With four local adviser offices in Davis and another office opening soon, the financial planning group Edward Jones is reaching the top of national charts.
Ranked second in CNN’s Fortune magazine’s 2010 list of the 100 best companies to work for, Edward Jones is just one spot below SAS, a business software company, and made it into the top 10 for an eighth time.
Edward Jones ranked number one in the large-sized company category this year, as well.
Financial advisor Michael Clark has been working at the local Edward Jones office for almost 12 years in downtown Davis and said the company is a part of the community.
“We are helping people achieve financial goals,” Clark said. “[People come in and say,] ‘I want buy a house or retire at this age.’ We try to help you along those goals.”
Although financial planning may seem like something for the over-30-year-old crowd, Clark said recent graduates can benefit by coming into their offices.
“People your age, you don’t know exactly when you want to retire,” he said. “But we help people right out of school set up 401-k’s [retirement savings plans] or help them with setting up their first house.”
The Feb. 8 issue of Fortune magazine listed this year’s rankings and said Edward Jones made it to the top because of its tenacity through the recent recession – it maintained over 37,000 U.S. employees.
“The investment adviser weathered the recession without closing one of its 12,615 offices or laying off a single employee,” according to Fortune’s article. “Salaries were frozen, but profit sharing continued.”
Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Clark said internship opportunities are available to UCD students at the corporate offices or locally in Davis.
As for future plans, Clark said in order to make the number one spot, Edward Jones should continue its work ethic.
“We have been rated number one before by doing what we have been doing,” Clark said. “We are happy about the ranking.”
SASHA LEKACH can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
