2008-09-20 13:05:01 -

- As long as the large, publicly traded investment companies are focused on earnings per share and how to elevate their stock prices, their investors' money will always be less secure, according to Alaska Trust Company president Douglas Blattmachr, who has 30 years of experience in financial management.

"When the primary focus of senior management is quarterly earnings and

they have to take risky investments to look good, then the customer's best interest will never be served," said Blattmachr.

In the wake of yet another financial institution's demise, private investment companies such as Alaska Trust Company are seeing an influx of phone calls from worried investors.

"Frightened consumers are looking for other alternatives but they don't fully understand the advantages of investing their money with a private company," explained Blattmachr. "We assure them that we have no proprietary products nor do we take unnecessary risks with their money to make shareholders happy. The bottom line is that if their investments don't succeed, we don't succeed."

Blattmachr added that the advantages of a private firm also allow the management to have more of a long term focus. "We can focus on the future and spend money today to make sure that we are stronger tomorrow."

As for the frightened investor, Blattmachr gives the following short term advice. Look at what you are invested in and how your assets are being invested. Then ask yourself if you can live with the potential loss that approach gives you.

In response to a tumultuous market, Alaska Trust Company put its money market accounts into Treasury only funds. "The bottom line is that the risk was too great out there for our customer's money," said Blattmachr. "We are fortunate that this was a decision we could make because we don't have a proprietary product to worry about investing back into."

As for long term goals, Blattmachr suggests that consumers don't worry about today. "Ask yourself if you think the market will be better in five to 10 years and talk to an institution that will look at your objectives, completely unbiased."

Alaska Trust Company provides wealth management solutions for more than 1,000 clients who have entrusted the company with more than $4 billion in assets. The state of Alaska's unique trust laws allow the company to provide better asset preservation and estate planning solutions to its customers, in addition to no state income tax on investment income and trusts in perpetuity and much more. For more about the many unrivaled benefits of Alaska Trust Company, go to www.alaskatrust.com.

About Alaska Trust Company

The Alaska Trust Company was created to leverage the pioneering laws of the progressive state of Alaska. With the goal of making Alaska the best jurisdiction for establishing and administering trusts, brothers and nationally recognized financial experts Jonathan and Douglas Blattmachr conceived and drafted the Alaska Trust Act, which passed the state legislature in 1997. Today, the hands-on involvement of these same experts allows the company to provide unrivaled wealth management and innovative trust series. For more information about Alaska Trust Company, visit www.alaskatrust.com.

Martz Agency
Jennifer Ziegler, 480-998-3154
jziegler@martzagency.com