Edward Jones ranked highest in investor satisfaction among full-service investment firms, according to an annual survey released Tuesday by J.D. Power and Associates.
The company topped the list with a score of 784 on a 1,000-point scale in a study that measures six factors in order of importance: financial advisor; convenience; investment performance; account offerings; account statements; and fees.
Based in St. Louis, Edward Jones scored particularly well in convenience and account statements. LPL Financial Services, which was second with a score of 773, did well in the financial advisor factor. Charles Schwab & Co. ranked third with 771.
The study found that the financial advisor is the most important aspect of overall investor satisfaction, comprising 30% in 2009. That's up from 22% in 2008. Investment performance declined in importance in overall satisfaction--to 15% this year versus 24% last year.
"As investors become increasingly uneasy amid current market conditions, they're more often looking to their financial advisors for reassurance and guidance," said David Lo, director of investment services at J.D. Power and Associates. "As investment performance tends to be a relative and subjective measure, it's more important that the financial advisor manages investors' expectations of investment performance."
Raymond James, last year's champ, finished fourth. It, along with Ameriprise Financial and UBS Financial Services, finished in the "better than most" category. The entire list can be found by clicking here.
The seventh-annual study was based on responses from nearly 4,500 investors who make some or all of their investment decisions with a financial advisor. It was conducted from March to April 2009. J.D. Power and Associates, a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, is a global marketing information company in Westlake Village, Calif.