Press Release

January 9, 2009

RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL SERVICES
ANNOUNCES AGENDA FOR 2009 NATIONAL
CONFERENCE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., (member FINRA/SIPC) today announced its agenda for the 2009 National Conference for Professional Development, scheduled for March 3-6 in Las Vegas.

The annual educational conference, themed Sharing Solutions, is headlined by nationally renowned author, entrepreneur and motivational speaker Pat Croce; Raymond James Financial Chairman and CEO, and Ernst & Young’s 2008 Financial Services Entrepreneur of the Year, Tom James; RJF President and COO and Chairman of SIFMA’s Private Client Group Steering Committee, Chet Helck; and renowned Chief Investment Strategist Jeffrey Saut. RJFS Chairman and CEO Dick Averitt will deliver the keynote address to open the conference.

“At this critical time in our industry,” said Averitt, “it is imperative that we provide our financial advisors the opportunity to come together and focus on learning new ways to help their clients survive and thrive in these unprecedented times of market uncertainty.”

Advisors will benefit from timely and insightful sessions on advanced investment strategies, retirement planning concepts and asset allocation design, as well as receive global economic and financial market updates. Thousands of continuing education credits are awarded each year to the approximately 2,000 advisors and associates in attendance.

In addition to four full days of networking opportunities, the conference provides attendees access to some of the firm’s Top Advisors as well as education and marketing partners with expertise on a wide range of industry topics. Presentation topics will include practice management, client service, compliance, personal health and two new sessions focused on working with senior investors.

A technology resource center will be open throughout the conference with hands-on instruction and support from home office IT experts and technical consultants.  

New this year is a separate Branch Professional educational track for RJFS branch sales and support staffs. Those sessions will be focused on improving branch efficiency, client service and marketing processes.

Two years in the planning, the strategic selection of Las Vegas as host site provides convenient travel access as well as a single hotel and conference facility large enough to house the conference’s full complement of advisors, speakers and exhibitors, the general session hall, break-out session rooms, and a technology resource center in addition to all the necessary hotel accommodations. RJFS will host only one educational conference in 2009 as opposed to the customary two.

To learn more about the Raymond James Financial Services conference, please visit raymondjames.com/rjfs/ncpd.htm.

Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. is a national investment firm providing financial services to individuals, corporations and municipalities through more than 3,150 financial advisors in 2,000 offices throughout the United States. For more than 30 years, Raymond James Financial Services has provided a wide range of services through our affiliate, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. Both broker/dealers are wholly owned subsidiaries of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF), a financial services holding company that has more than 5,000 financial advisors serving 1.8 million accounts throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. In addition, total client assets are currently $167 billion, of which approximately $27 billion are managed by the firm’s asset management subsidiaries.

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For more information, contact Anthea Penrose at 727-567-2824.
Please visit the Raymond James Press Center at raymondjames.com/media.