Further Thoughts On Retirement

Toronto, ON - On behalf of Bank of Montreal, Ipsos Reid surveyed financial decision-makers age 45 or over with at least $25,000 in financial assets in October 2005. The survey canvassed opinions from an already well-established set of Canadians, whether they were retired or anticipating retirement and illustrates a populace that is comfortably positioned for retirement and confident in their expectations.

The survey finds that 54% of these Canadians have an approximate dollar figure in mind for their household's retirement needs, and 66% of them describe the figure as a "monthly income stream". By comparison, 24% consider retirement funding from annual income stream perspective and 8% has a lump sum in mind.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid/BMO online survey conducted from October 21 to October 27, 2005. For the survey, a randomly selected sample of 5325 financial decision-makers age 45 or over with at least $25,000 in financial assets completed an online survey. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 1771.34 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire Canadian population of 45 years or over with at least $25,000 in financial assets been polled. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and asset composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2001 Census data.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
416.324.2900
[email protected]

Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 300 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2005, Ipsos generated global revenues of Euro 717.8 million ($853.8 million U.S.).

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