BLACKROCK LAUNCHES GLOBAL INITIATIVE OFFERING INVESTORS PRACTICAL ACTIONS FOR TODAY’S UNCERTAIN MARKETS INVESTING FOR A NEW WORLD™ Helps Investors Capture Opportunity Through More Dynamic, Diverse Portfolios Chairman and CEO Laurence D. Fink Says Asset Managers, Business and Government Must “Turn Short-Term Savers into Long-Term Investors” New York, February 29, 2012 – BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) today launched a multifaceted global initiative that offers investors practical actions for building more dynamic, more diverse portfolios that these times require. Investing for a New World™ is designed to help investors large and small confront the challenges of low yields and volatile markets in today’s complex investment environment. The multi-media initiative – the first of its kind by BlackRock – includes a range of ongoing communications for retail and institutional investors, partners and financial advisors, as well as investor education and advertising in a variety of digital, print and social media around the world. “Investors are looking for answers in a new world where the returns they once took for granted are constrained by historically low yields, market volatility and shifting investment patterns. With today’s longer lifespans and uncertain returns, people are concerned about outliving their money in retirement and funding their children’s education. Wherever I go, the question I hear most often is: ‘So what do I do with my money?’ and we’re stepping forward to provide answers,” said Laurence D. Fink, BlackRock’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We have a responsibility to our clients – and the working people and retirees many of them serve – as well as to our shareholders to offer straight talk and practical guidance for investors. That’s especially true now, as we have grown and moved deeper into serving individuals through their financial advisors.