Edward Jones Ranks Highest among Full-Service Investment Firms for a Third Consecutive Year
TORONTO: 25 June 2008 – As the investment market experiences increased turbulence amid economic uncertainties, the expertise and guidance of investment advisors is becoming more important in enhancing overall customer satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Canadian Investor Satisfaction StudySM released today.
Now in its third year, the study provides benchmarks for investor satisfaction that allow individual investment institutions in Canada to evaluate how they compare to competitive firms. Six factors are used to evaluate overall investor satisfaction with full-service investment firms and financial institutions offering wealth management and private banking services: account set-up and offerings; account statements; convenience; cost; investment advisor; and investment performance.
The study finds that overall investor satisfaction has decreased to 720 on a 1,000-point scale in 2008�down from 763 in 2007 among full-service investment firms. Specifically, the most significant decline among all factors examined in the study is satisfaction with investment performance.
�After a long-standing bull market in Canada, which lasted nearly five years, the financial market has experienced downward turbulence, particularly in the last quarter of 2007 and first quarter of 2008,� said Lubo Li, senior director of research at J.D. Power and Associates. �Since investor satisfaction with portfolio performance is greatly impacted by market conditions, it is vital that advisors become proactive in assisting and guiding their clients to alleviate anxiety about an unpredictable market. In fact, the importance of the advisor as a driver of overall satisfaction has increased considerably�up from 24 percent in 2007 to 36 percent in 2008 in the full-service segment.�
For a third consecutive year, Edward Jones ranks highest among full-service investment institutions in Canada with a score of 758. Edward Jones performs particularly well in three of the six factors: investment performance; account set-up and account offerings; and convenience. Berkshire Investment Group Inc. (752) and Wellington West Capital Inc. (747), respectively, follow in the rankings.
The study finds that investors who have high levels of satisfaction are contacted more often by their advisors and give their advisors more authority to make decisions. Highly satisfied investors report being contacted by their advisors an average of five times in the past 12 months, while investors with low levels of satisfaction report being contacted an average of only two times in the same period.
�Investors who have higher levels of satisfaction have more money invested with their primary financial institution, make more trades, and recommend their advisors and firms more often,� said Li. �For example, 65 percent of highly satisfied investors report that they will definitely recommend their investment firms to others in the next 12 months. As a result, the investment firms stand to reap financial benefits by increasing levels of satisfaction among their investors.�
The 2008 Canadian Investor Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 6,240 investors who use investment services with financial institutions in Canada. The study was fielded in May 2008.
About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm 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. For more information on boat ratings, car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies. http://www.jdpower.com/
About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor�s, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2007 were $6.8 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.
