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DETROIT, Nov. 12, 2012 -- In honor of its commitment to supporting the financial literacy needs of underserved communities, Ally Financial and its Wallet Wise program has been named the 2012 recipient of the inaugural Community Relations Award by the Society for Financial Education and Professional Development (SFEPD). The company's efforts were recognized at the fifth annual Financial Literacy Leadership Conference.

"This year we presented our first Community Service Award to Ally Financial, whom our partnership with enables us to reach out to underserved communities in key cities across the country," said Theodore Daniels, president and CEO, SFEPD. "We're especially thankful for the opportunity to share the Ally Wallet Wise financial literacy program, which helps us to educate audiences in a way that's both relevant and impactful."

Ally Wallet Wise is a free financial education program that teaches consumers the basics of personal finance, including budgeting, credit, banking and investing, and vehicle finance. Offering community-based, in-person sessions, as well as online courses—at www.AllyWalletWise.com—Ally Wallet Wise is available at no cost to consumers across the U.S.

Since the re-launch of the program in July 2011, more than 550 classes have been presented by nonprofit partner affiliates, reaching more than 20,000 attendees.  

"Ally Financial strives to support and strengthen the communities where we live and work," said Beth Coggins, director of community relations at Ally Financial. "We are honored to accept this award and appreciate the dedication of SFEPD as a Wallet Wise affiliate."

As a financial services company, Ally is committed to providing consumers with the tools and information they need to make educated decisions about personal finance. In affiliation with SFEPD, Ally Wallet Wise is presented to communities in and near: Arlington, Va., Dallas, Detroit and Washington, D.C. For a full list of Ally Wallet Wise affiliates and event locations, visit http://www.allywalletwise.com/events/.

About Ally Financial Inc.  
Ally Financial Inc. is a leading automotive financial services company powered by a top direct banking franchise. Ally's automotive services business offers a full suite of financing products and services, including new and used vehicle inventory and consumer financing, leasing, inventory insurance, commercial loans and vehicle remarketing services.  Ally Bank, the company's direct banking subsidiary, offers an array of deposit products, including certificates of deposit, savings accounts, money market accounts, IRA deposit products and online checking.  Ally's Commercial Finance unit provides financing to middle-market companies across a broad range of industries.

With approximately $182 billion in assets as of Sept. 30, 2012, Ally operates as a bank holding company.  For more information, visit the Ally media site at http://media.ally.com or follow Ally on Twitter: @ally.

Contact:

Andrea Puchalsky
313-656-3798
andrea.puchalsky@ally.com