By and large, folks seem to like their full-service investment firms. Then again, rising markets will do that to people. According to the 2013 U.S. Full Service Investor Satisfaction Study from J.D. Power & Associates, overall investor satisfaction with full-service investment firms rose for the second consecutive year.

The 11th annual version of the study conducted by the Westlake Village, Calif.-based marketing information services company measured investors satisfaction in seven areas: investment advisor; investment performance; account information; account offerings; commissions and fees; Web site; and problem resolution. Overall satisfaction rose to 789 on a 1,000-point scale, up from 775 in 2012 and 772 the prior year.



RBC Wealth Management, Fidelity Investments, Edward Jones, Charles Schwab and Raymond James make the top five. Investment performance is only one piece of the satisfaction puzzle, though. J.D. Power says advisors who score above-average investment performance satisfaction and who have a strong relationship with their investors share the following traits: they develop easily understood financial plans that incorporate risk; clearly communicate the reasons for investment performance and the firm’s fee structure; strive for an equal partnership with investors and make them feel involved in decisions that impact investment performance; and define the appropriate level and method of contact to meet investor expectations.