EDITORIAL: 60,000 PROFESSIONALS CAN’T BE WRONG

A year ago it was just an idea: a major newspaper covering the business of personal finance – your business. Last fall the idea became a reality with the introduction of InvestmentNews.

Last month it moved a step further, as InvestmentNews became the financial services industry’s only weekly newspaper.

And now comes the first independent confirmation of the success of our idea.

An initial audit statement from the Schaumburg, Ill.-based Audit Bureau of Circulations shows that InvestmentNews has become a force in the market – after just three months of regular publication.

As of Dec. 31, total paid and qualified non-paid circulation was 60,119. And 78 percent of circulation was direct personal request.

The ABC initial audit statement shows that InvestmentNews already reaches a broad spectrum of the financial services industry. About 52% of you work in financial planning firms, nearly 22% in securities brokerages or broker-dealer operations, almost 9% in accounting firms, 8% in insurance businesses, 8% in banking companies and about 1.5% in law firms.

You are a diverse and highly knowledgeable community. And we are your independent community newspaper, beholden to no one but our readers.

You are financial planners, investment advisers, securities brokers and registered representatives. Insurance agents, bankers, tax advisers, attorneys and consultants. Owners, partners, directors and managers of companies that design, develop, sell, market or distribute investment products, services or advice. In a nutshell: the people who run the business of personal finance.

We’ve come this far this soon because InvestmentNews produces something no other industry publication offers: timely, objective news and lively, straight-shooting analysis from a team of 17 reporters and editors in five cities nationwide.

We’d like to thank our 60,000 readers for responding so strongly and enthusiastically to the launch of InvestmentNews. And we encourage you to continue sharing your ideas and thoughts with report
ers and editors – by letter, e-mail, telephone, fax, in person.

We are, after all, your newspaper.