Madison, NJ – Dec. 2, 2010 – Brinton Eaton, a wealth advisory firm based in New Jersey, today announced the results of its 2010 survey, “Does Your Portfolio Have a Safety Net?” The survey showed that respondents have a strong understanding of portfolio safety nets, and have a willingness to seek out, and pay for, mechanisms to protect their portfolios in the event of a severe market decline. The survey also shows that despite recent market turmoil, investors are staying focused on investing for the long term, and haven’t lost faith in diversification.

“More than 90% of respondents said that portfolio protection was at least ‘somewhat’ important, with 72% indicating that it was ‘important,’ ‘very important,’ or ‘essential,’” said Jerry Miccolis, CFA®, CFP®, chief investment officer at Brinton Eaton and author of the survey report. “Almost 80% are willing to spend 1% or more of their portfolio on protection, with fully 38% comfortable spending more than 3%.” With respect to indirect costs, more than three-quarters of respondents would be willing to sacrifice some upside potential to defray the direct cost of portfolio protection.

When asked how market events over the last two years affected their interest in portfolio protection, 96% stated that they were at least as interested if not more interested than before, with a sizeable majority (62%) reporting a growth in interest.

The survey also showed that that respondents remain focused on investing for the long term, with over 90% of respondents indicating that their investment horizon extended for at least three years, with a majority identifying their horizon as 10 years or longer. When asked if the 2008 market collapse caused respondents to lose faith in portfolio diversification, a substantial 75% said “No.”

“Investors are realizing that while asset allocation and rebalancing are keys to portfolio growth, there are the rare occasions when diversification is rendered ineffective by too many asset classes declining at once. That is the role of explicit portfolio protection – to protect portfolios against the small but finite probability of contagion,” said Miccolis. At Brinton Eaton, a solution has been devised within allocated portfolios that automatically provide protection against downside risk, has very low cost and does not sacrifice upside potential.

For a free copy of the survey report, visit www.brintoneaton.com/library/surveys.

About Brinton Eaton:
Based in Madison, NJ, Brinton Eaton is an advisory firm with a long history of serving individuals and their families across multiple generations. The firm helps its clients protect, grow, administer, and ultimately transfer their legacy of wealth through a full range of integrated services, including lifetime cash flow projections, financial/tax/estate/retirement planning, investment management, charitable giving, and business succession planning. Brinton Eaton’s clients tend to be corporate executives, professionals, entrepreneurs, retirees, and multi-generational families. For more information, visit www.brintoneaton.com.

Media Contact:
Patty Buchanan
Fastlane Public Relations
(973) 670-1203
pbuchanan@fast-lane.net