DALBAR has released its mutual fund website rankings for the second quarter. Topping the list were T. Rowe Price and OppenheimerFunds' sites for consumer and financial professionals, respectively.

Also receiving "Excellent" marks on the consumer sider were: OppenheimerFunds, Wells Fargo, Vanguard, BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Invesco AIM, TIAA-CREF, USAA and Fidelity.

OpFunds was the sole recipient of an "Excellent" mark on the financial professional side. American Funds, Lincoln Financial, MainStay Investments, Putnam Investments, Invesco AIM, Franklin Templeton, Fidelity, BlackRock and Thrivent Financial all received "Very Good" marks, however.

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Company Press Release

(Boston, MA. - August 2008) T. Rowe Price and OppenheimerFunds have earned top honors in DALBAR's Second Quarter Mutual Fund Quarterly Rankings & Trending Report. While OppenheimerFunds stands alone with an "Excellent" designation in the financial professional rankings, T. Rowe Price was joined by several other "Excellent" websites on the consumer side including: OppenheimerFunds, Wells Fargo, Vanguard, BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Invesco AIM, TIAA-CREF, USAA and Fidelity.

Following behind OppenheimerFunds "Excellent" designation on the financial professional side, "Very Good" ranking firms are comprised of American Funds, Lincoln Financial, MainStay Investments, Putnam Investments, Invesco AIM, Franklin Templeton, Fidelity, BlackRock and Thrivent Financial. Second Quarter Rankings, 2008: Movers and Shakers

Vanguard jumped three places in the consumer rankings with the addition of a personalized news section on the homepage. In addition, the firm offers the ability to bookmark news on sites such as Digg and Del.icio.us. Invesco AIM also climbed in the rankings to 7th, up five spots and earning an "Excellent" designation. This move came after a site redesign that introduced navigational enhancements and a more user-friendly design with direct links to the most utilized areas of the site.

American Funds pushed their way up two places in the financial professional rankings from 4th to number 2nd by improving the firm's fund details pages, adding an interactive fund comparison tool, enhancing performance areas to improve navigation and ease of use, and now providing market commentary videos and insights. Alliance Bernstein moved 6 places to the 13th position by adding an application wizard designed to guide professionals through the steps of new business and making e-Delivery of information on selected topics available to advisors.

Trend: Investing and Managing in a Volatile Market

Many firms went to great lengths to address the distress of investors and educate advisors on how to guide their clients in the right direction during economic struggles and these times of to market volatility.

* Principal Funds displayed a homepage advertisement titled "Strategies for Coping with Market Volatility." This site section provided consumers with charts, visual representations, articles and tips for coping with the emotional rollercoaster that comes with market volatility.

* OppenheimerFunds created an online forum where advisors can share tips and strategies on how to deal with similar questions and concerns from clients during a volatile market. In addition, OppenheimerFunds dedicated a section on their advisor homepage to articles dealing with market volatility.

* Fidelity provided their clients with a comprehensive list of services they provide during a down market.

The complete WebMonitor Mutual Fund quarterly updates for the Second Quarter, 2008, are available from DALBAR at WebMonitor Quarterly Rankings or by calling 617-723-6400.

DALBAR, Inc., the nation's leading financial-services market research firm, is committed to raising the standards of excellence in the financial-services industry. With offices in both the US and Canada, DALBAR develops standards for, and provides research, ratings, and rankings of intangible factors to the mutual fund, broker/dealer, discount brokerage, life insurance, and banking industries. They include investor behavior, customer satisfaction, service quality, communications, Internet services, and financial-professional ratings.

 

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