Financial Institutions Not Communicating with Customers Enough in Present Economic Turmoil Opinion Research Corporation Study Finds

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to a new survey from Opinion Research Corporation (an infoGROUP Company)(NASDAQ: IUSA), banks, savings and loans, and credit unions appear to be doing a poor job of keeping their customers informed in this turbulent economic climate. Nearly half of those surveyed (46%) said the bank in which they have the most assets was not communicating with them enough. Mutual funds fared slightly better than banks, with 42 percent of respondents that hold the majority of assets there expressing disappointment in the level of communication from their provider. Brokerage firms appeared to be doing the best job of keeping their customers informed, with sixty-two percent of respondents that hold the majority of assets there indicating that the level of communication has been good.

“With the stock market on a rollercoaster ride, financial institutions must take proactive measures to reassure their customers and shareholders and bolster confidence in their performance,” said Jeff Resnick, President of Opinion Research Corporation (US). “In the absence of information, people will fear the worst.”

Despite the chaos on Wall Street, overall confidence levels in financial services institutions remain high, with eighty-five percent of respondents saying they consider their assets to be safe. However, the study shows that levels of confidence vary by sector. Banks, S&L’s, and credit unions were regarded as safe havens for savings by 89 percent of those who keep their assets there. Brokerage firms and mutual funds fared almost as well, with 78 percent of those who have the majority of their assets in either of these institutions saying they were confident that their assets were safe.

The survey also found that more than half (55%) of respondents thought that the crisis would have a negative impact on them, while 24 percent didn’t think it would have any impact on them.

About Opinion Research Corporation

Opinion Research Corporation is a global market research firm offering action-oriented advice and intelligence to clients worldwide in the areas of Customer Strategies, Corporate Branding and Reputation, Employee Engagement and Market Planning and Development. The firm partners with CNN on the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, conducting national, speech reaction, state and flash/overnight polls for the most trusted name in news since April 2006. To learn more, visit www.opinionresearch.com.

About infoGROUP

infoGROUP (www.infogroup.com), founded in 1972, is the leading provider of business and consumer databases for sales leads & mailing lists, database marketing services, data processing services and sales and marketing solutions. Content is the essential ingredient in every marketing program, and infoGROUP has the most comprehensive data in the industry, and is the only company to own 12 proprietary databases under one roof. The infoGROUP database powers the directory services of the top Internet traffic-generating sites. Nearly 4 million customers use infoGROUP’s products and services to find new customers, grow their sales, and for other direct marketing, telemarketing, customer analysis and credit reference purposes. infoGROUP headquarters are located at 5711 S. 86th Circle, Omaha, NE 68127 and can be contacted at (402) 593-4500. To know more about Sales Leads, click www.infogroup.com.

Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, recent changes in senior management, the successful integration of recent and future acquisitions, fluctuations in operating results, failure to successfully carry out our Internet strategy or to grow our Internet revenue, effects of leverage, changes in technology and increased competition. More information about potential factors that could affect the company’s business and financial results is included in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.