Dear Mr. Market:

Have you ever seen survey results that made you question the validity of the data? You don’t have to look far to find surveys that rank everything from blenders to vacuums these days. J.D. Power and Associates is regarded as an industry leader when it comes to surveys and various product rankings; they are best known for customer satisfaction research and ratings on new and used automobiles.   Annually they venture into the Financial Services industry, ranking the best ‘Full Service Investment Firms’… the results left us scratching our heads!

For the last two years (2014 & 2015) J.D. Power and Associates has named Edward Jones #1 in their Full Service Investor Satisfaction study. With any survey it is important to dig into how the data was collected and ultimately ranked to see if it carries any weight or credibility. The survey is fairly broad in scope looking at numerous factors such as: how investors feel about their advisor, investment performance, account information, account offerings, commissions/fees, website and problem resolution. While all of these are important one is often overlooked but in our opinion ultimately has the most dramatic impact on a portfolio… fees and expenses. If a portfolio is managed with products and services that have excessive charges does it really matter if the firm has a great website or local office?

Over the course of the last year we have presented many comprehensive and complimentary portfolio reviews for accounts held at Edward Jones. In the following paragraphs we will offer an overview of the company and break down several of the products and services that are common with Edward Jones accounts throughout the country. Articles like this can always ruffle some feathers but perhaps your opinion will align with ours after reading it. Continue reading →