The Spectrem Affluent Investor Index (SAII)® rose again for the second  time in two months and the Spectrem Millionaire Investor Index (SMII)® followed suit with a more dramatic rise of it’s own. Both indices inched up, though the economy is still a concern.

Though dire warnings of economic disaster still dominate the newsstands, the affluent are starting to feel out the new financial world and find ways to be involved again. After months of waiting it out, Millionaires and the Affluent are back in the market, moving dramatically back into Cash and Bonds, which both hit new  all-time highs this month. All investments, even Real Estate, showed a big jump this month.

The drop in Not Investing, which plummeted from its all time high of 53 last month, shows how strongly investors are returning to the market, and perhaps getting over some of their fear and anxiety. Among Millionaires, especially, stocks and stock mutual funds are up and there is an overall easing of some of the anxiety of the end of 2008.

The economic environment remains as an influence on investment plans for the Affluent and Millionaires. Millionaires are predicting that the financial crisis will last another 22 months. With that stark reality, it is easy to predict that the economic environment will continue to be the factor most affecting investment plans for the foreseeable future.

For the Affluent, Economic Environment is about tied with Stock Market Conditions as the two things affecting their investment plans. Though, historically, Stock Market Conditions reached their highest point of influence on investment plans in October 2008, they have been a pressing concern in all of 2008. The markets continue to be unstable and swing to and fro.

As 2009 ramps up, the component of the Household Outlook, Household Assets rose slightly. Surprisingly, so did the measure for Economy, though the economy in general continues to be a concern in other measures, like Perception of Issues (p.3). The overall outlook, however, fell slightly. Household Income and Company Health both fell, indicating that the Affluent and Millionaires are concerned about the news of unemployment, layoffs, and other issues that are affecting American businesses.

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