Company Milestones | Ric Edelman

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Company Milestones

1986

Ric creates 6-page business plan seeking $10,000 in capital and projecting annual profits of $36,000. He doesn’t get the money, but starts anyway.

1987

Ric publishes first client newsletter.

1988

Ric publishes his analysis showing why you should not pay off the mortgage. His advice is considered heresy by the planning community, but over the next 20 years, numerous academic studies confirms his position. Read more for study information »

1990

Ric makes first guest appearance on WMAL Radio. He returns monthly.

1992

Ric holds first Truth About Money seminar. The 10 ½-hour course is destined to become his first book.

Ric joins the Georgetown University faculty, teaching personal finance.

The Ric Edelman Show debuts on WMAL-AM 630 in Washington, D.C.

1993

Ric wins A.I.R. Award for "Best Radio Talk Show Host" in Washington, D.C.

1994

Edelman Financial Services reaches $100 million in assets under management.

Ric named a "Top Financial Professional" by Washingtonian magazine.

Fairfax County, VA, Chamber of Commerce awards "Service Business of the Year Award" to Edelman Financial.

1995

Edelman Financial Services listed among Inc. magazine’s "500 Fastest-Growing Private Companies." ¹ Named again in 1996 and 1997.

Ric appointed to NASD Board of Arbitrators, joining panels that rule on consumer complaints against stockbrokers and brokerage firms.

Eight years after he began appearing weekly on television, Ric launches his own program, The Truth About Money.

1996

Ric’s first book The Truth About Money is an astounding success. Debuts as #1 bestseller, breaks records, and is named Book of the Year by Small Press magazine.

1997

Edelman Financial Services reaches $500 million in assets under management.

Ric profiled by Dow Jones Investment Advisor magazine and The Washington Post.

Ric and Jean celebrate the firm’s 10th anniversary, taking entire staff and their families, along with 3 families from the Leukemia Society, to Disney World.

1998

Ric Edelman receives "Ace Adviser" award from Ticker magazine.

Ric develops IRA flow chart. The Washington Post does something the 130-year-old newspaper never did before or since: It printed the entire chart sideways (so it would fit on one page).

Ric introduces The Retirement InCome -- for Everyone Trust® and receives two U.S. patents on this innovative way to save for a child's retirement.

President appoints Ric as delegate to the National Summit on Retirement Planning. Also appointed for 2002 and 2006 summits -- the nation’s only financial advisor to serve at all three.

Ric testifies before House Subcommittee on Social Security. He appears again in 1999 and 2005 and in 2004 before the Joint Economic Committee.

Ric’s second book, The New Rules of Money, is New York Times bestseller.

1999

Edelman Financial Services reaches $1 billion in assets under management.

Ric granted honorary doctorate by Rowan University.

2000

Edelman Financial Services wins "Blue Chip Enterprise Award" by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Wealth is #1 New York Times bestseller. USA Today, BusinessWeek, Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble say it’s among year’s best books.

2001

Ric named to Wealth Manager magazine's list of "Top Wealth Managers." Returns to list in 2003, 2004, 2007, and 2008.²

After seven years, including five as a finalist, Ric finally named Greater Washington D.C. "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Ernst & Young.

Ric makes the first of many appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Ric writes Financial Security in Troubled Times and donates his proceeds to 9/11 charities. Paperback version later released as What You Need to Do Now.

Ric appears on The Today Show.

2002

Ric elected to board of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington.

Ric starts five years of service on board of United Way of the National Capital Area, including 2 years as board chair.

Ric appears on The View.

Ric profiled in Washington Business Forward and Washington Post magazines.

Discover the Wealth Within You published.

Nightingale-Conant releases Ric Edelman's No-Nonsense System for Building Wealth.

2003

Edelman Financial Services reaches $2 billion in assets under management.

Washingtonian magazine names Edelman Financial Services as one the "Great Places to Work" in 2003. Follow-up surveys in 2005 and 2007 again cite the firm.

Ric quoted in the National Enquirer.

Investment Advisor magazine profiles Ric; The Washington Post runs a full-page OpEd piece by Ric.

Responding to scandal in the retail mutual fund industry, Edelman Financial Services creates the Edelman Managed Asset Program®, which quickly becomes one of the most popular investment management programs in the country.

2004

Ric named to Barron's list of "America's 100 Top Brokers." Repeats in 2005, 2006, 2007. ³

Ric inducted into Financial Advisor Hall of Fame by Research magazine.

Registered Rep magazine names Ric on list of "America's Top 50 Advisors."

Grand Opening of Edelman Planetarium at Rowan University.

Ric’s newspaper advice column, The Truth About Money, starts national syndication by United Media.

2005

Virginia Business magazine ranks Ric the "#1 Retail Advisor" in the state. Listing repeats in 2006, 2007, and 2008.¹

Washington Business Journal names Ric among top Financial Asset Managers.

Grand opening of the Edelman Nursing Career Development Center at Inova Institute for Nursing Excellence.

2006

Edelman Financial Services reaches $3 billion in assets under management.

"Best of Fairfax Award" -- Edelman Financial Services voted the preferred financial planner by readers of the Times Community newspapers.

Edelman Financial Services reaches 100 employees.

2007

Financial Advisor magazine ranks Edelman Financial Services #9 in assets under management in "Survey of Top Advisors." ⁴

Barron’s ranks Ric #2 on list of nation’s "Top 100 Independent Advisers." ³

The Ric Edelman Show nationally syndicated on the ABC Radio Networks.

Ric’s television special premieres on PBS Television.

The Lies About Money published. Earns rave reviews even before it reaches book sellers. Ric embarks on 16-city seminar tour.

2008

The Edelman Financial Network is launched, allowing affiliated advisors around the country to make EMAP available to their local clients.

Ric is featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, in a segment on "cost-saving measures in a tight economy."

Edelman Financial opens an operations center in Richmond, Va.

The Lies About Money is named the Gold Medal winner in the Axiom Business Awards, personal finance category.

2009

Ric ranked the #1 Independent Financial Advisor in the country by Barron’s.⁶

In addition to his role as Chairman and CEO of Edelman Financial Services, Ric is named president of Sanders Morris Harris Group. Inc.

Ric’s new PBS Special “Rescue Your Retirement” debuts on WETA-TV26, Washington, DC, and begins national airing.

Beta Gamma Sigma Chapter of the William G. Rohrer College of Business at Rowan University recognized Ric’s outstanding professional achievements and inducted him as a chapter honoree.

Ric’s seventh book, Rescue Your Money debuts as #1 on The Washington Post best seller list.

Edelman Financial Services ranked #30 on Registered Rep Magazine's list of America's Top 100 RIAs.

Financial Advisor magazine annual RIA Survey ranks Edelman Financial Services #14 in total AUM.

Investment News ranks Edelman Financial Services 8th in list of “50 Largest Financial Planning Firms.” Firm rankings are based on assets under management (as of September 30, 2009) and must have more than 50% of their business from retail investors.

Edelman Financial Services opens six offices in New York and New Jersey bringing to 10 the offices in four states.

Ric’s best seller, The Lies About Money named winner of an Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Award – the second national award for the book.

Ric and Jean make a $250,000 donation to the American Astronomical Society to supply 15,000 Edelman Galileoscopes to classrooms around the country.

Edelman Financial tops $4 billion in assets under management.

2010

Ric again is ranked the #1 Independent Financial Advisor in the country by Barron’s.⁶
Additional offices opened in Chicago, South Florida and the Metro DC area.

2011

The Truth About Money weekly TV show premieres on public television stations nationwide.

Ric's weekly radio show airs in 17 new markets across the country.

4th edition of The Truth About Money wins EIFLE and APEX book awards.

Edelman Financial Services opens 12 new offices nationwide.

Recognized as a Barron's top-ranked financial advisor for 8th year in a row.

Named one of the top 10 RIAs in the nation by Financial Advisor magazine.

Edelman Financial Services' parent company rebranded The Edelman Financial Group; Ric named CEO.

¹Inc. magazine cover story, "Inc. magazine's list of 500 fastest-growing private companies in the nation -- Ranked #142 overall", October 1997 (Companies have to be independent and privately held through 1996, and must demonstrate a sales increase from fiscal year 1995 to 1996. Holding companies and regulated banks and utlities are not eligible, and sales in 1992 must be at least $220 thousand. Inc. magazine verified all information using tax forms and financial statements from certified public accountants, and by conducting interviews with company officials.

²Bloomberg Wealth Manager magazine cover story, July/August 2004 [based on a survey of 450 independent financial planning firms that offer comprehensive financial planning; more than 50 percent of client base are individuals, with client assets in excess of $50 million. Edelman Financial Services ranked #1 based on number of clients (6,689), #11 based on client assets ($2 billion) and #431 based on size of average client account ($299,000). Client survey data refers to EFS, which has been offering financial services for more than 20 years.]

³Barron's cover story "Top 100 Independent Financial Advisers," August 27, 2007 (compiled by independent financial industry researcher R.J. Shook, based on assets under management, advisor's contributions to the firm's revenues and profits, quality of service, and client satisfaction).

⁴Financial Advisor magazine's July 2008 ranking of registered independent advisors with $1 billion or more in assets (based on 2007 total assets).

⁵Wealth Manager magazine's July/August 2008 ranking of wealth management firms by average assets under management per client.

⁶According to Barron's, "The formula [used] to rank advisors has three major components: assets managed, revenue produced and quality of the advisor's practice. Investment returns are not a component of the rankings because an advisor's returns are dictated largely by each client's risk tolerance. The quality-of-practice component includes an evaluation of each advisor's regulatory record." The rankings are based on the universe of applications submitted to Barron's. The selection process begins with a nomination and application provided to Barron's. Principals of Edelman Financial Services LLC self-nominated the firm and submitted quantitative and qualitative information to Barron's as requested. Barron's reviewed and considered this information which resulted in the rankings on Aug. 27, 2012/Aug. 28, 2010/Aug. 31, 2009.

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