Who Are the 2012 Broker-Dealers of the Year? Investment Advisor Reveals Winners Based on Votes Cast by Independent Advisors in 15 Categories

NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2012­ /PRNewswire/ -- Independent investment advisors have spoken, and a record number of voters in Investment Advisor magazine's 22^st annual readers' poll demonstrate that independent contractors value their relationship with the nation's independent broker-dealers. The 2012 Broker-Dealers of the Year rankings – featured in Investment Advisor's September issue – list four firms that stand out in an environment of economic uncertainty, new regulation and market volatility that's challenging the very survival of many independent broker-dealers.

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"Despite economic uncertainty and market volatility—and the heavy, expensive hand of regulators—these broker-dealers received the blessing of their reps for their valued partnership in difficult times," said John Sullivan, editor-in-chief of Investment Advisor. "Now in our 32^nd year as The Voice of Independents, there has never been a time when that relationship was so valued – and valuable – as it is today."

In voting overseen each year since 1991 by Investment Advisor's editorial staff, credentialed voters are asked to rate their own broker-dealers in 15 different categories; those BDs that receive the highest average rating from their reps are named Broker-Dealers of the Year in four divisions based on their number of producing reps. In addition, the leaders of the four winning BDs constitute a special broker-dealer advisory board at Investment Advisor for the year and are featured in an extensive cover story in the September 2012 issue of the magazine.

The 2012 Broker-Dealers of the year are:

Division IV (more than 1,000 representatives): Cambridge Investment Research

Division III (500 to 999 reps): NEXT Financial Group

Division II (200 to 499 reps): WRP Investments Inc.

Division I (up to 199 representatives): Prospera Financial Services

To learn more about the 2012 Broker-Dealers of the year and to read our special report, click here.

About Investment Advisor
With a circulation of 100,000, Investment Advisor is now in its 32^nd year of serving independent and independent-minded investment advisors and financial planners across the United States through its monthly magazine and online at AdvisorOne.com. Investment Advisor and AdvisorOne.com are part of the Investment Advisory Group of Summit Business Media, LLC, which also includes Research magazine.

About Summit Business Media
Summit Business Media is the leading B2B media and information company serving the insurance, financial, legal and investment advisory markets. Summit strives to be "The Next Generation of Business Information" for executives and practitioners by providing breaking news and analysis, in-depth practice management strategies, business-building techniques and actionable data. Summit services the information needs of its customers through numerous channels, including digital, print and live events. Summit publishes 16 magazines and 150 reference titles, operates 20 websites and hosts a dozen conferences, including the world's largest mining investment conference held each year in South Africa. Summit's Data Division provides detailed information on millions of agents, advisors and benefits plans.

SOURCE Summit Business Media

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