Waddell & Reed Expands in Chicago

New financial advisor office on Madison is sixth Waddell & Reed office in the area

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) December 19, 2012

Investors throughout Chicago now have greater access to comprehensive personal financial planning services via a new Waddell & Reed Financial Advisors office that opened this month on Madison, just blocks from Lake Shore Drive.

Waddell & Reed has five other suburban community offices, with the new location at 200 W. Madison St., Suite 2150, marking its first Chicago Loop location. The office opened in early December, with plans to add to its staff of experienced financial advisors in the coming year.

“Given uncertainty across the financial market, with more people seeking financial guidance, it makes sense for us to broaden our availability to the many who live, work and shop inside the Loop,” said Barry Wheeles, associate managing principal. “Combined with our suburban offices, this gives Waddell & Reed an even stronger presence in the metropolitan area.”

Waddell & Reed has been a part of the Chicago area for more than 50 years and manages in excess of $2 billion in client assets across the six local offices. Waddell & Reed financial advisors offer guidance on personal and business financial planning, retirement plans, education funding, investment planning and estate planning, among other services. The company is a full-service broker/dealer, a financial planning pioneer, and launched two of the very first mutual funds in the industry in 1940.

In 2011 and 2012, Waddell & Reed conducted a national tour in partnership with the National World War I Museum to raise funds and awareness for the museum and local museums across the country. The Honoring Our History tour, which helped mark Waddell & Reed’s 75th anniversary in 2012, exhibited twice in the area this past summer, once at Navy Pier and once in Schaumberg, as it made its way through 41 states and welcomed 45,000 visitors over 15 months. The tour helped honor veterans of all wars, including the company’s founders, Chauncey Waddell and Cameron Reed, who were veterans of World War I. It ultimately raised nearly $200,000 over the course of the tour.

“We try to strike a balance between being a financial resource for residents, a great place for advisors to work, and a contributor to the community,” said Wheeles. “We’re pleased we can broaden our presence in Chicago and look forward to working with families and businesses.”

For a private tour, advisors should contact Rob Abernathy or Barry Wheeles, at 312-332-6306.

About Waddell & Reed, Inc.

Founded in 1937, Waddell & Reed, Inc. provides financial planning services to clients throughout the United States through its network of nearly 1,800 financial advisors. Waddell & Reed, Inc. also serves as principal underwriter and distributor to the Waddell & Reed Advisors Group of Mutual Funds, Ivy Funds Variable Insurance Portfolios, Inc. and InvestEd Portfolios, Inc. It is a subsidiary of Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. (NYSE: WDR), which had firmwide assets of approximately $95 billion in total assets under management at Sept. 30, 2012.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of a fund carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus containing this and other information for any of the Waddell & Reed Advisors or Ivy Funds, call your financial advisor or visit http://www.waddell.com. Please read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and it is possible to lose money by investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

Waddell & Reed, Inc. and Ivy Funds Distributor, Inc. distribute the Waddell & Reed Advisor funds and the Ivy Funds, respectively.

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