Local brokerage recognized

The financial services firm Edward Jones again was named the No. 1 full-service brokerage firm in the August edition of "SmartMoney" magazine, according to Ken McDaniel, a financial advisor in Lampasas.

The firm placed ahead of six other firms and received high marks in the four categories surveyed by the magazine: stock picking, customer satisfaction, trust and customer statements.

Edward Jones, which ranked No. 1 in 2005 as well, received five-star ratings in client statements and customer satisfaction.

"We are honored to once again receive this recognition," said McDaniel. "It is a direct reflection of the relationship we have with the individual investors we serve. Client service excellence is how Edward Jones distinguishes itself in the financial services industry."

In addition to its own research, SmartMoney used a customer-satisfaction survey from J.D. Power and Assoc., a trust survey from Forrester Research, a review of customer statements from Dalbar, and stock-picking performance re- views from several equity research companies to determine the rankings.

Find Edward Jones on the web at www.edwardjones.com.