Millionaires, affluent upbeat in new year

Confidence among investors with more than $500,000 in investable assets increased in December, rebounding from sharp losses during the previous month. The Spectrem Affluent Investor Index, which measures the confidence of investors with $500,000 or more in investible assets, increased 5 points to a reading of zero. The Spectrem Millionaire Investor Index advanced 5 points in December, bouncing back from an 11 point loss in November to end 2007 at a reading of 8. Affluent and millionaire investors alike cited the economy and the political climate as the most serious threats to achieving their financial goals. The indexes are put out on a monthly basis by The Spectrem Group of Chicago.