Consumers Intend to Save More and Cut Debt in 2009, First Command Reports

First Command Financial Behaviors Index Points to an Uptick in Consumer
Intentions as American Families Strive to Improve Their Finances in an Uncertain
Economy

FORT WORTH, Texas--(Business Wire)--
Increasingly concerned about the economy and job security, American families are
promising to save more and pay down debt in 2009, according to the First Command
Financial Behaviors Index.

A year-end surge in the financial intentions of U.S. consumers caused the
Financial Behaviors Index to rebound in December to end the fourth quarter and
the year at 88, up slightly from the all-time lows of 78 in October and 77 in
November. Consumer intentions to save and reduce debt drove the gain; the
Intentions sub-index jumped 25 points in December to 105 - an eight-month high.

"This increase in good intentions bodes well for the U.S. savings rate in the
new year," said Scott Spiker, CEO of First Command. "We`ve seen that Americans`
intentions have been a leading indicator of their financial behaviors in
subsequent months."

Even as Americans promised to save more and cut debt, their outlook remained at
an all-time low. The Attitudes sub-index ended the year at 82, down from a high
of 104 in May. Americans expressed concerns about the state of the economy (67
percent), the stock market (44 percent) and job security (32 percent), the
latter nearly doubling from a low of 18 percent in May.

Americans are attempting to improve their finances by tightening their belts.
Households cut back on expenditures in 2008 in a variety of areas including
reductions in holiday spending (56 percent), leisure activities (54 percent),
utility bills (52 percent), clothing purchases (48 percent) and household good
spending (38 percent).

Also Americans are becoming smarter in the ways that they do spend their money.
Forty-nine percent said they shop at discount stores, 44 percent use more
coupons and 37 percent buy generic instead of brand name items. And when they
make purchases, 38 percent are using cash or debit cards instead of credit
cards. These actions helped propel the Behaviors sub-index to 78 in December, up
from an all-time low of 61 in October.

"With half of respondents saying they are worse off than they were a year ago,
we may be seeing more than temporary changes in consumer behavior," Spiker said.
"This belt-tightening seems to be viewed as a necessary part of life for the
average American household in the foreseeable future."

Interestingly, consumers with a financial plan registered a higher score on the
Index (97) than respondents without a financial plan (85). These results reflect
a continuing trend as the Financial Behaviors Index for families with a
financial plan remained higher than for families without a financial plan
through 2008. While a financial plan does not create immunity to broad economic
downturns, it does provide a buffer in feelings of financial security.

"Even in a difficult economy, people with a financial plan report greater
confidence in their ability to retire comfortably, greater financial security on
a day-to-day basis and they report feeling less financially stretched," Spiker
said. "Households with a financial plan have greater comfort with their levels
of savings and personal debt, providing greater security in the tough economic
climate that was 2008 and greater confidence when facing the uncertain outlook
for 2009."

About the First Command Financial Behaviors Index

Compiled by Sentient Decision Science, LLC, the First Command Financial
Behaviors Index assesses trends among the American public`s financial behaviors,
attitudes and intentions through a monthly survey of approximately 1,000 U.S.
consumers aged 25 to 70 with annual household incomes of at least $50,000.
Results are reported quarterly. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 percent with a 95
percent level of confidence.

About Sentient Decision Science, LLC

Sentient Decision Science was commissioned by First Command to compile the
Financial Behaviors Index. Sentient is a full-service market research firm with
special vertical expertise within the financial services industry. Sentient
specializes in advanced research design and statistical analysis of behavioral
and attitudinal data.

About First Command

First Command Financial Services and its subsidiaries, including First Command
Bank and First Command Financial Planning, assist American families in their
efforts to build wealth, reduce debt and pursue their lifetime financial goals
and dreams-focusing on consumer behavior as the first and most powerful
determinant of results. Through personalized financial plans that emphasize
accumulating wealth while reducing risk, First Command Financial Advisors have
established lasting relationships with hundreds of thousands of client families
since 1958.

First Command Financial Services, Inc. is the parent company of First Command
Financial Planning, Inc. (Member SIPC, FINRA) and First Command Bank (Member
FDIC). Insurance products and services are offered by First Command Financial
Services, Inc. Financial planning services and securities products are offered
by First Command Financial Planning, Inc. Banking products and services are
offered by First Command Bank. Securities products are not FDIC insured, have no
bank guarantee and may lose value. In certain states, First Command Financial
Services, Inc. is a separately registered domestic corporation and does business
in California as "First Command Insurance Services."

First Command Financial Services
Mark Leach, 817-569-2419
Media Relations
msleach@firstcommand.com

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