Press Releases |
Press Releases
Schwab Institutional Announces IMPACT Awards(TM) Winners for Excellence in Independent Financial AdvisingTim Kochis of Kochis Fitz, Plante Moran Financial Advisors and RegentAtlantic Capital LLC Honored SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Schwab Institutional, a leading provider of custodial, operational and trading support for independent fee-based investment advisors, today announced the winners of the IMPACT Awards(TM) -- a new industry-wide awards program to honor advisors and firms that have advanced the industry through their visionary leadership, operational excellence and technology innovation. The winners were recognized today during a ceremony at the IMPACT(R) 2006 conference in Washington, D.C. where Schwab Institutional President Deborah Doyle McWhinney also unveiled a new IMPACT Award for next year to recognize an "up and comer" in the industry that is experiencing accelerated growth through best practices in all facets of their business. The 2006 IMPACT Awards winners were selected by a distinguished panel of judges including Kurt Cerulli, principal, Cerulli Associates; David Tittsworth, executive director, Investment Adviser Association; Marvin Tuttle, executive director and CEO, Financial Planning Association; Frederick Reichheld, Bain Fellow, Bain and Company; and Daniel Leemon, former executive vice president and chief strategy officer for The Charles Schwab Corporation. All IMPACT Awards entries were scored by the accounting and consulting firm Moss Adams LLP. The winners were selected by the panel of judges. The Charles R. Schwab IMPACT Award(TM) was presented by Schwab Founder, Chairman and CEO Charles R. Schwab to Tim Kochis, co-founder and CEO of San Francisco-based Kochis Fitz in recognition of his contributions to the independent investment advisor community during the last 33 years. A visionary in his field, Kochis has dedicated his time and expertise to grow the reputation of the industry worldwide. He was a co-creator of one of the first accredited financial planning programs in the United States that began at the University of California Los Angeles in 1980 and Chaired the CFP Board of Examiners as it developed the first comprehensive CFP examination in 1991. He has Chaired the CFP Board of Standards (1996), The Foundation for Financial Planning (2004), and the (international) Financial Planning Standards Board (2005), and now serves as Chair of the International Advisory Panel for the Financial Planning Standards Council of China. A frequent speaker, Kochis is the author of Managing Concentrated Stock Wealth: An Adviser's Guide to Building Customized Solutions (June 2005) and co-author of Wealth Management, A Concise Guide to Financial Planning and Investment Management for Wealthy Clients, with his colleagues at Kochis Fitz (2nd Edition, October 2006). The Best-in-Business Award winner, Plante Moran Financial Advisors with offices in Michigan, Illinois and Ohio, exemplifies a thriving practice that focuses on providing an outstanding client experience. An independent wealth management firm and affiliate of Plante & Moran, PLLC, one of the nation's largest accounting and business advisory firms, Plante Moran Financial Advisors serves as an advisor to high-net-worth individuals, family business owners and corporate retirement plans. With assets under management exceeding $4 billion, Plante Moran Financial Advisors has more than 100 staff members serving more than 1,100 individuals and organizations. The firm's success centers on three areas: the relentless pursuit of exceptional client service, a sophisticated approach to staff development, and carefully managed growth. The Best-in-Tech Award winner, RegentAtlantic Capital LLC of Chatham, NJ, has made technology a critical part of its business success -- a team of just 30 members manages more than $1.4 billion in assets for 800 clients. Finding ways to standardize and centralize processes has been RegentAtlantic Capital's key to leveraging technology for mass-customization. Additionally, the firm has been paperless since 1996, making for a seamless ability to chronicle documents for easy storage and recall. Pioneering how independent advisors use technology, the firm is recognized for spearheading the development of a software program which uses artificial intelligence to re-balance client portfolios. "The 2006 IMPACT Awards winners personify the passion, commitment and innovation that are the hallmarks of the independent investment advisor industry," said McWhinney. "As we prepare to mark our twentieth anniversary next year, Schwab Institutional has witnessed first-hand this industry's tremendous growth and success, and while this progress has been made possible by the contributions of many, we are extremely proud to recognize the achievements of these incredible individuals and firms today." McWhinney presented each of the winners with an IMPACT Awards trophy and pin at the ceremony. Each firm also was granted a donation from Schwab Institutional to the firms' charities of choice. The Charles R. Schwab IMPACT Award winner received a $25,000 donation from Schwab Institutional for Operation HOPE. The firms honored with the Best-in-Business and Best-in-Tech Award received a $10,000 charitable donation to Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University and Community FoodBank of New Jersey, respectively. Profiles and videos on the winners are available online at impactawards.schwab.com About the IMPACT Awards Independent investment advisors have fundamentally changed the financial services landscape by providing more objective, independent advice to affluent investors. The IMPACT Awards, established by Schwab Institutional, recognize these contributions by honoring advisors and firms that have advanced the industry through their visionary leadership, operational excellence and technology innovation. The IMPACT Awards are judged by a panel of recognized experts and presented at IMPACT(R), one of the industry's leading conferences. For more information, visit impactawards.schwab.com . About Schwab Institutional Schwab Institutional, a division of Charles Schwab & Co. Inc., is a leading provider of custodial, operational and trading support for independent fee-based investment advisors. Client assets custodied with Schwab Institutional stood at $468 billion as of September 30, 2006. These assets, managed by the approximately 5,000 independent advisor firms Schwab Institutional serves, represent approximately one-third of total client assets custodied with The Charles Schwab Corporation. About Charles Schwab The Charles Schwab Corporation (Nasdaq: SCHW) is a leading provider of financial services, with more than 330 offices and 6.8 million client brokerage accounts, 535,000 corporate retirement plan participants, 181,000 banking accounts, and $1.3 trillion in client assets. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company provides a full range of securities brokerage, banking, money management and financial advisory services to individual investors and independent investment advisors. Its broker-dealer subsidiary, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (member SIPC, http://www.sipc.org), offers a complete range of investment services and products including an extensive selection of mutual funds; financial planning and investment advice; retirement plan and equity compensation plan services; referrals to independent fee-based investment advisors; and custodial, operational and trading support for independent, fee-based investment advisors through its Schwab Institutional division. The Charles Schwab Bank, N.A. (member FDIC) provides banking and mortgage services and products. The Company's other operating subsidiaries include U.S. Trust Corporation (member FDIC) and CyberTrader(R), Inc. (member SIPC, http://www.sipc.org). More information is available at www.schwab.com. (1006-08091)
SOURCE Charles Schwab |
