World’s Largest Investment Club Organization, NAIC, Selects Microsoft Investor as Online Investing Companion
REDMOND, Wash., May 27, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. and the National Association of Investors Corp. (NAIC), the leading investment education organization for individual investors and investment clubs, today announced that Microsoft® Investor, http://investor.MSN.com/ , will be the premier online investing site for NAIC’s more than 700,000 members. The NAIC will provide Microsoft Investor subscribers access to proven investment strategies previously available only to NAIC members. In addition, NAIC members will receive a 30 percent discount* ($6.95 per month vs. $9.95) on Microsoft Investor’s premium services, including NAIC investment strategies in the Investment Finder, in-depth mutual fund research and Insider Trading data.
Established in 1951, NAIC has achieved astounding success. The organization boasts more than 700,000 active members worldwide providing education to 36,000 investment clubs with a total portfolio of $175 billion. The largest association of investment clubs in the world, NAIC membership has grown by more than 50 percent since 1995 alone, and recent surveys of members’ earnings records show an impressive 42.9 percent of clubs equaled or exceeded the earnings of the S & P 500 Index.
“Forty percent of our members are currently online, and we expect this trend to continue,”
said Bob O’Hara, NAIC president and CEO.
“Through a relationship with Microsoft Investor, NAIC will continue to empower its members with tools and services to further their investment knowledge and success. Microsoft Investor provides easy access to valuable online investment information and is the perfect platform to expand NAIC’s proven principles to a broader online audience.”
“NAIC members are rigorous in their research,”
said Lewis Levin, vice president of the desktop finance division at Microsoft.
“Microsoft Investor has tools that can help investment clubs that belong to the NAIC thoroughly track and analyze investments in a faster, easier way. Teaming Microsoft’s software expertise with the insight that the NAIC offers will provide excellent knowledge for Microsoft Investor users.”
NAIC Investment Strategy Now Available on Microsoft Investor
Through the Microsoft Investor Finder feature, users can now access the latest Investor Mutual Fund screens, which incorporate the NAIC’s successful Equity and Fixed Income investment strategy. These Investor Mutual Fund and Fixed Income screens measure equity funds and fixed variable and marginal income according to basic criteria of expenses and performance, allowing users to select customized investment categories. Microsoft Investor’s completely redesigned Investment Finder lets users search an in-depth, integrated database of more than 8,000 stocks or 8,000 mutual funds.
To demonstrate the power of Investor, Microsoft is offering NAIC members a 30 percent discount to its premium subscription service ($6.95 per month rather than $9.95). NAIC members will be able to link directly to Microsoft Investor through the NAIC Web site at http://www.better-investing.org/ and subscribe to Investor at the discounted rate*.
New Version of Microsoft Investor
Also announced today, Microsoft Investor’s new version provides never-before-seen powerful tools and information to help personal investors track their investments, find new investing ideas and research their next investment decision. The latest enhancements include Advisor FYI
™
personalized financial guidance alerts, a redesigned Investment Finder and extensive mutual fund research.
About NAIC
NAIC is a not-for-profit organization made up of investment clubs and individual investors. It was founded to provide investment education to inexperienced and experienced investors and to increase the number of individual investors in common stock. Since its founding, NAIC has espoused several investing principles: Invest regularly. Reinvest all earnings. Invest in
“growth companies.”
Diversify among industries and size of companies to reduce risk. Founded and controlled by the National Association of Investment Clubs Trust, NAIC has been producing financial success for individuals and investment clubs for over 47 years. To pursue a club, individual or computer group memberships, visit http://better-investing.org/ .
About Microsoft Investor
Designed for both the novice and experienced investor, Microsoft Investor provides users with stock quotes, portfolio tracking, investment screening tools, in-depth company and mutual fund research and access to online trading. With more than 1.6 million unique visits per month, Microsoft Investor is the fastest-growing online investment site, according to Media Metrix. In addition, Microsoft Investor was rated the No. 1 site for financial information and investing on the Web by the editors at Barron’s magazine (October 1997), and was named Best All-Around Fee-
Based Financial Site by Money Magazine (December 1997). Microsoft Investor integrates with the Money 98 Financial Suite, Microsoft’s personal finance management software. Money 98 Financial Suite is the fastest-growing personal finance product on the market, nearly doubling its customer base in 1997.
Pricing and Availability
In addition to its broad range of free services (connect-time charges may apply), Microsoft Investor offers unlimited access to its valuable premium services for a monthly fee of $9.95 ($6.95 for subscribers to The Microsoft Network). Microsoft Investor also offers a 30-day free** trial to its premium subscription service. To access the free trial, go to the Microsoft Investor home page at http://investor.MSN.com/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
* Microsoft Investor offer expires Dec. 31, 1998. Valid for new Microsoft Investor users belonging to the NAIC in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia only.
** Free 30-day Investor offer expires Dec. 31, 1998. Valid for new Microsoft Investor users in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia only.
Microsoft and Advisor FYI are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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