CORRECTING and REPLACING CitiMortgage Announces Foreclosure Suspension Program to Help Distressed Homeowners in the Gulf of Mexico Region

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fourth graph, second sentence of release should read: Under the program, CitiMortgage will halt all foreclosure sales on first mortgage accounts in highly impacted coastal areas through September 17^th(sted September 16^th).

“Many of them are facing financial hardship as a result of the spill, and we want to help support them during this very unsettling time”

The corrected release reads:

CITIMORTGAGE ANNOUNCES FORECLOSURE SUSPENSION PROGRAM TO HELP DISTRESSED HOMEOWNERS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO REGION

Three-Month Suspension Effective June 17 through September 17

Citi Chief Executive Officer Vikram Pandit today announced a foreclosure suspension program for CitiMortgage-owned mortgages in coastal areas hard-hit by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The aim of this program is to allow distressed homeowners to remain in their homes during these uncertain times as the Gulf communities respond to the oil spill and its economic repercussions. During the three-month suspension, effective June 17 through September 17, 2010, borrowers with first mortgage loans owned by CitiMortgage and who meet certain other criteria will not be subject to foreclosure sales or foreclosure notifications. While CitiMortgage does not own all of the loans it services, the company hopes to help as many borrowers as possible with this initiative.

Vikram Pandit, Chief Executive Officer of Citi said, "By putting CitiMortgage foreclosures on hold, we aim to ease the burden on residents of the Gulf states so they can concentrate on the most urgent matters facing them. In the midst of this crisis, we will continue to explore ways to help people avoid foreclosure so they and their families can remain in their homes and have one less thing to worry about.”

“We hope that with this suspension we can help ease some of the financial stress for our customers in the affected Gulf region,” said Sanjiv Das, President and Chief Executive Officer of CitiMortgage. “Many of them are facing financial hardship as a result of the spill, and we want to help support them during this very unsettling time,” Mr. Das added.

CitiMortgage’s Gulf region foreclosure suspension affects only those loans it owns in the region. Under the program, CitiMortgage will halt all foreclosure sales on first mortgage accounts in highly impacted coastal areas through September 17^th. In addition, evictions on real estate owned properties (REO) will cease during this time. CitiMortgage borrowers occupying residences in zip codes within approximately 25 miles of affected coastal areas will be eligible for the program.

Speaking for Citi’s community-based consumer finance business, Mary McDowell, President and Chief Executive Officer of CitiFinancial North America said, “CitiFinancial remains committed to working closely with customers, community leaders, business partners, the government and other stakeholders to address the national housing situation. We are also especially concerned about our customers in the Gulf region that are affected by the oil spill, and we want to do what we can to help them. Because we have an on-the-ground presence in the Gulf communities where we operate, we can work closely with customers individually to help provide solutions if they are having difficulty making their mortgage payments.”

Citi has a number of programs in place to help homeowners in financial distress. Citi’s existing Homeowner Assistance Program is a multi-faceted foreclosure prevention initiative that has helped more than 900,000 homeowners in their efforts to avoid potential foreclosure and remain in their homes since the housing crisis began in 2007. Citi currently makes strenuous attempts to establish contact with distressed borrowers and help them avoid foreclosure. The company does not initiate or complete a foreclosure sale on any eligible borrower when the following criteria are met: CitiMortgage owns the mortgage; the borrower is seeking to stay in the home, which is his or her primary residence; the borrower is working in good faith with Citi; and, the borrower has sufficient income for affordable mortgage payments.

Citi Foreclosure Prevention Efforts Continue to Lead the Industry

CitiMortgage is a committed participant and has been an industry leader in the federal Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP).

Among the industry-leading programs and initiatives that Citi has put in place to help homeowners in distress are:

Office of Homeownership Preservation (OHP) - Established in 2007, OHP provide a range of support services that go beyond modification of a mortgage loan, including an extensive partnership network with non-profit organizations that offer legal assistance, counseling and translation services to borrowers.
Citi Homeowner Assistance Program (CHAP) – Launched in November 2008, CHAP includes a series of initiatives designed to proactively help potential at-risk borrowers remain current on their payments and ultimately in their homes.
Citi Unemployment Assist Program – Since March 2009, this CitiMortgage program serves as a bridge to longer-term solutions for recently unemployed borrowers with CitiMortgage-owned mortgages. The program lowers monthly mortgage payments to an average of $500 for three months for most eligible borrowers, a cost below the national average rent for a one-bedroom residence, according to Citi Research.
Citi Foreclosure Alternatives Program – In February 2010, CitiMortgage launched this six-state pilot program for delinquent customers whose mortgages are owned by CitiMortgage. The company will allow the borrower to remain in their homes for six months and will also provide relocation counseling and financial assistance in exchange for the deed to the property at the end of six month period. The program is designed to help borrowers who are unable or no longer wish to remain in their homes.

To see a comprehensive report about Citi’s foreclosure prevention efforts, please go to:

http://www.citigroup.com/citi/fin/data/1q10_datareport.pdf?ieNocache=11

To reach CitiMortgage’s dedicated team of representatives assisting with the Gulf foreclosure suspension program, call 866-219-8155 beginning Friday, June 18th. CitiFinancial customers should contact their local CitiFinancial branch or the number listed on their monthly mortgage statement.

About Citi

Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 140 countries. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.

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