Birmingham, AL (July 6, 2009)—Brenda Van Valen, Senior Vice President and Trust Officer with The Trust Company of Sterne Agee, Inc. which is located in the University area of Charlotte, recently earned the Certified Wealth Strategist (CWS®) designation.
The Certified Wealth Strategist® designation prepares trust and investment professionals to better serve the high net worth market in an unbiased, consultative and comprehensive practice management and client service model. A Certified Wealth Strategist understands and uncovers the key wealth issues faced by the client; their client’s situation, future, feelings, and family dynamics; reconciles gaps within the clients’ wealth strategy; places issues in the context of a wealth management strategy; forms reasonable and logical opinion for addressing each set of issues; coordinates her activities with the client’s entire professional team of attorney, CPA, and other professional advisors; and, is an emotional counselor that utilizes a disciplined process to achieve the client’s goals.
Van Valen has over 20 years of trust, investment and management experience. In addition to earning her CWS® designation, she is a graduate of Campbell University, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and a Certified Trust Financial Advisor (CTFA®). She is part of a wealth management team that provides a full spectrum of wealth management and investment solutions.
Founded in 1901, Sterne Agee is one of the oldest and largest privately owned brokerage firms in the country. Sterne Agee has headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama and offices in 23 states. Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc., is Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC. The Trust Company of Sterne Agee, Inc. is a subsidiary of the Sterne Agee family of companies, a non-depository trust company, and is authorized to offer trust and investment management services in the states of North Carolina, Arizona, Idaho, and Alabama.
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Cannon is the premier provider of professional development solutions for the world’s top financial organizations. Our instructors and consultants have earned a reputation for delivering comprehensive solutions that are focused, relevant, and strategically invaluable. Our clients consistently –and immediately – see dramatic results and improved productivity from students who have experienced our professional development solutions. As a result, hundreds of Financial Services companies have chosen Cannon as their long-term strategic partner for increasing market share, maximizing profitability, and reducing liability. The Certified Wealth Strategist® education program and designation was developed by the Cannon Financial Institute.
The mission of the CWS® is to provide financial services professional's with the technical knowledge, the practice management formula, and the critical client interaction skills to create and build a dynamic Wealth Advisory practice that works effectively with more complex client issues. This highly acclaimed program is one of the fastest growing certifications in our industry, because it is about both knowledge and application – it is about the Advisor’s goal to become their clients’ trusted advisor.
For more information, contact:
Leah McKinney, Senior Vice President
205.949.3564
lmckinney@sterneagee.com