Spectrem Group Release 3-30-11
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Sharon Bially, (508) 655-2676
sharon@farrellkramer.com
SPECTREM MILLIONAIRE INVESTOR CONFIDENCE INDEX (SMICISM)
FALLS 9 POINTS IN MARCH TO
Returns to Neutral Territory
Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICISM) Down 3 Points to 1
CHICAGO, March 30, 2011 – Spectrem Group announced today that its Spectrem
Millionaire Investor Confidence Index (SMICISM) dropped 9 points in March to a level of
8, falling back to neutral territory.
This decline follows a 15-point advance in February 2011, which brought the index to a
mildly bullish level for the first time in more than 3 years. Despite its March decline, the
index is at its second-highest level since December 2007, when it also stood at 8.
Meanwhile, the Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICISM) fell 3 points in
March to a neutral reading of 1.
“Millionaires’ investment confidence fell in March, erasing more than half the prior
month’s gains and returning it to a neutral stance from mildly bullish. Confidence also
slipped among the broader affluent population. With the economy and political
environment ranking as their top sources of concern, it appears America’s wealthiest
investors have added a solid dose of caution to their investment outlook,” 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 Confidence Declines as Concerns About Recovery Rise
• Pessimistic Millionaire Concerns Drive Down Outlook
In response to an open-ended question about the most serious threat to achieving their
household financial goals, affluent investors in March cited: the economy (22%); the
political climate (22%); unemployment (10%); market conditions (7%); inflation (5%);
and health-related issues (5%). Those citing the economy fell from 24% in December
2010, the last time this question was asked, while those citing the political climate fell
from 23%.
Millionaires were more focused on the economy (25%) than the affluent but less focused
on the political climate (19%).
Historical Performance
| October | November | December | January | February | March | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence IndexSM | –13 | –8 | –8 | –3 | 4 | 1 |
| Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence IndexSM | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 17 | 8 |
Methodology
The Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICI SM) is based on 250 monthly
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.
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