Schwab Releases Winners of 2009 IMPACT Awards

Charles Schwab, a provider of custodial, operational and trading support, announced the winners of the fourth annual IMPACT Awards - an industry-wide awards program to honor advisory firms that have advanced the industry through their visionary leadership, operational excellence, technology innovation and impressive growth, as determined by the company.

The winners were recognized during a ceremony at Schwab's IMPACT 2009 conference, an annual gathering of independent investment advisors. A release said profiles and videos of the winners are available online at impactawards.schwab.com.

Wetherby Asset Management in San Francisco is the Best-in-Business Award winner for its success in business management. The firm has focused on developing high levels of client service, creating a culture of collaboration and broadening employee ownership in the business. Wetherby Asset Management now serves nearly 500 households with more than $2.4 billion in assets. While the company has consistently enjoyed growth through referrals from existing clients and professional partners, its priority is delivering high levels of service to its clients.

Wetherby Asset Management's high-touch client service model requires that employee development and headcount growth precede asset growth.

The Best-in-Tech Award winner is Bristlecone Advisors for using technology to extend the reach, responsiveness and growth of its business.

As a result of its accelerated growth, Heritage Wealth Advisors is the Pacesetter Award winner.

This year, the Charles R. Schwab IMPACT Award, which is traditionally given to an individual advisor whose vision, leadership, client commitment, and community engagement demonstrate the value of independent investment advice, was awarded to all independent investment advisors in recognition of the industry's outstanding support of clients during a tumultuous year.

Jim McCool, executive vice president and head of Institutional Services at Charles Schwab, said to the more than 1,200 advisors at IMPACT, "You have survived one of the toughest years ever in the financial services industry. But your clients saw the best of the independent investment advisor model as you worked long and hard to reassure and educate them. We admire you enormously, and would like to express our gratitude for your sacrifices and our pride in Schwab's relationships with you."

More Information:

impactawards.schwab.com

www.schwab.com

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