RBC Direct Investing expands offering with model portfolios

New feature gives long-term investors insight into portfolio strategies developed by RBC Asset Management— Canada’s leading asset manager

TORONTO, August 2008 — Do-it-yourself investors at RBC Direct Investing now have access to a new feature that makes it easier for them to create a personal investment portfolio that best suits their risk profile. The new Model Portfolios feature enables investors to choose among pre-selected investment portfolios offering a range of conservative to aggressive growth solutions. Investors can browse the model portfolios for ideas, purchase mutual funds that appeal to them, or incorporate an entire model portfolio into their own investment portfolio.

The risk profiles and asset allocations carefully follow strategies prepared by the industry’s top ranking wealth management advisors, RBC Asset Management. Product solutions are selected by advisors at RBC Asset Management, the RBC Mutual Fund Research Team and RBC Dominion Securities.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve our service and this latest enhancement recognizes investors who want the best tools and resources to meet their long-term financial planning needs,” said Doug Coulter, president and CEO, RBC Direct Investing. “We’re pleased to be able to offer this new feature to our clients as it will make it easier for them to build and diversify their individual investment portfolios.”

“Asset mix recommendations continue to add significant value to investor strategies in building wealth,” added Brenda Vince, president, RBC Asset Management. “Working with our partners in RBC Direct Investing, we can now provide clients with RBC Asset Management’s most up-to-date thinking through the new Model Portfolios.”

The Model Portfolios feature is accessible to clients on the Market Insight page under the Markets tab on the RBC Direct Investing site. Funds used to build the model portfolios include funds from RBC Asset Management and Phillips, Hager & North which received the Lipper Awards for “Best Overall Fund Group” and “Best Bond Family” in Canada respectively for the second consecutive year in 2008. Investors can also include funds from other leading third-party mutual fund companies such as CI Investments, Fidelity Investments, Franklin Templeton Investments and Invesco Trimark Investments. The Model Portfolios include Series D versions of RBC Funds, where possible. Series D is a new RBC mutual fund purchase option with lower MERs designed for the self-directed investor and available exclusively to RBC Direct Investing clients.

RBC Direct Investing will also be offering Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) Model Portfolios prepared by the RBC Dominion Securities Portfolio Advisory Group later this year.

The risk profiles established by RBC Asset Management include the following models: Conservative, for investors seeking modest income and modest capital growth with reasonable capital preservation; Balanced, for investors focused on balancing long term capital growth and capital preservation with a secondary focus on modest income; Growth, for portfolios offering long term growth over capital preservation and regular income; Aggressive, offering solutions for long term growth over capital preservation and regular income.