Edward Jones Diversity Series

"A More Inclusive Financial Services Industry"

December 2003 - The financial services industry, once seen as having few women and minorities, is becoming more and more diverse. Each day, thousands of professionals, around the country and the world, work hard with the goal of preserving wealth or generating it for their employers and clients.

Accountants make sure that individuals and businesses are not spending more money than they earn. Asset managers use their clients' money to help acquire additional assets. Banks charge fees for the services of holding money or lending money. Financiers manage money with the goal of achieving the greatest return, and traders buy and sell securities down in the trenches of the New York Stock Exchange. Then there are those professionals, usually known as brokers, financial advisors, or as Edward Jones investment representatives, who are well versed in several aspects of this often lucrative industry.

Doing Business Face to Face

Founded more than 130 years ago, Edward Jones was one of the first organizations to recognize that a more sound financial future should be available to almost anyone. Edward Jones achieves its philosophy through nearly 9,000 branch offices and thousands of investment representatives in the United States, and through our affiliates in Canada and the United Kingdom, who believe in doing business face-to-face.

If a client's goal is to buy a home, an investment representative may look at some savings products such as CDs and money markets. If a client's goal is to retire comfortably, then an investment representative may consider the length of time before retirement before selecting how much money can be invested in products such as IRAs and mutual funds, stocks or bonds.

Why Edward Jones?

"Before we entrust them with our good name, and before clients entrust them with their financial goals, we make certain our investment representatives are well-prepared," said Michele Holton who is responsible for leading Edward Jones' inclusion efforts. "Investment representatives undergo extensive training to prepare them for their security licensing exams. When they pass the exams, we provide additional training including sales and marketing techniques, and we give them additional resources, such as a full-time assistant, for greater success."

Edward Jones also makes inclusion a major part of its culture. The firm has established partnerships with organizations such as INROADS, an organization dedicated to placing talented minority youth in business and industry, the National Association for Black Accountants and other organizations focused on minority progress.

The firm also heavily recruits minorities through colleges, job fairs and ads in minority-oriented newspapers and magazines such as Black Enterprise.

"Seeking diversity among our investment representatives and associates widens the pool of individuals who can succeed within and contribute to the Edward Jones environment," said Holton.

Not only does Edward Jones seek a highly inclusive workforce it makes inclusion training available to all associates.

"Inclusion training makes perfect business sense. Our Associates better understand, communicate and work together. We believe that this investment in our associates results in better relationships and, therefore, better overall performance," said Holton.

This commitment to training works in partnership to achieve their results of Fortune magazine's decision to name Edward Jones the number one "Best Company to Work for In America" two years in a row (2002 and 2003).

Becoming an Investment Representative

Edward Jones is looking for talented individuals who embrace the organization's entrepreneurial spirit and desire for growth. If you are a self-reliant individual who wants to bring your talents into a highly inclusive and supportive financial services culture, contact Edward Jones today at 800-999-5640, visit www.edwardjones.com, or mail or fax your completed application to:

Edward Jones
Sales Recruiting
1245 J.J. Kelley Memorial Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63131
Fax #: 800-445-5268