When you and your financial advisor develop your investment strategy together, you have the expertise of Edward Jones behind you. A significant part of this expertise is the Edward Jones Investment Policy Committee (IPC), who develops the firm’s investment guidance.

This guidance is integrated into the tools, systems and materials that your financial advisor uses to help you move closer toward meeting your financial goals. When you invest with Edward Jones, your financial advisor tailors this overarching investment guidance to your individual goals and personal situation.

IPC's investment guidance helps your financial advisor:

• Build your personalized investment portfolio
• Account for market expectations and their effect on you and your investments
• Outline potential risks and opportunities
• Develop a strategy for multiple financial goals, such as retirement and paying for education
• Strategize about retirement distributions, Social Security, withdrawal rates and health care costs
• Construct insurance and other protection strategies

Just because our investment philosophy focuses on the long term doesn’t mean that we ignore today’s economic trends and events. The IPC meets regularly to discuss current events, propose new policies and review existing guidance – all with our clients’ long-term needs as the focal point. The IPC members – experts in economics, investments and retirement planning – come from many departments across the firm and each bring a unique perspective.

Committee Chairmen

The committee chairs are:

• Chris T. Blum, CFA, Co-chair, Director of Research
• Scott Thoma, CFA, CFP, Co-chair, Director of Investment Strategy

Executive Committee Sponsors

The executive committee members are:

• James D. Weddle, Managing Partner
• Penny Pennington, Principal, Client Strategies Group

Committee Members

The committee members include:

• Matt Collins, CFA, Equity Research
• Matthew R. Embleton, CFA, Mutual Fund Research
• Craig Fehr, CFA, Investment Strategist
• Patrick French, Canadian Client Depth
• Mike Fross, CFA, Product Review
• Tom Kersting, CFA Investment Advisory
• Bryan Luebbert, CFA, Investment Advisory
• Rachel Meier, CFA, CFP, Client Needs Research
• David F. Powers, CFA, Product Review
• Brian Therien, CFA, Fixed Income Research
• Kate Warne, Ph.D, CFA, Investment Strategist

Advisory board

In addition, the IPC Advisory board includes industry professionals outside Edward Jones, as well as our own financial advisors, so we can receive a wide variety of diverse input and perspectives.

• Bill Anderson, Financial Advisor, Salt Lake City, Utah 
• Adrian E. Bracy, MBA; CPA; Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Metro St. Louis
• Amy Daniels, Financial Advisor, Searcy, Arkansas
• Michael Comeau, Financial Advisor, Aurora, Ontario
• Maria Ramirez, President and CEO of MFR, Inc.
• Amy Wasser, Financial Advisor, Pleasant Hill, California