Man on a Mission: Edward Jones' Mission Statement

Edward Jones has Core Principles rather than a mission statement. I don't mean to single out Edward Jones but I find it humorous that they make themselves out to be a "cut above the rest" and yet they sold mutual funds to their clients without telling them that they had special relationships with these mutual fund families that paid Edward Jones and their brokers bigger commissions. Think about that when you read the following:

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Let's be honest. Most big investment firms seem exactly alike, selling the same investments and making the same promises. You might look at Edward Jones and see just another company, but we believe we're different from the inside out.

At Edward Jones, we're guided by a set of long-standing principles. We serve individual investors, like you. We opt for proven, long-term investing strategies instead of the latest investment fads. And, while we share information on our Web site, we believe it's more important to provide personalized attention and build relationships face to face in our local, community-based offices.

CORE PRINCIPLES

At Edward Jones, we are guided by a set of principles that have shaped all aspects of our business, particularly the way we have built our client relationships and the investment strategies we recommend. It might sound old-fashioned or even, yes, unfashionable. And it may not be the right approach for everyone. But we've learned through decades of experience that it's a tried and true way of helping you succeed.

We are focused on one client, the long-term investor. All aspects of our business - from the location of our offices to the investments and services we offer - are aligned to help us better understand and meet our clients' unique needs.

We like to work with clients who share our long-term view of investing. That doesn't mean you need to have millions to invest with us. In fact, we value every investor.

We are committed to a long-term philosophy that emphasizes quality and diversification. We make every effort to avoid investments that are likely to confuse or disappoint clients.

Our investment philosophy is characterized by what we won't do as much as by what we will do. We discourage investment representatives from selling any stock priced under $4 per share. We don't sell any options or commodities. And our research department typically provides research opinions only on companies that have long stable operating histories. We believe the smartest way to build wealth is to invest in a variety of quality companies that have solid track records and hold them for the long term.

We also discourage our clients from frequent trading - just one reason we don't offer online trading. It's been proven time and again that a long-term investment strategy is one of the soundest ways to help achieve financial goals.

And we don't believe in pushing investments just because they're trendy or someone says they're hot. We're committed to looking out for your best interests and helping you develop a plan that makes sense for your specific goals. And if your needs change over time, we'll work with you to help diversify and rebalance your portfolio accordingly.

Relationships are key, and in our view, meeting face to face builds strong relationships. Our offices are welcoming, accessible and located in the communities where our clients live and work.

At Edward Jones, we prefer to meet you face to face and maintain a personal relationship. We talk, we listen, and our goal is to always put you first.

We believe it's important to live and work in the same communities as our clients. It might not sound like a big deal, but we believe that by knowing the community, we can better understand your needs. When we live side by side and see you around town, we feel it makes us more connected and more accountable than someone you only know over the telephone.

Being in your neighborhood also means you can drop by if something is on your mind. We have an open-door policy. And because our offices are typically small and conveniently located, they're often more approachable.