TD AMERITRADE Survey Highlights

Economic Downturn Puts Strain on Already Insufficient Retirement Savings

10 percent of Americans completely stopped contributing to their retirement plans.

A new survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation on behalf of TD AMERITRADE Holding Corporation has found that only about half (54 percent) of Americans polled say they are currently investing in a retirement plan

Of those polled, 1 in 3 (34 percent) people say they currently have less than $50,000 in investable assets - this includes senior citizens. Only 21 percent of those polled indicated they have $50,000 or more in investable assets. Yet, when asked if they plan to personally contribute more to their future retirement given the potential changes in Social Security, nearly half (43 percent) answered yes.

Financial strain due to the economic downturn was cited by half (50 percent) of those who say they have reduced or stopped contributing to their retirement plan. Unemployment (32 percent) and healthcare costs (25 percent) were also key factors cited as affecting their ability to contribute to their retirement plan.

When asked by what percentage they have reduced the amount they contribute to their retirement plan, or have they stopped contributing completely, 35 percent say they have reduced their retirement plan contributions; 14 percent claim to have cut their contributions back by 5 percent to 20 percent, and as many as 6 percent have reduced their contributions by 21 percent or more. Sixty-three percent indicated they have stopped contributing completely.

Interestingly, nearly 1 in 4 (22 percent) respondents ages 35 to 44 years indicated that they have stopped or reduced their retirement plan contributions, more than any other age group.

For more information or to arrange an interview with a Subject Expert, please contact:
Communications & Public Affairs, TD AMERITRADE
Media Line
Tel: (800) 400-1336

Opinion Research Corporation, an infoUSA company, has offered innovative solutions to the toughest market research challenges of clients worldwide since 1938. The firm has been conducting national, speech reaction, state and flash/overnight polls for CNN since April 2006. To learn more, visit www.opinionresearch.com.

These results are based on a telephone survey conducted among a random sample of 1,005 adult Americans. The survey was conducted September 11 - 14, 2008 by Opinion Research Corporation's CARAVAN omnibus on behalf of TD AMERITRADE. The margin of error for the total sample is plus or minus three percentage points. Opinion Research Corporation and TD AMERITRADE are separate, unaffiliated companies and are not responsible for each other's products and services.

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Story Ideas

Managing Market Risk may not be as "easy as pie" but P.I.E.: Plan, Invest, Evaluate can help

The recent market volatility has more than one investor seeking guidance. Their first impulse in many cases is to panic. And, while the recent financial crisis and market sell-off are quite scary for most investors, history has proven that cashing out of the market in times of crisis is usually the wrong thing to do. It is at times like these folks need to take a deep breath and remember the P.I.E. principle - Plan, Invest and Evaluate - to help manage investment risk.

PLAN: Having a plan is paramount for long-term investors. If you don't have a plan for long-term goals like retirement, you may have increased exposure to uncertainty and market risk. Planning means assessing your risk tolerance based upon your goals, financial condition, time frames, and comfort levels.

INVEST: It's important to have a plan you are comfortable with during any market condition. Many investors use dollar-cost averaging to help manage risk. By investing regular amounts at regular intervals, your cost per share will average out over time, regardless of which way you believe the market will go. Higher priced shares bought at the top of one cycle may be offset by cheaper shares bought during a down cycle. In fact, financial crises like the one we are currently experiencing often prove to be buying opportunities for long-term investors. While we cannot say for certain how long it will take the equity markets to come back, the long-term trend is up, and past times of crisis have typically resulted in stock market gains approximately 12 to 18 months after the market bottoms.

EVALUATE: If you have a plan in place, it may be time to evaluate it with an eye toward risk - especially at times of heightened market volatility. For example, if you own a fund or security that invests in a particular sector that has done well, it might now represent a larger percentage of your portfolio than what your original investment plan called for. This is just one reason why investment professionals typically recommend you evaluate your portfolio at least twice a year. And, at times like these, perhaps more often.

Finding the right recipe to manage risk may not be "easy as pie," but it may not be as hard as it seems. To help manage the uncertainty of a volatile market, think P.I.E.: Plan, Invest and Evaluate.

For more information or to arrange an interview with a Subject Expert, please contact:
Communications & Public Affairs, TD AMERITRADE
Media Line
Tel: (800) 400-1336

Past performance of a security does not guarantee future results. All investments are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of the principal invested. There is no assurance that the investment process will consistently lead to successful investing. Diversification does not eliminate the risk of experiencing investment losses. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market conditions.

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Spotlight on: Portfolio Planner

Portfolio Planner is a self-directed investment tool that allows investors to analyze their current portfolio and create an asset allocation that meets their investing needs.

Users now also have the benefit of including mutual funds when determining their allocation strategy or rebalancing their portfolio. This versatile tool provides access to more than 12,000 mutual funds offered through TD AMERITRADE.

Portfolio Planner's array of additional functionalities includes:

The ability to utilize the TD AMERITRADE Premier List of mutual funds to help select compatible funds. Morningstar Associates, LLC, updates the list quarterly by regularly evaluating more than 30 different categories of funds available through TD AMERITRADE. Clients can use this exclusive list to find funds that enhance their portfolio and reflect their investment goals.^*

Access to more than 1,300 no-load, no-transaction-fee mutual funds.^**

The means to compare existing portfolio(s) with one of TD AMERITRADE's pre-built target allocation models, to see how their current allocation measures up.
The ability to create their own custom allocation to compare their existing portfolio to and select securities to fill gaps in their investment portfolio.

The ability to invest new monies or rebalance their portfolio to keep them in alignment with their target allocation.

Before investing in investment company securities, be sure to carefully consider the security's objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. For a prospectus containing this and other important information, contact the investment company or a TD AMERITRADE Client Services representative. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

^*Premier List disclosures: Copyright © 2008. Morningstar Associates, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Morningstar Associates, LLC is a registered investment advisor and wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. The information, data and opinions contained herein include proprietary information of Morningstar Associates, LLC and may not be copied or redistributed for any purpose. The mutual funds selected by Morningstar Associates, LLC for the Premier List have been derived from a universe of mutual funds made available through TD AMERITRADE. Morningstar Associates, LLC does not warrant this information to be accurate, complete or timely. Morningstar Associates, LLC is not responsible for any damages or losses arising from the use of this information. Particular mutual funds on the Premier List may not be appropriate investments for you under your circumstances, and there may be other mutual funds or investment options offered by TD AMERITRADE that are appropriate. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

^**TD AMERITRADE receives remuneration from fund companies participating in its no-load, no-transaction-fee program for record-keeping and shareholder services, and other administrative services. The amount of TD AMERITRADE's remuneration for these services is based in part on the amount of investments in such funds by TD AMERITRADE clients. No-transaction-fee funds have other fees and expenses that apply to a continued investment in the fund and are described in the prospectus.

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