Edward Jones Rated No. 1 in Brokerage Investor Statements

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Feb. 10, 2015 - PRLog -- The financial-services firm Edward Jones ranked No. 1 in a recent evaluation of brokerage client statements by DALBAR.

This No. 1 ranking was part of DALBAR's 17th annual 2014 Trends and Best Practices in Investor Statements report. DALBAR develops standards for, and provides research, ratings and rankings of intangible factors to, the financial-services industry.

DALBAR's report evaluates brokerage statements to address both the needs of the investor and the financial advisor. This ranking is given to firms most effective in creating statements that will guide investors in making critical decisions regarding their financial well-being, according to a statement issued by DALBAR.

The Edward Jones investor statement includes a section focused on the investor's goals and personal financial situation.

"Called 'Your Financial Foundation,' this feature covers clients' goals, goal details, risk tolerance and the date of the previous portfolio and goal reviews," according to DALBAR. "This section helps de-emphasize the short-term ups and downs and establishes the need to regularly review the portfolio and make changes if warranted."

DALBAR analyzed investor statements from 13 brokerage firms. Edward Jones received 90.65 of 100 possible points -- the highest of any participating firm.

Edward Jones statements ranked No. 1 in the 2005 and 2007 studies. The firm's statements earned DALBAR's "Excellent" designation in 1999, 2004 and 2006 through 2014.

Edward Jones, a FORTUNE 500 firm, provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm's business, from the types of investment options offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work. The firm's 13,000-plus financial advisors work directly with nearly 7 million clients to understand their personal goals -- from college savings to retirement -- and create long-term investment solutions that emphasize a well-balanced portfolio and a buy-and-hold strategy. Edward Jones embraces the importance of building long-term, face-to-face relationships with clients, helping them to understand and make sense of the investment options available today.

Edward Jones, which ranked No. 4 on FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For 2014," is headquartered in St. Louis. The Edward Jones Web site is located at www.edwardjones.com, and its recruiting Web site is www.careers.edwardjones.com. Member SIPC.

DALBAR, Inc. is the financial community's leading independent expert for evaluating, auditing and rating business practices, customer performance, product quality and service. Launched in 1976, DALBAR has earned the recognition for consistent and unbiased evaluations of investment companies, registered investment advisers, insurance companies, broker/dealers, retirement plan providers and financial professionals. DALBAR awards are recognized as marks of excellence in the financial community.