Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICI(SM)) Gains 9 Points in May to 2

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - May 25, 2011) - Spectrem Group announced today that its Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICI(SM)) rose 9 points in May to 2, surpassing the Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence Index (SMICI(SM)) for the first time since April 2008.

This gain in the affluent index, which measures the investment confidence and outlook of households with $500,000 or more in investable assets, follows an 8-point decline in April 2011 and keeps the index at a neutral level.

Meanwhile, the Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence Index (SMICI(SM)) advanced 2 points in May to 1, also a neutral reading.

"The investment confidence of affluent investors improved in May, more than recouping its April decline during a month when politics and energy prices were top concerns for the nation's wealthiest investors. Interestingly, this advance brought the affluent to a higher level of investment confidence than the millionaire population, which is unusual since millionaires have historically been the more confident group," said George H. Walper, Jr., President of Spectrem Group.

Additional insights from the indexes are available on Spectrem's newly launched Spectrem's Millionaire Corner website (www.millionairecorner.com). These include:

• Investor Outlook Rebounds But Economic Jitters Continue
• Investors Express Wariness About Markets, Investment Choices

In response to an open-ended question about the news story most affecting their economic outlook, affluent investors in May cited: the political environment (17%); gas and oil prices (14%); the economy (10%); unemployment (10%); the deficit (10%); and international problems (7%). Those citing the political environment rose from 9% in February 2011, the last time this question was asked, and those citing gas and oil prices rose from 3%.

Millionaires were more focused on the political environment (23%) than the affluent but slightly less focused on gas and oil prices (13%).

Historical Performance

Methodology

The Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICI (SM)) is based on 250 monthly email interviews with the financial decision-makers in households with $500,000 or more in investable assets. The data have a margin of error of plus or minus 6.2 percentage points. The Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence Index (SMICI (SM)) is based on a subset of the overall survey group.

About Spectrem's Millionaire Corner
Spectrem's Millionaire Corner website (www.millionairecorner.com) is a powerful source for up-to-the-minute news and information for investors, about investors designed to fuel financial growth. It incorporates Spectrem Group research as well as outside information. In the future, the site will offer financial advisor referrals.

About Spectrem Group
Spectrem Group is a strategic consulting firm specializing in the affluent and retirement markets, integrating proprietary research with expertise in building business, marketing and M&A strategies. Its professionals have held senior management positions at leading global companies.