National Planning Holdings, Inc.® Names Brian Sward Vice President of Due Diligence

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- National Planning Holdings, Inc.^® (NPH^®)one of the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer networks, has promoted Brian Sward, 35, to vice president of due diligence. Mr. Sward will manage a team of analysts that facilitates the due diligence process for all product types across the NPH network.

Mr. Sward will also continue to work closely with senior management from NPH and its four retail broker-dealers to control the risks associated with product selection and to monitor the products being offered by the network’s firms. Previously, he served as assistant vice president of due diligence where he was responsible for conducting due diligence and product support for NPH. He will continue to report to Gerry Gunderson, NPH’s general counsel and senior vice president of regulatory affairs.

“Due diligence is a critically important function for retail broker-dealers, particularly in the wake of the financial downturn,” said Jim Livingston, president and CEO of NPH. “The focus shown by Brian and his team has allowed the NPH firms to position themselves more effectively against the myriad issues caused by recent economic conditions. He has a proven record of success and we look forward to the continued contributions he will make to the company in his expanded role.”

Prior to joining NPH in 2005, Mr. Sward served as an investment advisory analyst at JPMorgan where he was responsible for organizing and analyzing 401(k) plans for large institutional clients. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Denver and holds Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations as well as FINRA Series 7, 24 and 63 licenses.

For more information about the four independent broker-dealers in the National Planning Holdings network, please visit:

• www.INVESTFinancial.com - INVEST Financial Corporation
• www.InvestmentCenters.com - Investment Centers of America, Inc.
• www.NatPlan.com - National Planning Corporation
• www.SIIOnline.com - SII Investments, Inc.

About National Planning Holdings, Inc.

National Planning Holdings, Inc. (NPH) is a broker-dealer holding company and an affiliate of Lansing, Mich.-based Jackson National Life Insurance Company. NPH serves as the holding company for the independent broker-dealers INVEST Financial Corporation, Investment Centers of America, National Planning Corporation, and SII Investments, Inc. Collectively, the NPH broker-dealer network currently has 3,519 registered representatives. NPH and Jackson are wholly owned by Prudential plc (NYSE: PUK), a company incorporated and with its principal place of business in the United Kingdom. Prudential plc is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc., a company whose principal place of business is in the United States of America.

for National Planning Holdings, Inc.
Andrew Silver
303.224.7542
[email protected]

Source: National Planning Holdings, Inc.