If there is anything the events of 2008 and 2009 taught America, it is that fundamentals still matter. In good times and in bad, it is the fundamentals that do not change and that serve as the building blocks for success-in life and in business.

Fundamentals are what our parents taught us about money from the time we got our first allowance until we earned our first paycheck. Do not spend more than you make. Save a little something for a rainy day. Do not put all of your eggs in one basket. In some ways, it is a very welcome change to see society remember the importance of fundamentals again. At LPL Financial, we never forgot.

Every day, approximately 2,500 LPL Financial employees come to work and focus on the fundamentals of our business: helping our customers to serve their clients with independent, objective advice. We know that LPL Financial advisors guide their clients in making crucial decisions about their financial futures, and supporting these advisors is a responsibility we take very seriously. That is why we are dedicated to providing services and support that allow financial advisors to effectively and efficiently manage their businesses, freeing them up to focus on their client relationships and the provision of quality financial advice.

Our commitment to our advisors enables them to focus on the fundamentals of their own business: building relationships and helping their clients to realize their most cherished financial goals. The independent financial advisors, community and regional banks, and credit unions LPL Financial serves are deeply connected with their communities. More than just financial professionals, our customers are also friends, neighbors, civic leaders, and volunteers in the cities and towns where they live and work. Because of this connection, they have an uncommon understanding of their clients' needs and goals. For LPL Financial advisors, sharing in the hopes and dreams of their clients is a fundamental that never goes out of fashion.

Whether through our firm's commitment to supporting our customers with a financially sound business model, or our advisors' focus on delivering quality conflict-free investment advice, it is our appreciation for the fundamentals that has earned LPL Financial the trust of millions of investors across the country. This ideal is at the forefront of our firm, even as we innovate and look to the future to anticipate our customer's needs for years to come, because we know when your foundation is built on solid fundamentals, there is no limit to what you can achieve.

Sincerely,

Mark Casady
Chairman and CEO
LPL Financial