ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- Steve Danekas, a financial adviser with Edward Jones in Rockford, recently was named Performance Leader of the Year in the Rockford/Chicago land area by Edward Jones.

The managing partner for Edward Jones, Jim Weddle, said the firm makes a special effort to acknowledge exceptional work and performance by its financial advisers."At Edward Jones, we believe we can better serve individual investors by establishing community branch offices and having our representatives live and work in those communities," he said. "We realize, however, that because our financial advisers usually work alone, there isn't much opportunity to congratulate them for a job well done. That's why these types of awards are so important to us"

Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm's business, from the types of investment options offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work. The firm's 12,000-plus financial advisers work directly with nearly 7 million clients to understand their personal goals -- from college savings to retirement -- and create long-term investment solutions that emphasize a well-balanced portfolio and a buy-and-hold strategy. Edward Jones embraces the importance of building long-term, face-to-face relationships with clients, helping them to understand and make sense of the investment options available today.

In January 2012, for the 13th year, Edward Jones was named one of the best companies to work for by FORTUNE Magazine in its annual listing. The firm ranked No. 5 overall and No. 3 in Large Size Companies. These 13 FORTUNE rankings include top 10 finishes for nine years, consecutive No. 1 rankings in 2002 and 2003, and consecutive No. 2 rankings in 2009 and 2010. FORTUNE and Time Inc. are not affiliated with and do not endorse products or services of Edward Jones.