On Oct. 7, 2005, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services assigned its 'A-' counterparty credit rating to Ameriprise Financial Inc. (NYSE: AMP). At the same time, Standard&Poor's assigned its preliminary 'A-' senior unsecured debt rating to AMP's $1.7 billion shelf-registered securities. The outlook is positive. AMP is the recently spun-off holding company of American Express Financial Advisors, previously a division of American Express Co. (NYSE:AXP). The ratings are based on holding company's strong financials, the large initial funding from the its previous parent, and extremely strong cash coverage because of its very strong life insurance and strong asset-management operations, supported by a unique financial advisory distribution channel. These positive factors are somewhat offset by the potential execution risks that
