Edward Jones was the highest-ranking financial services firm in a recent evaluation of client statements by Dalbar, Inc. Dalbar develops standards for, and provides research, ratings and rankings of intangible factors to, the financial services industry.

Edward Jones received an "excellent" rating and ranked second out of the 18 providers evaluated as part of Dalbar's 11th Annual Trends & Best Practices in Investor Statements analysis.

According to a study released by Dalbar, 84 percent of U.S. investors demand jargon-free, plain English communications from their financial firms, and 75 percent said they felt that communication complexity actually contributed to last year's financial meltdown.

The Dalbar analysis said that Edward Jones uses "very simple language" to express an investor's value summary."

"Edward Jones includes messaging throughout the statement addressing such issues as market changes, life events, lending needs and changes to company policies," according to the Dalbar analysis. "The statement's well-rounded content reinforces the notion that Edward Jones guides a client's total financial life."

Edward Jones' client statements received excellent ratings from Dalbar in 1999, 2004 and 2006, and ranked No. 1 in 2005 and 2007.

Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliates, in Canada and the United Kingdom. Every aspect of the firm's business, from the types of investment options offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work. The firm's 12,000-plus financial advisors work directly with more than 8 million clients to understand their personal goals -- from college savings to retirement -- and create long-term investment solutions that emphasize a well-balanced portfolio and a buy-and-hold strategy. Edward Jones embraces the importance of building long-term, face-to-face relationships with clients, helping them to understand and make sense of the investment options available today.

Edward Jones, which ranked No. 2 on FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For 2009," is headquartered in St. Louis. The Edward Jones interactive Web site is located at www.edwardjones.com, and its recruiting Web site is www.careers.edwardjones.com. Member SIPC.