BARRON'S TO HONOR JOHN W. RAFAL AT FINANCIAL ADVISOR SUMMIT

Barron’s, the acclaimed financial and investment newsweekly, will honor John W. Rafal of Essex, Connecticut, at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Financial Advisor Summit on Sunday, September 7. The Summit officially starts on Monday, September 8 and runs through Wednesday, September 10.

Mr. Rafal, the Founder and Vice Chair of Essex Financial Services, which is owned by Essex Savings Bank, is being recognized for his consistent appearance on Barron’s Top 100 Independent Financial Advisor List each year since inception in 2004.

Mr. Rafal is one of a select group of 15 advisors from across the country who have achieved this status, and who will attend and be honored at the dinner.

“It’s become a badge of honor to be called a ‘Barron’s-ranked advisor,’ a phrase that’s cropped up informally to describe the professionals who make our lists,” said Ed Finn, Barron’s editor and president. “An even more select group, though, are those who’ve appeared year-after-year on our annual ranking since its inception ten years ago. John Rafal is one of these ‘elite of the elite’ advisors who has consistently met our selection criteria. We’ll be celebrating these 15 outstanding advisors at our conference this week.”

“On behalf of the entire Essex Financial team, I want to thank Ed Finn and Barron’s for this unique honor,” stated John W. Rafal. “To be cited in any given year by Barron’s as one of nation’s top independent financial advisors is always a special tribute, but to be spotlighted as one of only 15 FAs to receive this special recognition is truly extraordinary.”

The dinner will be held on the eve of Barron’s Top Financial Advisors Summit, which begins September 8th at the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando, FL. During the summit, Mr. Rafal will be presenting as a member of a wealth management panel in a discussion on “Fortifying Marketing & Branding Strategies.”

Last month, Mr. Rafal was ranked number 7 on the Barron’s list of the Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors for 2014, which was published in the August 25 edition of Barron’s (www.barrons.com). The Barron’s list of the Top 100 Independent Advisors was first launched in 2004 and this was Mr. Rafal’s 11th annual appearance on the annual list. The list evaluates America’s leading independent financial advisors, based on assets under management, revenue generated for the advisors’ firms, excellent client service and quality of practices.

Essex Financial Services is a wealth management firm serving the high net worth and institutional markets, and has $3.6 billion of assets under management or administration. Founded in 1851, Essex Savings Bank is a mutual financial institution chartered to provide a full complement of financial products and services including business banking.

Essex Financial Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Essex Savings Bank, is one of the leading independent financial advisory firms in the country. Cited by Barron’s as the top advisor for Connecticut in 2013 in their America’s Top 1000 Financial Advisors ranking, the firm’s unbiased, independent, client-centric approach has made it a leader in providing exceptional service to clients for over three decades.

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