Tiburon Study Ranks Commonwealth #1
in 8 Key Technology Areas
Tiburon Strategic Advisors Finds Commonwealth Financial Network^®’s Advisors Most Satisfied with Their Firm’s Technology

Waltham, Mass. (April 15, 2008) — In a study conducted for Commonwealth Financial Network^® and released in April 2008, Tiburon Strategic Advisors finds Commonwealth to be #1 in 8 business-critical technology areas. In the study, A Comparison of Technology Platforms Among Independent Broker/Dealers, Tiburon surveyed financial advisors across eight leading independent broker/dealers to identify perceptions of their firm’s IT offerings.

Based on advisor ratings and interviews, Tiburon concludes that Commonwealth advisors are more satisfied with their firm’s technology than advisors from any of the other broker/dealers surveyed.

Commonwealth received the most favorable ratings in 8 areas that Tiburon considers critical to the success of a financial advisory practice. Commonwealth ranks #1 in Technology Integration, Intuitiveness, Operations Capabilities, Imaging, Issue Tracking, Reliability, Technology Support, and Overall Value.

“Our results reveal that 6 out of 10 advisors ranked Commonwealth’s Technology Support a perfect 10,” said Charles “Chip” Roame, managing partner of Tiburon Strategic Advisors. “Its advisors cite satisfaction with the long support hours, including weekends; short wait times when calling the IT Help Desk; and quick turnarounds on outstanding issues.” Advisors ranked their broker/dealers on a 10-point scale, with 10 being the most satisfied. While Technology Support received the highest rating overall, in the category of Operations Capabilities, Commonwealth received a 9.4—a full point-and-a-half higher than the second-ranked broker/dealer.

“Strong back office support is important to advisors, as it allows them to streamline their days in order to spend more time with clients and less time completing repetitive operational tasks,” said Roame.

Advisor ratings of Commonwealth’s Intuitiveness and Integration of its technology platform were well above the other broker/dealers surveyed, while degrees of satisfaction varied greatly among advisors of the remaining firms.

“Based on advisor interviews, Commonwealth advisors were most satisfied with the simplicity and reliability of the firm’s technology,” said Roame. “Commonwealth advisors also enjoyed the one-stop shop of tools that Commonwealth provides, allowing ease of integration into the advisor’s practice.”

To request a copy of the Tiburon report, A Comparison of Technology Platforms Among Independent Broker/Dealers, please contact Emily Guadagnoli at eguadagnoli@commonwealth.com or at 781.663.9639.

Founded in 1979, Commonwealth Financial Network, member FINRA/SIPC, is the nation’s second-largest, privately owned independent broker/dealer, with offices in Waltham, Massachusetts, and San Diego, California. The firm supports more than 1,000 independent registered representatives nationwide and makes available a comprehensive array of financial products and services.



Contacts:
Emily Guadagnoli
Senior Public Relations Specialist
Commonwealth Financial Network
www.commonwealth.com
781.736.7980, x9639
eguadagnoli@commonwealth.com