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October 03, 2013 | Press Releases
Securities America Hosts 16th Annual Assistant University
LA VISTA, Neb. – Oct. 3, 2013 – Julie Littlechild, CEO and founder of Advisor Impact and an expert on client engagement among financial advisors, will open Securities America’s 16th Annual Assistant University Oct. 10-11, at the Hilton Omaha. On the second day of the conference Chris Johnson, founder and CEO of On Target Living, will present strategies on making healthy choices to manage a busy lifestyle that will help more than 150 attendees get motivated and excited to reach new personal and career goals. Johnson’s general session speech is sponsored by Ivy Funds.Client engagement and work-life balance are just two hot topics among more than 30 sessions within three educational tracks offered during this two-day intensive workshop. The three tracks – Emerging, Experienced and Technology – are designed to help office staff at all levels of experience and responsibility increase their knowledge in technology, compliance, marketing, operations, business management and practice management. The conference combines formalized classroom learning with focused small-group discussions, networking opportunities and "hands-on" use of Securities America's technology.
“As the first independent broker-dealer to develop a stand-alone conference for support staff, we recognize the critical role that assistants play in the success of a financial advisory practice,” said Kirk Hulett, Securities America’s executive vice president for strategy and practice management. “Each year we enhance Assistant University to address what we hear and feel are the most important topics to Securities America affiliated financial practices.”
In addition to the main conference tracks, attendees can get focused, hands-on training, answers and advice from a Securities America technology expert at the Business Solutions Pavilion. Licensed staff members also have the opportunity to complete their 2013 Firm Element requirements. Pre-conference sessions focused on the ins and outs of utilizing the Albridge Wealth Reporting system, and best practices for using Securities America’s Managed Opportunities, a flexible, turnkey asset management program.
Diane Strickland, director of client services at EHG Financial Planning Services in Irvine, Calif., will be attending Assistant University for the sixth time.
“When I leave Assistant University, I know I have learned things I did not know about before I got there,” Strickland said. “And not just one or two things, but at least a dozen. The classes and roundtable discussions are great as well as the valuable time spent networking with my peers. I always come back to my office with a renewed sense of worth and purpose.”
The annual event is also an opportunity for a meeting of the Sales Assistant Advisory Board, whose members represent office staff from across the country. This meeting, along with scheduled conference calls throughout the year, provides an opportunity for assistants to offer improvement ideas and initiatives to Securities America based on their experiences from the front lines.
“Our feedback from assistants who attend and the advisors they support is that Assistant University is worth every bit of the investment and time spent out of the office,” Hulett said. “We pack so much information into this event each year that many assistants attend year after year to brush up on their skills, connect with their peers and learn about Securities America’s new programs and services.”
About Securities America
Headquartered in La Vista, Neb., Securities America Inc. is a national top 10 independent broker-dealer (as ranked by Financial Planning magazine). For more than 25 years, Securities America’s mission has been to foster the success of financial professionals so they can provide quality, objective counsel and services to their clients. Advisors benefit from the firm’s industry-leading programs in practice management, advisory services and retirement income distribution, supported by state-of-the-art technology. Founded in 1993, Securities America Advisors Inc. is an SEC-Registered Investment Advisory firm that offers investment management, financial advice and financial planning through a national network of independent financial advisors. Securities America Financial Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. (NYSE MKT: LTS). Securities America received the inaugural Thought Leadership Award from the Retirement Income Industry Association in March 2011, the inaugural Bank Insurance & Securities Association (BISA) Technology Innovation Award in March 2013 and was named to the 2013 InformationWeek 500, a list of the top technology innovators in the U.S. Additional information is available at www.securitiesamerica.com.