"Angling For Options Dollars." For investment managers, there are new fish in the sea: stock options and the growing number of employees who have them. Besides administering and servicing the plans, a growth industry in its own right, there is an increasing need for financial planning and education, as options become an important source of income for non-management employees, many of whom don't understand the basics of how stock options work. US BANKER, August 1999, pp. 49,52-53.

"Gomez Advisors & Harris Interactive Find ŒThe State Of Online Investing' Is 16.28 Million Investors Waiting For Right Offering To Begin Online Trading." This new potential market, according to the authors of the benchmark "The State of Online Investing" survey, could increase the value of assets held in online investment accounts by more than $1.1 trillion. BUSINESS WIRE, August 16,1999, pp. 1-3.

"Survey Finds Investor Education Is Critical." According to Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, 85% of the respondents in their survey feel plan participants are better educated than they were three years ago. NATIONAL UNDERWRITER (LIFE & HEALTH), August 9, 1999, pp. 21-22.

"Investor Relations Sites Are Losing Customers Through Open Doors." "Four out of five investors report that they now access corporate information via the Web, up from only 22% in 1996," says PR Newswire President Ian Capps. It's estimated that 7.2 million investors currently trade online, translating into more than $400 billion. Allowing potential investors to leave a host's site presents its competitors with an opportunity to sell to their customers. This article presents some aspects of a successful site. Three-quarters of respondents in a study cited an electronic help line as important or very important with 31% unsatisfied with the assistance they are now receiving via e-mail. To combat these issues, the study makes three recommendations for improving investor relations. INTERACTIVE PR & MARKETING NEWS, August 6, 1999, pp. 1,6.

"As Record Wealth Builds, Firms Vie To Create A Confluence Of Affluence." Those who succeed in appealing to the newly affluent have a better shot at winning the up-for-grabs loyalties of retiring Baby Boomers. World-wide, the assets of high-net-worth individuals (those with at least $1 million in liquid assets) grew by 12% from 1997 to 1998. FINANCIAL SERVICES MARKETING, July/August 1999, pp. 16-17.