HOLBROOK, NY--(Marketwired - August 31, 2015) - American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS), an independent broker/dealer that serves affiliated financial advisors nationwide, is proud to announce that it has been named Broker-Dealer of the Year for 2015 by Investment Advisor magazine. Each year since 1991, Investment Advisor's editorial staff have invited representatives of independent broker/dealers (B/Ds) to rate their B/D in 15 distinct categories. The B/Ds that receive the highest average rating from their affiliated professionals are named Broker-Dealers of the Year in four divisions based on their number of producing representatives. APFS won Division III, gaining top votes in the category of broker/dealers with 500-999 producing advisors.
Winning this distinction in 2015 is all the more meaningful for APFS, coinciding with an ambitious five-year strategic roadmap developed in collaboration with AP's senior management team, selected AP staff members, the AP Advisor Council -- appointed advisors to provide guidance for the B/D -- and AP Holdings Advisory Board members. The roadmap has been the impetus for a number of strategic senior-level management hires in late 2014 and early 2015, such as EVP and Chief Strategy Officer Edward Morrison, VP of Platform Management Stephen Mennella, VP of Service Quality and Process Excellence Dalchand Laljit and VP of Relationship Management Keith J. Kelly, to name a few.
AP's roadmap has set a course from top down throughout the organization to execute on six strategic themes of: 1) instilling a performance culture, 2) being platform and technology independent, 3) having world class service quality, 4) building advisor loyalty, 5) managing for economic value and 6) institutionalizing corporate social responsibility. As such, AP has built on its core competencies, establishing itself as a differentiated service provider and creating a distinctly competitive presence in the independent space.
Said EVP and Chief Strategy Officer Edward Morrison, "We believe the independent business model is the best fit for advisors to help their clients realize their financial dreams; they should have the freedom and flexibility to build their financial practices, but they don't have to do it alone … they need a partner such as AP."
Being innovative takes capable and highly-trained people, which go hand-in-hand with the firm's process and service-oriented culture. APFS takes pride in serving its customers well and aspiring every day towards world class service quality and process excellence. It accomplishes this by employing Lean Six Sigma disciplines, which streamlines processes by looking at them from a customer perspective, with staff members learning to identify unnecessary steps in workflow by becoming yellow-belt certified.
APFS holds firm to its promise to always act with integrity and to never sacrifice its advisors' or clients' interests for the sake of its own. The firm holds itself responsible, not only to its customers, but also to the community at large. APFS is actively engaged in socially responsible endeavors by participating in and sponsoring events through non-profit organizations such as World T.E.A.M. Sports, Virtual Enterprises International and The Dome Project.
For all of the aforementioned reasons and more, American Portfolios CEO, CIO and President Lon T. Dolber is excited about the future of AP and humbled in being recognized as Broker/Dealer of the Year. "We founded our company on Sept. 10, 2001, with the simple idea that every financial advisor should have only one person to answer to-the client. Yet, this recognition is not for the idea or the company; it's for the people, our full-time associates, affiliated colleagues, investing clients and communities in which we live that make it all possible. It's small proof that, in America, anything is possible when people come together to follow a truly independent path."
About American Portfolios
Headquartered in Holbrook, N.Y., APFS is a full-service, independent broker/dealer and member firm of FINRA and SIPC, offering a complete range of financial services, including personal financial and retirement planning, securities trading, mutual funds, access to investment research, long-term care planning, insurance products and tax-free investing. Fee-based asset management is offered through its sister subsidiary, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., (APA), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Both reside under the legal entity American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. Full-service securities brokerage is available through a clearing firm relationship with Pershing, LLC, a BNY Mellon firm, the securities of which are held on a fully disclosed basis. The company currently serves 818 independent investment professionals located in 363 branch locations throughout the nation.
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Contact Information:
Melissa Grappone, VP of Corp. Comm.
631.439.4600 ext. 108
mgrappone@americanportfolios.com
