Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICI(SM)) Drops to Lowest Level in a Year

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - Aug 31, 2011) - Spectrem Group announced today that its Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICI(SM)) fell 9 points in August to -18, its lowest level in a year.

The decline brings the affluent index, which measures the investment confidence and outlook of households with $500,000 or more in investable assets, to its lowest level since August 2010, when it stood at -20. The index is now in mildly bearish territory, down from neutral in July.

Meanwhile, the Spectrem Million Investor Confidence Index (SMICI(SM)) fell 4 points in August to -9, remaining at a neutral level.

"Affluent investors saw their investment confidence decline sharply in August, dropping to its lowest level since this time last year and falling to a mildly bearish stance. Meanwhile, the nation's millionaires, who experienced a smaller decline in confidence, remained in neutral territory. This truly tumultuous month for the stock market has clearly unnerved America's affluent investors, who have focused their attention on the political environment and market conditions," 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 Attitudes Shaken in a Tumultuous Month
• Negative Attitudes Toward the Economy Drive Down Outlook

In response to an open-ended question about the news story most affecting their economic outlook, affluent investors in August cited: the political environment (28%); stock market conditions (12%); unemployment (10%); the economy (9%); the deficit (8%); international problems (7%), and gas and oil prices (1%). Those citing the political environment rose from 17% in May 2011, the last time this question was asked, and those citing stock market conditions rose from 3%.

Millionaires were more focused on the political environment (32%) than the affluent and were equally focused on unemployment (10%).

Historical Performance

		March		April		May		June		July		August
Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index(SM)		1		-7		2		-9		-9		-18
Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence Index(SM)		8		-1		1		-1		-5		-9

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.