's Military Line