Hennion & Walsh Adds Regional Vice Presidents To Further Expand Distribution Network Of SmartTrust® UIT Products

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Feb. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Hennion & Walsh, one of the nation's premier providers of investment services and an advocate for individual investors, has added two Regional Vice Presidents, Michael De Luz and John McLoughlin, to help further distribute its family of SmartTrust® Unit Investment Trusts (UITs) to broker dealers in two key geographical territories; California and New Jersey.

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SmartTrust UITs have a 10-year history of helping advisors, and their clients, build portfolios that offer diversified income opportunities, and the potential for capital appreciation, over the long term. These portfolios incorporate a wide range of investments such as stocks, business development companies, closed-end funds, taxable and tax-free bonds, exchange-traded funds and master limited partnerships.

"As a growing number of advisors across the country see the value of our SmartTrust products within diversified portfolios, we are uniquely positioned to continue our path of smart and strategic growth by adding seasoned in-house wholesalers in certain regions that present the greatest market opportunities for our firm," said Kevin Mahn, President and Chief Investment Officer of Hennion & Walsh Asset Management.

Hennion & Walsh's distinct investment approach has facilitated impressive growth for SmartTrust UITs. The firm has never sought to replicate the big UIT sponsors' large menus of product offerings, choosing instead to only bring new products to market when a particular strategy has both value in the market and demand from advisors. Over the past three years, the SmartTrust UITs experienced average annual asset growth of 70 percent, making Hennion & Walsh one of the top five sponsors of UITs in the U.S., with national exposure via a large and growing network of regional and independent broker-dealers.

"By enhancing our offerings with innovative investment strategies, and by partnering with the industry leading portfolio consultants, thousands of investors across the country have benefited from our disciplined and unique unit investment trusts to meet their financial objectives," said Bill Walsh, Partner of Hennion & Walsh.

Mr. De Luz is based in Westminster, Calif., and is currently in charge of servicing regional and independent broker-dealers throughout the entire California market as well as Phoenix and Las Vegas. He joins Hennion & Walsh from Independence Realty Securities, where he was a Regional Vice President. Earlier in his career, Mr. De Luz worked as a Vice President for Paladin Realty Securities in Los Angeles, a Vice President for Inland Securities Corp. in Oak Brook, Ill., and a Regional Vice President for Fixed Income Securities (FIS) in Boerne, Texas. He holds an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Mr. McLoughlin is based in Dumont, N.J., and is responsible for overseeing the needs of broker-dealers throughout the state of New Jersey. He previously spent four years at Oppenheimer Funds Inc.'s OFI Private Investments business, where he was a Regional Sales Representative for Northern New Jersey. Earlier in his career, Mr. McLoughlin served as a Regional Sales Consultant covering California, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and Hawaii for J. & W. Seligman & Co., as well as a Financial Advisor for UBS Financial Services and a Registered Client Associate for Merrill Lynch. He earned a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Monmouth University.

"We are steadfastly committed to continually strengthening every facet of our business by leveraging all the resources at our disposal, including the high-quality products we offer, the knowledgeable strategic partners we work with and the outstanding wholesalers we hire," said Rich Hennion, Partner of Hennion & Walsh.

For more information or to speak with Hennion & Walsh, please contact Chris Moon at 973-850-7304 or [email protected].

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. Additional information on SmartTrust is available at www.smarttrustuit.com.

SOURCE Hennion & Walsh