Investors Increasingly Vigilant

E*TRADE Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:ETFC) today announced results from the most recent wave of StreetWise, E*TRADE’s quarterly tracking study of experienced investors. When describing their view of the current market, investors most often use "cautious" or "optimistic," illustrating a divided view of the market. Data suggest that experienced investors are watching their portfolios more closely than they have all year:

• 90 percent suggest keeping a watchful eye over your investments.
• 68 percent say they will or have logged on to their online brokerage firm during vacation this summer.
• 61 percent review their portfolio at least once a week, a slight increase of 2 percentage points from last quarter and 7 percentage points from Q1 2014.
• One in three (32 percent) review their portfolio at least once a day, up a remarkable 8 percentage points from Q1 2014.

While most investors (66 percent) remain bullish on the market, the majority have shifted to focusing on protection instead of focusing on gains. When asked which is most important this quarter, 55 percent say “protecting my nest egg” while 45 percent say “maximizing my gains.” These results are nearly reversed from the first quarter of this year, when 47 percent answered “protecting my nest egg” and 53 percent answered “maximizing my gains.”

“Regularly monitoring your portfolio to keep it aligned with your goals is a hallmark of smart financial management,” said Lena Haas, SVP, Retirement, Investing and Saving at E*TRADE Financial. “But when it comes to protecting your nest egg, the most important thing to remember is not to react emotionally to market volatility.” For investors considering a more cautious investing approach, Ms. Haas offered the following tips:

• Don’t sweat the short term. Do not let daily or weekly fluctuations in the market rattle you. Focus on your foundational goals, the approach to meet them and where you are in your plan. Regardless of how it’s managed, review your portfolio periodically to ensure your asset allocations map to your goals and risk tolerance.
• Stay open to opportunity. Investors shouldn’t necessarily sit on cash during volatile periods. If you have met your liquidity needs, there may be opportunities to rebalance your portfolio by buying assets when valuations decline.
• Diversify broadly. Uncertainty with market direction drives home the importance of managing against various market conditions, including volatility and inflation. Consider Managed Account Solutions that offer portfolios of mutual funds and/or ETFs. They are designed to help meet your goals — including income generation, protection against inflation, or conservative to aggressive growth — no matter what the market brings.

E*TRADE is a partner in helping investors balance today’s needs with tomorrow’s goals, through access to curated content and insights with actionable tools — complemented by professional guidance — online and from seasoned financial consultants. To learn more about E*TRADE’s trading platforms and tools, visit etrade.com.

For useful insight from E*TRADE and third-party investment professionals, follow the Company on Twitter, @ETRADE.

About E*TRADE Financial

E*TRADE Financial and its subsidiaries provide financial services including online brokerage and related banking products and services to retail investors. Specific business segments include Trading and Investing and Balance Sheet Management. Securities products and services, including bonds, equities, mutual funds and ETFs are offered by E*TRADE Securities LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC). Managed Account Solutions are offered through E*TRADE Capital Management, LLC, an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bank products and services are offered by E*TRADE Bank, a Federal savings bank, Member FDIC, or its subsidiaries and affiliates. More information is available at www.etrade.com.

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About ResearchNow

ResearchNow, a leading digital data collection provider, powers market research insights. They enable companies to listen to and interact with the world’s consumers and business professionals through online panels, as well as mobile, digital and social media technologies. Their team operates in over 20 offices globally and is recognized as the market research industry’s leader in client satisfaction. They foster a socially responsible culture by empowering their employees to give back. To find out more or begin a conversation, visit www.researchnow.com.

About the Survey

This wave of the survey was conducted from June 30 to July 11 of 2014 among an online U.S. sample of 960 self-directed active investors who manage at least $10,000 in an online brokerage account. The survey has a margin of error of ±3.2 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. It was fielded and administered by ResearchNow. The panel is 60 percent male and 40 percent female with an even distribution across online brokerages, geographic regions and age bands.

Important Notices

E*TRADE Financial, E*TRADE and the E*TRADE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of E*TRADE Financial Corporation.

© 2014 E*TRADE Financial Corporation. All rights reserved.

E*TRADE Financial Corporation and ResearchNow are separate companies that are not affiliated. E*TRADE Financial Corporation engages ResearchNow to program, field and tabulate the study.

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