Harris and CBS 2 Chicago Team Up for Tots

CHICAGO-- The holiday season means time for toys, and once again Harris is partnering with CBS 2 Chicago to sponsor the U.S. Marine Corps "Toys for Tots" toy drive. New this year is a special program to encourage even more giving: Harris will donate a toy to Toys for Tots for every new interest bearing checking account opened between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31.

"We think offering our customers the opportunity to help children in need and earn interest on their checking balances throughout the year is a great way to increase future participation in the Toys for Tots program," said Julie Curran, Senior Vice President, Banking Products at Harris. "We've also researched which age groups are most in need of toys, and we'll be targeting our donations to reach those children."

This is the fifth consecutive year that Harris has sponsored Toys for Tots. Once again, Harris customers or employees who take part in the drive will purchase a new toy and drop it off unwrapped at any Harris Chicagoland location. When the drive ends on December 17, Marines will distribute the toys to children who are in need through local school programs, social services organizations and churches.

Last year in the Chicagoland area, the Toys for Tots program distributed well over 100,000 toys to needy children, serving approximately 200,000 families. This year, unfortunately, the need will be even greater.

The Harris partnership with CBS includes TV commercials that encourage viewers to make toy donations at Harris locations and a link to the Harris site from the Toys for Tots page at http://www.cbs2chicago.com .

Now in its 57th year, the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program has provided toys to millions of needy children across the country during the holiday season. In addition to bringing joy to these children every year, the program allows Marines to contribute to the welfare of their local communities.

Harris(TM) is an integrated financial service organization that provides more than one million personal, business, corporate and institutional clients with banking, lending, investing, financial planning, trust administration, portfolio management, family office and wealth transfer services. Harris is a member of BMO Financial Group (NYSE: BMO; Toronto). For more information, please visit http://www.theharris.com .

Harris(TM) is a trade name used by various financial service subsidiaries of Harris Financial Corp. Banking products and services are provided by Harris N.A., The Harris Bank N.A. and their bank affiliates. Members FDIC. Insurance and annuities are offered through Harris Bancorp Insurance Services, Inc. (HBIS). Securities are provided by Harris Nesbitt Corp. (HNC), a registered broker dealer, member NYSE, NASD and SIPC. HBIS and HNC are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Harris Financial Corp. Products offered by HBIS and HNC are Not Insured by the FDIC or any Government Agency Not a Deposit of or Guaranteed by any Bank- May Lose Value. The purchase of insurance or an annuity is not a condition on any bank loan or service. Financial planning and investment advisory services are provided by Sullivan, Bruyette, Speros and Blaney, Inc., an SEC-registered investment advisor. Family Office Services are provided by Harris myCFO, Inc. Investment advisory services are also offered by Harris myCFO Investment Advisory Service LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harris myCFO, Inc. Not all products and services are offered in every state and/or location.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.