Friday, October 1, 2010

Atlanta’s 2010 FIVE STAR Wealth Managers Announced

For Immediate Release

Contact: Rollins Financial, Inc.
Phone – 404.892.7967
Website: www.rollinsfinancial.com

Atlanta, GA (October 1, 2010) – Joseph (Joe) R. Rollins and Robert (Robby) E. Schultz, III have been named as 2010 FIVE STAR Wealth Managers by Atlanta Magazine and Crescendo Business Services in the October 2010 edition of the magazine. The individuals who receive this award are selected based on a rigorous research process and represent less than 2% of Wealth Managers in the Atlanta area.

This marks the third straight year for Joe and the second consecutive year for Robby that they have been named as FIVE STAR Wealth Managers by Atlanta Magazine and Crescendo Business Services.

The Problem - Well over half of the consumer responses in the Atlanta area indicated it is difficult to find a wealth manager they trust and rely on (2009 Consumer Survey, Quantitative Market Intelligence).

With more than 25,000 wealth managers in the Atlanta area, how do you find someone who listens to you, represents your interests and operates with an emphasis on integrity and service? Atlanta Magazine wanted to help. The magazine formed a partnership with Crescendo Business Services, an independent research firm, to find out which wealth managers scored highest in overall satisfaction.

The Selection Process - Crescendo surveyed, by mail and phone, to approximately 1 in 4 high-net-worth households (over 116,000 households) within the Atlanta area. An additional 14,500 surveys were sent to local financial services industry professionals.

On the surveys, recipients were asked to evaluate only wealth managers whom they knew through personal experience and to evaluate them based upon nine criteria: customer service, integrity, knowledge/expertise, communication, value for fee charged, meeting of financial objectives, post-sale-service, quality of recommendations and overall satisfaction. Both positive and negative evaluations were included in the scoring, and only wealth managers with more than five years of experience in the financial services industry were considered.

Next, each wealth manager was reviewed for regulatory actions, civil judicial actions and customer complaints as reported by FINRA (the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), the SEC, the State Board of Accountancy, and the State Bar.

Then, before finalizing the list, wealth managers were reviewed by a blue ribbon panel comprised of individuals from within the financial services industry. Although panelist comments were incorporated into the final score, safeguards were built into the review process to reduce the ability of panel members to influence the composition of the final list on the basis of company affiliation.

The resulting list of 2010 FIVE STAR Wealth Managers is an elite group, representing less than 2 percent of the wealth managers in the Atlanta area. Only 454 of the top-scoring wealth managers made this year’s list. Although this list will certainly be a useful tool for anyone looking for help in managing their financial world, it should not be considered exhaustive. Undoubtedly, there are many other excellent wealth managers who, for one reason or another, are not on this year’s list.

RESEARCH DECLARATIONS:
As with any research or recognition program, it is important that we provide you the following declarations:

  • The 2010 FIVE STAR Wealth Managers do not pay a fee to be included in the research or the final list of FIVE STAR Wealth Managers.
  • The overall evaluation score of a wealth manager reflects an average of all respondents and may not be representative of any one client’s evaluation.
  • The FIVE STAR Award is not indicative of the wealth manager's future performance.
  • Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their client’s assets.
  • The inclusion of a wealth manager on the FIVE STAR Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by Crescendo Business Services or Atlanta Magazine.
  • Working with a FIVE STAR Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by Crescendo in the future.
  • The research process for the FIVE STAR Wealth Manager Program, managed by QMI Research, incorporates a statistically valid sample in order to identify wealth managers in the local market that score highest in overall satisfaction. QMI Research does not include wealth managers on the list unless their score is statistically valid. At least fifty percent of the wealth managers in the market have a statistically valid score.
  • For more information on the FIVE STAR Award and the research/selection methodology, go to: www.fivestarprofessional.com/wmresearch.
About Rollins Financial, Inc.
Rollins Financial, Inc. is a SEC registered investment advisory firm that was established in Atlanta, Georgia in 1990 by Joseph (Joe) R. Rollins. Joe along with partners Robert (Robby) E. Schultz, III and Edward (Eddie) J. Wilcox offer independent investment management services for individuals, small businesses and corporations.

Rollins Financial employs various investment strategies depending on the specific objectives of each client. Our independence insures that we are able to provide the most objective investment advice since we receive no compensation from any third parties.

Please visit www.rollinsfinancial.com to find out how Rollins Financial can become your partner to help you Plan for your tomorrow, today.