Hennion & Walsh Announces New SmartTrust(R) and Closed-End Fund Advisors (CEFA) Strategic Partnership

PARSIPPANY, NJ--(Marketwired - Sep 29, 2014) - Hennion & Walsh, a provider of investment services and an advocate for individual investors, today announced a new strategic partnership between its SmartTrust^® Unit Investment Trust (UIT) business and Closed-end Fund Advisors (CEFA), a registered investment advisory firm that specializes in closed-end funds (CEFs). 

Closed-End Fund Advisors (CEFA), which is privately owned in Richmond, Va., has successfully offered a mixture of CEF-related services, ranging from providing fractional CEF analyst work to sub-advising on a one-time or ongoing basis, since opening its doors in 1989.

"This partnership gives us a deep knowledge that will help us build a solid Business Development Company (BDC) portfolio for SmartTrust^®," said Kevin Mahn, Chief Investment Officer of SmartTrust^®. "With CEFA's CEF space expertise and support as a portfolio consultant, we are confident in the potential of our new BDC strategy."

SmartTrust^® UITs offer diversified income and total return opportunities through innovative investment strategies. Assets grew by 148 percent between 2010 and 2013, while the number of Trusts outstanding grew by more than 329 percent over the same period.

"We're very excited to be partnering with Hennion and Walsh's SmartTrust^® business," said John Cole Scott, Portfolio Manager and Executive Vice President for CEFA. "This is the perfect time for SmartTrust^® to bring a BDC strategy to market since they are known for performing well when interest rates increase. CEFA is the right partner to help SmartTrust^® because of our breadth of experience in the closed-end fund structure. Like all closed-end fund structures, the BDCs subset also consists of fixed capital, active management and investor liquidity."

For more information about SmartTrust^® UIT products, please contact the firm's Internal Support Desk at 888-505-2872, or visit www.smarttrustuit.com.

About Hennion & Walsh

Hennion & Walsh, a full service brokerage firm specializing in municipal bonds, was founded in 1990 by Richard Hennion and Bill Walsh. Their mission is to be the individual investor's fiercest and most passionate advocate. Investment guides, webinars, seminars and online content are just some of the ways they help investors become better informed and make better investment decisions. The firm has built its reputation on developing strong, mutually beneficial relationships designed to last a lifetime, serving over 15,000 clients with brokerage accounts and managed portfolios. They are committed to providing individual investors with the institutional-quality service and guidance they believe they are entitled to. Additional information on Hennion & Walsh is available at www.hennionandwalsh.com.

About Closed-End Fund Advisors

Closed-End Fund Advisors (CEFA), based in Richmond, VA is a 25 year-old privately held Registered Investment Advisory firm specializing in closed-end fund research and trading since 1989.The firm publishes The Scott Letter: Closed-End Fund Report containing in-depth portfolio manager interviews. CEFA manages eight discretionary portfolio strategies with varying options for investors seeking to experience both growth and regular income. The firm offers; a comprehensive weekly "CEF Universe" data service, a monthly "Best Ideas List" and a daily "News and SEC Filing Alert" service covering all US listed CEFs and BDCs. They can work as a fractional CEF analyst on a one-time or ongoing basis and as a sub-advisor. CEFA blends a strong fundamental analysis while seeking to exploit the repeatable alpha inherent to the structure of a closed-end fund. Additional information about CEFA is available at www.CEFadvisors.com.