April 24 is Teach Children to Save Day:

Five Essentials of Financial Literacy from NBT Bank

NORWICH, N.Y. (April 23, 2012)- In conjunction with the American Bankers Association Education Foundation's National Teach Children to Save Day this Tuesday, April 24, NBT Bank is making education tools available to local classrooms to provide youth and young adults with the resources needed to build their confidence and put them on the path to financial stability. Teach Children to Save is a national campaign of volunteer bankers who since 1997 have helped young people develop lifelong savings habits.

In addition to Teach Children to Save Day, the entire month of April is Financial Literacy Month, making it the perfect time for NBT Bank to launch its new Strive℠ financial literacy program and iStrive℠ banking products to help today's youth navigate personal finance and grow into financially responsible, independent adults.

As a part of its Strive℠ program efforts, NBT Bank offers comprehensive financial literacy content online for kids, teens, young adults, parents and employers. NBT Bank also encourages educators to contact their local NBT offices to learn more about the Teach Children to Save program it offers to local school districts and colleges for classroom based education. This partnership includes:

• Interactive lessons for elementary, middle, high school, and college students.
• Resources to support ongoing reinforcement of financial literacy practices in the classroom or at home.
• Class trips to local NBT Bank office to learn how a bank works.
• And other customizable lessons and materials

While on the path to financial stability, here are five fundamentals the Strive℠ program encourages you to keep in mind:

1. Create a budget with this very simple equation:
   Your Income - Your Expenses = Available Money
2. Open a savings account at a bank to help you put money away for safe-keeping. A savings account not only protects your money, but helps it grow.
3. Set goals to help you monitor your progress toward an objective and actively see the results of your actions.
4. Only borrow what you know you can afford to pay back and make sure you fully understand the products or services you are using and their requirements.
5. Keep your personal information in a secure place at home, especially if you have roommates or house guests. And don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet.

To learn more and experience the resources first-hand, visit www.nbtbank.com/strive. To learn more about NBT Bank's full offering of iStrive℠ youth and young adult checking, savings, debit and credit products at www.nbtbank.com/istrive. Or, stop by your local NBT Bank office.

NBT Bank offers personal banking, asset management and business services through a network of 132 banking locations in four states. NBT Bank operates from 97 locations in upstate New York, northwestern Vermont and western Massachusetts. NBT's Pennstar Bank division operates from 35 locations in northeastern Pennsylvania. NBT Bank and its parent company, NBT Bancorp Inc., are headquartered in Norwich, N.Y. NBT Bancorp Inc. had assets of $5.6 billion as of December 31, 2011, and is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol NBTB.

The ABA Education Foundation, a nonprofit subsidiary of the American Bankers Association, provides financial education programs and resources that help bankers make their communities better. The foundation's signature programs, Teach Children to Save (April) and Get Smart About Credit (October) allow bankers to connect with students for financial education.