"Dot.Complexity" Increases Investor Confusion, Hunger for Guidance.

Business Editors

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 26, 2000

Scudder Kemper Investments Survey Also Reveals that Even Though

Investors Believe Their Peers Are Investing Recklessly, Most People

Are Actually Very Conservative

"Investing in a Dot-Com World: Americans' Attitudes and Apprehensions," a comprehensive new survey by Scudder Kemper Investments, reveals that in the wake of the dot-com investing revolution, most Americans crave more advice and guidance about how to invest in an increasingly complex market.

Said Dianne Michael, Senior Vice President at Scudder Kemper Investments, "We were not surprised to learn in this survey that most people find navigating today's investing environment more complicated than ever. Many people simply feel adrift in a whirlwind of confusing information, as the markets move and change at lightning-fast speed. The clear message: all levels of investors, at all life-stages, want more advice and guidance about their investing."

- 61% of Americans say they find talk of dot-com companies to be

confusing.

- 52% of Americans report that they have "too little"

information on how to make sound savings and investment

decisions today.

- Likewise, 52% of Americans also say they find investing

decisions more complicated given the ups and downs of the

market.

- Even with all the confusion, nearly half of Americans (49%)

still believe it's more important than ever to follow the

economy and stock market.

"The rise of e-trading has created a possibly inaccurate impression among the American public that many people are investing recklessly -- at great risk to themselves," added Ms. Michael.

- Nearly two of every three Americans (63%) believe investors

who trade stocks on their own are gambling with their

financial futures.

- 57% believe that too many people are taking too many risks

with their investments today.

- More than a third of Americans (34%) and 42% of investors

report that they have received a stock or fund tip from a

non-professional.

Said Joan Wood, Senior Vice President at Scudder Kemper Investments, "Interestingly, while this survey's results point to a genuine fear and concern among Americans that their peers are investing recklessly, these fears appear to be unfounded. On the whole, Americans have an investing outlook that is distinctly conservative, long-term and mutual fund-intensive."

- Nearly three quarters (74%) of investors reject the notion

that the best way to make money nowadays is to buy and sell

stocks quickly.

- 80% of investors say they think mutual funds are a safer

alternative to investing in individual securities.

- Nearly three quarters of investors (73%) say that mutual funds

are a safer way to invest in Internet and technology stocks.

- 41% of investors say that if they were given $5,000 to invest,

they would put all or some of it into mutual funds.

"We are heartened to see that the overwhelming majority of American investors reject the `stock du jour' mentality that we used to hear so much about. These results suggest most Americans are investing for their retirement from a prudent, long-term, risk-appropriate standpoint -- and that's good news for everyone," said Ms. Wood.

About Scudder Kemper Investments

Scudder Kemper Investments, Inc., the global investment management business of Zurich Financial Services Groups, is one of the largest and most experienced investment management organizations in the world, managing more than $290 billion in assets for institutional and corporate clients, retirement and pension plans, insurance companies, mutual fund investors, and individuals. Scudder Kemper Investments offers a full range of investment counsel and asset management capabilities, based on a combination of proprietary research and disciplined, long-term investment strategies.

Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, Zurich Financial Services Group is one of the global leaders in the financial services industry, providing its customers with products and solutions in the area of financial protection and asset accumulation. The Group has four core businesses: non-life and life insurance, reinsurance and asset management.

About the Investing in a Dot-Com World Survey

The public opinion data reported in the study entitled Investing in a Dot-Com World: Americans' Attitudes and Apprehensions are the result of a total of 2,900 telephone interviews conducted with adult Americans, 18 years and older, living in the continental United States. Interviewing was conducted from a central telephone facility during the period of April 18 through May 1, 2000 utilizing a random-digital-dial (RDD) sampling methodology.

National survey results are based on 1,300 telephone interviews conducted with a random and representative sample of adults, including an oversample of 300 "investors." Investors are defined as individuals indicating they currently have investments in stocks, mutual funds or money market funds, including IRAs, Keoghs or employer-sponsored retirement plans, like 401(k)s. In addition, a total of 1,600 interviews were conducted in a series of four random and representative statewide surveys of 400 adults each in California, Florida, Illinois and Texas.

The margin of error for results based on the national weighted sample of 1,300 is +/- 2.7 percentage points; for the investor sample of 963, +/- 3.2 percentage points; and for each statewide sample of 400, +/- 4.9 percentage points.

For more details on the findings of Investing in a Dot-Com World: Americans' Attitudes and Apprehensions, please visit investments.scudder.com or contact Laura Trumble at [phone], or Amy Schwabero at [phone]. A copy of the complete survey is available upon request.

For a complete press kit, visit investments.scudder.com.