Canadian investors growing more optimistic about their financial health

    
    Russell Financial Health Index highlights

    -   Investors regain their optimism after four consecutive quarters of
        negative trending.

    -   However, having sufficient income to cover essentials in retirement
        remained a growing issue.
    

TORONTO , Jan. 22 /CNW/ - A recovering global economy and positive stock market returns have done wonders for investor confidence.

The Russell Financial Health Index (RFHI), an online calculator that gauges the overall financial health of Canadian investors, recently increased for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2008, after trending downward for four consecutive quarters.

The RFHI is now at 49.74 points, up from 47.95 points in the third quarter of 2009 (higher points means greater financial optimism).

Investors who recently used the online calculator displayed less concern across almost all of the 11 financial factors listed in the RFHI. For instance, investors who used the RFHI were less concerned about their ability to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. However, having sufficient income to cover essentials in retirement remained a growing issue.

The RFHI allows investors to compare their financial health to Canadians across the country and is available in English and French at: www.myfinanciallyhealthyretirement.com.

To learn more about the Russell Financial Health Index and its results, please call: 416-640-2529

About the Russell Financial Health Index

The Russell Financial Health Index gathers its data from a confidential web survey, which takes approximately five minutes to complete. Based on a user's answers, a Financial Health Score is assigned, which can be measured against the scores of other Canadian investors who have used the tool.

Each score is a result of analyzing variables that include physical health, personal finances, unexpected events and financial planning. Respondents are also asked questions related to how prepared they feel to ride out changes in their long term investment performance before and during retirement.

Findings from the Index will be used to assess and report findings, on a quarterly basis, about how Canadians perceive their financial health, as they deal with different economic environments and changes in their lives.

About Russell

Russell Investments provides strategic advice, world-class implementation, state-of-the-art performance benchmarks and a range of institutional-quality investment products. With approximately $184.9 billion CDN in assets under management (as of Dec. 31 , 2009), Russell Investments serves individual, institutional and advisor clients in more than 40 countries. Russell Investments provides access to some of the world's best money managers. It helps investors put this access to work in corporate defined benefit and defined contribution plans, and in the life savings of individual investors. Founded in 1936, Russell Investments is a subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and headquartered in Tacoma, Wash. Russell has principal offices in Amsterdam , Auckland , Johannesburg , London , Melbourne , New York, Paris , San Francisco , Singapore , Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto .

Russell Investments Canada Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Frank Russell Company. For more information, please go to www.russell.com/ca.

For further information: Thien Huynh, [phone]; Katita Stark, [phone]