AGE Edwards AG

With a national score of 631, Americans continue to do a fair job of building their nest eggs, according to the latest quarterly A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score released today. In addition, A.G. Edwards (NYSE:AGE) unveiled a new online tool today -- the A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score Estimator -- which lets individuals estimate their own personal scores and get a sense of how they are doing at building their nest eggs. The Nest Egg Score Estimator, which mirrors the national Nest Egg Score, also helps individuals gauge how their wealth-building efforts compare with the national score. The A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score and Estimator assign numerical values to various pieces of information that pertain to wealth-building. Once the information is collected, a three-digit "score" -- similar to a credit scoring system -- is calculated based on a 450-850 scale, and a poor-fair-good-excellent rating is assigned. Individuals interested in estimating their own Nest Egg Score can visit www.nesteggscore.com. "While developing the A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score, we realized that individuals had an interest in learning more about their own wealth-building efforts," said Robert L. Bagby, chairman and chief executive officer of A.G. Edwards. "As a result, we created the A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score Estimator to help our clients and all investors get a handle on their current efforts and the steps they can take to continue building their nest eggs. It also provides practical tips to help them achieve their financial goals." Nest Egg Score Compiled using a combination of government and consumer survey data, the Nest Egg Score released today is 631 -- down from the previous score of 648 in March -- primarily due to a drop in the nation's personal savings rate, a lower level of home ownership, an increase in household taxes and a more bleak consumer outlook on future savings prospects. These factors more than offset broader participation in retirement plans and other savings and investment vehicles, continued low unemployment, and the fact that the wealth-to-income ratio is at its highest level in five years. According to government data released in the first quarter of 2006 and used to calculate the Nest Egg Score, the U.S. personal savings rate was a negative 1.3 percent and home ownership also slipped because housing has become less affordable. In addition, the A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive(R) on behalf of the firm, found that U.S. adults are now less optimistic than they were in March about their ability to save or invest money in the next 90 days. Those expecting "an increase in their ability to save or invest money" declined to 16 percent, down from 20 percent in March, while the percentage of adults anticipating "their ability to save or invest money will decrease" edged up to 11 percent from 9 percent in March. "As a nation, we continue to spend more than we make," said A.G. Edwards Financial Planning Specialist Sophie Beckmann, CFP(TM), CPA. "For a variety of reasons, many people haven't given much thought to the importance of saving for such things as retirement, a child's education or even an emergency. While it may seem hard to get started or change habits, there are a lot of simple things people can do to keep spending down and save more for the future. That's where the Nest Egg Score Estimator can help -- it lets people see where they stand and provides ideas on how to improve." Couples and Their Nest Eggs It is true that June is a popular month for weddings, but once couples -- and their finances -- unite, how does that affect relationships? "There's still some debate among partners when it comes to finances, with nearly one in four married or cohabitating adults agreeing that money is the source of most relationship problems with their spouse or partner," Beckmann said. "But couples seem to recognize their differences and are trying to communicate about money as best as they can." The nationwide survey conducted by Harris Interactive in conjunction with the quarterly A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score revealed a number of interesting findings concerning couples and their finances. Among the highlights: -- There Are Disagreements - Approximately one in three U.S. adults (33 percent) who are married or living with a partner disagree about finances at least once a month, while 10 percent disagree on finances at least once a week. -- But Couples Are Talking - Many married or cohabitating adults reported that they discuss key financial issues with their spouse or partner at least once a month. When they talk, 63 percent said they talk about saving money; 52 percent discuss debt; 50 percent discuss credit card use; and 41 percent discuss retirement goals and planning. -- Does Gender Matter? - Couples seem to think so, with two-thirds of U.S. adults who are married or living with a partner (67 percent) agreeing that men and women approach financial issues very differently. -- With Household Finances, Men Are More Trusting - When it comes to wearing the financial pants in the household, three in five men who are married or living with a partner (61 percent) trust their spouse or partner to handle all their finances, while about half of women (49 percent) do. -- Charge It or Save It? - Adults who are married or living with a partner are more likely to share a great deal of similar attitudes about carrying debt (58 percent) and the use of credit cards (56 percent), than saving (49 percent) and investing (43 percent) money. -- "I'm OK; You Need to Work on Your Financial Skills" - Just over one in three married or cohabitating adults (35 percent) wish their spouse or partner was more financially responsible. Adults in a committed relationship also tended to give themselves better marks as savers than they gave their significant others. Fifty-eight percent described themselves as net "savers," while 48 percent described their spouses or significant others as net "savers." About the Nest Egg Score The A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score is a single, quarterly, three-digit numerical rating that represents a measure of the relative strength or weakness of Americans' wealth-building performance, similar to the scoring systems used to evaluate creditworthiness. A high Nest Egg Score indicates that households are having more success in building their nest eggs or that economic conditions are favorable for saving and investing. Conversely, a low score means that households are not taking advantage of opportunities to build their nest eggs or that economic conditions are not conducive to wealth accumulation. To create the Nest Egg Score, A.G. Edwards takes into account 12 statistical factors gathered from federal government data and proprietary research conducted for A.G. Edwards by Harris Interactive(R) that pertain to building wealth. Quarterly data for each factor is evaluated and scored on a scale of 450 to 850. The 12 individual scores are then combined and weighted to determine the Nest Egg Score. For further information on the A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score, go to nesteggscore.com. Survey Methodology Harris Interactive(R) fielded the most recent online quarterly Nest Egg Score survey on behalf of A.G. Edwards between May 23 and May 25, 2006, among a nationwide sample of 2,197 U.S. adults 18 years of age or older, of whom 1,278 are married or living with a partner. The previous online quarterly A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score survey was fielded by Harris Interactive on behalf of A.G. Edwards between March 14 and March 16, 2006, among a nationwide sample of 2,182 U.S. adults 18 years of age or older. The data for both surveys was weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity and propensity to be online. In theory, with probability samples of these sizes, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results for the overall samples of adults have sampling errors of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Sampling error for adults who are married or living with a partner is plus or minus 4 percentage points. These online samples are not probability samples. Harris Interactive is responsible for fielding the online surveys on behalf of A.G. Edwards. A.G. Edwards is responsible for the compilation of data from other sources and for computing the Nest Egg Score and the results reported. About A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. Drawn to the firm's client-first philosophy, individuals and businesses have turned to A.G. Edwards for sound advice and access to a wide array of investment products and services that can help them meet their financial goals and objectives. Founded in 1887, A.G. Edwards and its affiliates employ nearly 7,000 financial consultants in more than 700 offices nationwide and two European locations in London and Geneva. More information can be found on agedwards.com. How A.G. Edwards Does Business A.G. Edwards generally acts as a broker-dealer but may act as an investment advisor on designated accounts, and the firm's obligations will vary with the role it plays. When working with clients, the firm generally acts as a broker-dealer unless specifically indicated in writing. To better understand the differences between brokerage and advisory services, please consult "Important Information About Your Relationship With A.G. Edwards" on agedwards.com/disclosures. About Harris Interactive Harris Interactive is the 13th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides research-driven insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what could conceivably be the world's largest panel of survey respondents: The Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in France and through a global network of independent market research firms. The service bureau, HISB, provides its market research industry clients with mixed-mode data collection, panel development services as well as syndicated and tracking research consultation. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com. To become a member of the Harris Poll Online, visit www.harrispollonline.com.