Who Are the 2011 Broker-Dealers of the Year? Investment Advisor Reveals Winners Based on Votes Cast by Independent Advisors in 15 Categories

NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent investment advisors have spoken, and a record number of voters in Investment Advisor magazine's 21st annual readers' poll demonstrates that independent contractors value their relationship with the nation's independent broker-dealers. The 2011 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 31st 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 2011 issue of the magazine.

The 2011 Broker-Dealers of the year are:

Division IV (more than 1,000 representatives): Woodbury Financial Services. Led by President and CEO Patrick McEvoy, Woodbury prevailed in the largest division, which it last won in 2009, by scoring particularly high ratings among its advisors for its product list, timely commission payments and payout.

Division III (500 to 999 reps): Investors Capital Corporation. Led by President and CEO Timothy Murphy, Investors Capital Corporation returns to the winner's circle after a decade; it last won in 2001. This year, its representatives lauded the firm for its compliance, timely commission payments and back office support.

Division II (200 to 499 reps): The Investment Center. Led by President and CEO Ralph DeVito, The Investment Center is back for its fourth time after winning in 2006, 2008 and 2009. Its reps gave especially high marks to the independent BD for its back office support, management and technology support.

Division I (up to 199 representatives): Founders Financial Securities. Led by President Bradley Shepard, the firm received its first win after only five years in business. It scored high marks across the board from its voting reps, but especially for its product list, management and payout.

To learn more about the 2011 Broker-Dealers of the year and to read our special report, click here.

About Investment Advisor

With a print circulation of 110,000 and a vibrant Web site at AdvisorOne.com, Investment Advisor is the flagship publication in the Investment Advisor Group of Summit Business Media. Investment Advisor offers information and analysis on wealth management, retirement planning, investment strategies, practice management, compliance and regulatory issues, and insurance and tax planning, all designed to help registered investment advisors and independent broker-dealer representatives become more successful. For more information, visit AdvisorOne.com and SummitBusinessMedia.com.

About Summit Business Media

Summit Business Media is the leading B2B media and information company serving the insurance, financial services, 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.  For more information, please visit summitbusinessmedia.com.

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