Full Service Investor Satisfaction Study
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF) ranked highest in investor satisfaction according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Full Service Investor Satisfaction StudySM. The ranking, according to Ron Douglas, a CTFA and Registered Principal at the Raymond James Financial Services Peru Square office, is really a tribute to the firm’s focus on putting client interests first, a long-standing Raymond James principle.
The study measures overall investor satisfaction with full-service investment firms based on six factors (in order of importance): investment performance; financial advisor/broker; commissions and fees; account setup/account offerings; convenience; and account statements. The study also measures investor satisfaction within three investor portfolio types: affluent investors (those who have $1 million or more in investable assets); mass affluent investors (between $100,000 and $999,999 in investable assets); and mass market investors (less than $100,000 in investable assets).
Raymond James ranked highest in investor satisfaction with a score of 831 on a 1,000-point scale, receiving the highest ratings from investors in all six factors and performing particularly well in proactively contacting investors.
“We are extremely pleased to have received this recognition from investors,” said Raymond James President and COO Chet Helck. “It’s no secret that this has been a particularly challenging year for the financial markets and our industry. To be so positively rated by investors during such difficult times speaks to the overriding importance every one of our associates puts on meeting clients’ needs, as well as to Raymond James’ conservative management style and commitment to prudent financial planning.”
The study is based on responses from 4,528 investors who primarily invest with one of the 19 firms included in the study. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of investors surveyed in April and May 2008.
“While we are certainly committed to clients at the corporate level and work to provide advisors with diverse products, wide-ranging services, and high-quality technology and back office support, at the end of the day it’s the personal relationships clients have with their advisor and his or her team that are the ultimate test of investor satisfaction,” added Helck. “While all of our associates are responsible for this achievement, I’d like to especially thank the advisors and associates within our 2,200 affiliated locations for the hard work and dedication this award recognizes.”
About Raymond James
Raymond
James Financial (NYSE-RJF) is a Florida-based diversified holding
company providing financial services to individuals, corporations and
municipalities through its subsidiary companies. Its three wholly owned
broker/dealers (Raymond James & Associates, Raymond James Financial
Services and Raymond James Ltd.) and Raymond James Investment Services
Limited, a majority-owned independent contractor subsidiary in the
United Kingdom, have a total of more than 4,900 financial advisors
serving approximately 1.8 million accounts in more than 2,200 locations
throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. In addition, total
client assets are approximately $212 billion, of which $35.8 billion
are managed by the firm’s asset management subsidiaries.
About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered
in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global
marketing information services company operating in key business
sectors including market research, forecasting, performance
improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and
satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of
consumers annually.