REPEAT-BMO InvestorLine Study: Three-quarters of Canadians Put a Premium on Advice When Managing Their Wealth

TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 03/21/13 -- Canadian investors put a premium on the value of advice when managing their money. According to a study issued today by BMO InvestorLine, 73 per cent of investors across the country are keen on obtaining advice when managing their investments, including what investments to buy/sell and ensuring their portfolios are well diversified.

"It's no surprise that Canadians value advice for managing their investments," said Viki Lazaris, President and CEO, BMO InvestorLine. "It's getting increasingly difficult to make investment decisions with the myriad of investment options available to investors and the speed at which global economic events occur."

Most Canadians Want "the Final Say"

When examined more closely, more than half of Canadians (57 per cent) reported that, while they would like advice when choosing their investments, they ultimately want the final say in whether they commit to a given investment or not.

"Investing is an important but personal decision and investors have different life situations and investment objectives," said Ms. Lazaris. "For those who are confident in making their own investment decisions, BMO InvestorLine offers a self-directed service, which provides tools and resources for clients to build and manage their portfolio independently. And for those who are interested in managing their portfolio independently, but can benefit from guidance along the way, BMO InvestorLine recently introduced adviceDirect, a first-of-its-kind service designed for those who want to invest through an online brokerage but require advice when making decisions."

Launched in September 2012, adviceDirect acts as a virtual investment advisor, providing specific buy and sell recommendations based on an investor profile that's tailored specifically for a client's goals, time frame and risk tolerance. The service continually monitors the client's portfolio and sends notifications with specific recommendations when their portfolio needs attention on areas like diversification, asset allocation, risk and equity ratings.

For more information on BMO InvestorLine, visit www.bmoinvestorline.com.

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Regional Breakdown

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                                  Total   ATL    QC    ON  MB/SK    AB    BC
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Percentage of investors who need                                            
 advice when managing their                                                 
 investments                         73    74    67    79     64    72    68
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Percentage of investors who would                                           
 like advice but ultimately want                                            
 the final say                       57    61    61    56     44    58    55
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The online survey was conducted by Pollara with a sample of 1,000 Canadians adults, between November 22nd and November 27th, 2012. A probability sample of this size would yield results accurate to +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

BMO InvestorLine Inc. and BMO Ligne D'action Inc. provide this commentary to clients for informational purposes only. The information contained herein is based on sources that we believe to be reliable, but is not guaranteed by us, may be incomplete or may change without notice. The comments included in this document are general in nature, and professional advice regarding an individual's particular position should be obtained.

BMO InvestorLine Inc. is a member of BMO Financial Group.

® Registered trade-mark of Bank of Montreal, used under licence. BMO InvestorLine Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of Montreal Holdings Inc. Member - Canadian Investor Protection Fund and IIROC.

An adviceDirect account is a non-discretionary fee based account which offers investment recommendations. adviceDirect does not provide portfolio management by a portfolio manager. The client makes their own investment decisions and manages their own investment portfolio. adviceDirect does not offer discretionary, managed accounts.