Old Kent is in the process of producing deposit statement inserts introducing the service to over 600,000 household customers. 'Our aim,' says White, 'is to increase the number of our customers which are already shareholders (Investomers), which we think will increase customer loyalty, product relationships, and subsequently decrease customer attrition.'

Advocates of internet direct sales say the answer is more often than one might think. According, to Stock-Power's website, internet direct sales allow companies to make the most of two very big assets — the loyal investor and the committed customer, or in industry jargon the "investomer".

James Grant, Manager, Investor Relations, The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE: HD) , Jim Martis, Associate Director, Investor Relations, The Proctor & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG), Larry Dennedy, Senior Vice President, MacKenzie Partners, and Lise Needham, Senior Partner, The Financial Relations Board are among the scheduled panelists for "The Investomer: Your Hidden Asset," sponsored by StockPower, Inc.