For Immediate Release September 21, 2006
Contact: Cristi Allen
callen@decisionanalyst.com
Phone: 817-640-6166

ARLINGTON, Texas – By a wide margin Bank of America is the most often used consumer bank in the U.S., according to a nationwide survey by Decision Analyst, a leading international marketing research and marketing consulting firm.

Earlier this year Decision Analyst conducted a Financial Services Study in which it asked participants to name their "primary financial institution.'' Most often cited was Bank of America, named by 14.4 percent of respondents. It was followed by Washington Mutual, named by 5.4 percent of respondents, and Wells Fargo Bank, NA, mentioned by 4.8 percent of respondents. Others were Wachovia, with a 4.1 percent response; Chase/JP Morgan Chase, with a 4.0 percent response; and Citibank, 2.2 percent. Various other banks and credit unions were mentioned, but none by more than 2.0 percent of survey respondents.

By gender, the highest percentage of men (14.5 percent) and women (14.2 percent) named Bank of America as their primary financial institution. Washington Mutual was second, named by 6.0 percent of all women and 4.7 percent of all men.

By income, respondents earning $75,000 or more per year most often identified Bank of America as their primary financial institution (18.4 percent), followed by Washington Mutual (7.2 percent of those respondents). Among those earning $40,000 or less, Bank of America was named primary bank by 14.3 percent of respondents, Wells Fargo Bank by 5.9 percent of respondents, and Washington Mutual by 5.5 percent.

For its Financial Services Study, conducted earlier this year, Decision Analyst surveyed a statistically balanced sample of 627 respondents who had bank loans, liens, or demand accounts. The study's margin of error is plus or minus four percent.

About Decision Analyst

Decision Analyst Inc. (www.decisionanalyst.com), based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is a leading international marketing research and marketing consulting firm specializing in advertising testing, strategy research, new product development, and advanced modeling for marketing decision optimization. The 27-year-old firm delivers competitive advantage to clients throughout the world in the consumer packaged goods, telecommunications, retail, high technology, medical and pharmaceutical, utilities, and e-commerce industries. In addition, Decision Analyst operates the American Consumer Opinion® online panel, one of the world’s largest Internet consumer opinion panels, with more than six million participants.

For additional information contact:
Cristi Allen
Publicity
Email: callen@decisionanalyst.com
Phone: 1.800.ANALYSIS (262.5974)
Address: 604 Avenue H East
Arlington, TX 76011

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