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NEW YORK--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--A survey of individual investors by E*TRADE Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: ETFC) finds that only 11% of those interviewed are currently using available retirement planning tools.¹ To help provide guidance on retirement planning and current approaches to investing, E*TRADE today announced it will host its first-ever Retirement Education Day on March 29, 2012. The free all-day event will include a series of live online seminars and an in-person seminar in Los Angeles, which will be accessible via webcast, culminating with aRetirement Eveninga events at each of [ E*TRADEas 28 branches ] across the country.

"Many Americans understand the need to plan for retirement, but have a hard time taking the first steps to get started or staying aligned with their goals"

aMany Americans understand the need to plan for retirement, but have a hard time taking the first steps to get started or staying aligned with their goals,a said Michael Loewengart, Investment Strategist at E*TRADE Securities. aRetirement education is a priority at E*TRADE, so weare excited to host an entire day of events focused exclusively on providing investors with simple ways to help drive an informed retirement planning strategy.a

The Retirement Education Day will feature speakers from E*TRADE, as well as industry-leaders from S&P Capital IQ, Morningstar, iShares, and WisdomTree, and allow investors the opportunity to join informative seminars and speak one-on-one with E*TRADE investment professionals.² Topics covered will range from the basics of opening a retirement account to managing a retirement portfolio. The comprehensive online and in-person agenda makes it easy for participants to join at their convenience. Visit the [ Retirement Education Day website ] for registration details and a full schedule of events. Each education event throughout the day is free and open to investors of all levels of experience.

In addition to Retirement Education Day, E*TRADE offers a number of free retirement planning resources, including: a retirement planning guide, a retirement calculator, easy-to-use screeners, and access to Financial Consultants to help maximize planning. To learn more about retirement planning, visit [ www.etrade.com/retirement ].

1. An online survey was conducted by E*TRADE Financial Corporation among a national convenience sample of non-E*TRADE customers, which consisted of 1,790 adults, comprising 1,473 men and 317 women 30-74 years of age and older involved in household decisions regarding investments. Interviewing was completed during the period of January 3-7, 2012. Because the survey is not based on a probability sample, no margin of error can be computed and the results cannot be generalized to the population of US investors with a known degree of precision.

2. Securities products and services are offered by E*TRADE Securities LLC, Member [ FINRA/SIPC ].

About E*TRADE Financial

The E*TRADE Financial family of companies provides financial services including online brokerage and related banking products and services to retail investors. Specific business segments include Trading and Investing and Balance Sheet Management. Securities products and services are offered by E*TRADE Securities LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC). Bank products and services are offered by E*TRADE Bank, a Federal savings bank, Member FDIC, or its subsidiaries. More information is available at [ www.etrade.com ].

Important Notices

E*TRADE Financial, E*TRADE and the E*TRADE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of E*TRADE Financial Corporation. ETFC-G

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