Financial Planning ● Financial Coaching ● Financial Education                                 

 Build Knowledge • Create Confidence • Gain Control  

PHOENIX, Arizona, June 30, 2006 — A quick scan  of recent headlines reveals myriad stories about the potential demise of Social Security, crippling personal debt, and record-low family saving rates — but with all the alarm bells, what is being done to solve these problems? The good news is that Washington D.C. has taken notice of these alarming issues, and organizations such as The National Council on Economic Education and a handful of nonprofit groups have begun taking some wonderful, proactive measures to change things. The bad news is that most of these organizations focus on youth initiatives, and are fragmented, at best.

While financial education for our youth is important, what happens to everyone else in the meantime? Who is helping the average working adult who never received proper financial education in school or at home? Studies show it clearly is the exception rather than the rule to find anyone with a firm grasp of personal financial matters.

Todd Smith wants to turn that statistic around — it is why he pioneered Azmyth Financial, one of the few pure financial education and coaching companies in existence.

“After nearly 10 years working in the financial services industry, I was amazed by people’s confusion, sense of fear and powerlessness about their money, and the overall lack of financial knowledge experienced across nearly all demographics,” Smith explains. “For example, did you know that only 19 percent of individuals surveyed in a recent study know the age of normal retirement? All my research points to one alarming fact: national financial literacy is extremely low and there is little to no sign of improvement. Realizing this, I knew I could leverage my experience and passion for this subject to help reverse this dismal trend.”

Smith, owner of Azmyth Financial, explains that pure financial education is a relatively new concept in the financial industry. Rather than offering advice like most financial services firms do, Smith’s company provides objective, actionable financial education, without the intimidation, hard-sales tactics, or conflicts of interests associated with many traditional brokers/financial advisors who make their living on commission and by pushing products. Smith explains, “In my experience, the majority of people think they must have a lot of money to work with a financial planner — or they are simply intimidated by the process and the overwhelming amount of information. That is where we step in.”

Azmyth Financial provides a large underserved population with a better understanding of the financial process, arming them with the proper knowledge to take action either on their own or with the guidance of a qualified professional.

Asked about the biggest challenge he faces in terms of bringing his service to market, Smith responds: “My biggest challenge remains in getting employers and other organizations on board. Many companies have yet to see the value of incorporating financial education as part of their benefits packages. According to recent analysis by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), financial education in the workplace reaches only a minority of employees. Just 34 percent of employees report receiving retirement education from their employers in the last 12 months.”

With reduced government benefits, including a trend toward a personal “ownership” society, and less and less job security, the financial future of working families is clearly in jeopardy. Through the work of Azmyth Financial, Smith intends to shift that frightening paradigm.

Helping individuals become more financially savvy is actually extremely beneficial to organizations that sponsor enrollment of their employees in programs like those offered by Azmyth. Most employers are unaware of the potential liability for not educating their employees about financial issues, and have failed to recognize that financially secure workers are happier, more productive, and less likely to seek other employment.