ST. LOUIS, MO--(Marketwire - Sep 6, 2011) - Edina, Minn., a suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul, is the site of brokerage firm Benjamin F. Edwards & Co.'s 20th office, company officials announced today. Janel M. Goff, former Merrill Lynch Senior Vice President and leader of The Goff Investment Group, is anchoring the new office for the St. Louis-based brokerage and joins Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. as a managing director - investments.
Having followed the progress of Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. since the firm started opening offices two years ago, one visit with the management team at the company's St. Louis Home Office was all it took to show Goff, the 20-year financial services industry veteran, that the firm was a good fit for her and most especially her clients.
"The Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. management team -- a group that measures its individual industry leadership experience in decades, not years -- understands what we need to serve our clients, and is committed to providing that," said Goff. "They have built an outstanding product and service line-up which complements the personalized, high-touch attention our clients want to help them stay on track to meet their financial goals and objectives in this complex market environment."
Having earned her Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor(SM) designation in 2007, Goff concentrates on assisting individuals and business owners with their retirement goals and other investment needs. She also hosts "Invest in Yourself," a monthly executive luncheon series she started over 18 years ago, which is designed to offer executives and small business owners financial education and insight, along with the opportunity to network professionally. Frequently sought out by the media to comment on market moves or financial events, Goff has appeared on national networks CNN and CNBC, as well as local television and radio.
With Merrill Lynch for the past five years, Goff worked previously with Minneapolis-based Dain Bosworth and Piper Jaffrey. Over the course of her career, she has also received a number of industry and media accolades.
Also active in community affairs, Goff is affiliated with the Minneapolis, Edina, and Bloomington Chambers of Commerce and is involved with a number of not-for-profit and charitable organizations in the area, including Twin Cities Public Television, The Hope Chest for Breast Cancer, the Minnesota Children's Museum, Jeremiah Program, and the Greater Twin Cities United Way Women's Leadership Council.
Robert S. Hansen, a 26-year industry veteran, also joins the new Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. Edina location as a member of The Goff Investment Group and as assistant branch manager. Rounding out the Goff team are Sandy L. Andersen, an 18-year financial services professional, and Ellie Walton who come aboard as a senior registered financial associate and a client service associate, respectively.
"This group shares our passion for client-first service and we are pleased that they are a part of the special milestone of opening our 20th branch," said Benjamin F. (Tad) Edwards IV, founder, chairman, CEO and president of Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. "Our industry is full of talented professionals who are dedicated to providing client-first service -- our goal continues to be to seek them out and show them why Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. is the right firm for them and their clients."
The new Edina branch is the firm's 20th in the nation and its first in Minnesota, giving the company a presence in 13 states. It is also the company's fourth branch opening in less than six weeks.
Benjamin F. Edwards & Co.: Client-Friendly Service
Year to date, the firm has hired more than 28 financial consultants. Tad Edwards is quick to point out that Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. is interested in talking to representatives from all firms.
"I believe our business model, which puts clients at the forefront of every decision we make, is an appealing one for all financial advisors -- regardless of their current affiliations," Edwards said. "In addition to our client-friendly business practices, we offer advisors an attractive assortment of products and services, state-of-the-art technology, and an entrepreneurial atmosphere where everyone is literally one touch away."
Edwards also pointed to the fact that the firm relies on Pershing LLC, a BNY Mellon Company, for back office and trade processing support. A financial services leader with over 70 years of experience and more than $980 billion in client assets held in custody, Pershing also offers a comprehensive suite of investment solutions and services, including access to a broad selection of mutual funds and support for advisory programs. BNY Mellon is the world's leading provider of securities services and a top, global asset management firm, with over $26.3 trillion of assets in custody and administration, and $1.3 trillion in assets under management.
"Working with Pershing gives us scalable back office support, which frees us up to focus on attracting quality talent, rather than simultaneously building a back office infrastructure of our own," said Edwards. "Further, with their flexible technology platform we are free to add additional technology resources that represent best-in-class service, which helps keep us ahead of the technology curve."
Tad Edwards founded the St. Louis-based brokerage in 2008 and named it for his father, Benjamin F. Edwards III, the long-time chairman of A.G. Edwards who was known for his client-friendly business practices.
"We started this firm when the markets were unsettled and the economic outlook was clouded," Edwards said. "We knew then, just as we do today that our clients have to invest for their financial future -- regardless of what the market is doing, and we're able to offer them our special combination of investing insight and a broad assortment of products and services in a corporate atmosphere of trust, integrity and mutual respect."
About Benjamin F. Edwards & Co.
With a tagline of "Investments for Generations" and a company logo anchored by the Edwards crest, Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. is headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. and currently employs 192 companywide. The firm was founded in 2008 by Benjamin F. (Tad) Edwards IV, the great-great-grandson of Albert Gallatin Edwards, the founder of brokerage firm A.G. Edwards.
In addition to the new location in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Edina, the firm has offices in Peoria, Springfield, Decatur, Wheaton, Galesburg, and LaSalle-Peru, Ill.; Danbury and Hamden, Conn.; Atlanta, Ga.; Wichita, Kan.; St. Louis and Springfield, Mo.; Red Bank, N.J.; White Plains, N.Y.; Highlands, N.C.; Mentor, Ohio; Chattanooga, Tenn., Bluefield, Va.; and Madison, Wis.
A subsidiary of Benjamin Edwards, Inc., Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. is a full-service brokerage and a Registered Investment Adviser, which offers a wide array of financial products and advisory services to its clients and financial consultants. For more information about Benjamin F. Edwards & Co., please visit www.benjaminfedwards.com.
Contact Information:
For more information, contact:
Margaret Welch
314-703-1215