By Clyde Noel

Rhonda Wentzel has been named to the position of investment representative for existing and future clients at the Edward Jones office at 95 First St. in Los Altos.

Edward Jones serves more than 4 million individual investors through a network of more than 9,000 investment representatives in the United States and Canada. They provide individual investment assessments on a one-to-one basis.

It recently (July 9) was named the highest-ranking brokerage in a customer advocacy ranking by Forrester Research.

In the report, customer advocacy is defined as offering products and services “that are best for the customer, not just for the firm’s bottom line.”

Edward Jones does not offer aggressive investment products like options, commodities and penny stocks; and the firm doesn’t sell its own line of proprietary products.

The second Edward Jones office in Los Altos is located at 153 Second St. Investment representative Cynthia Wemyss was on vacation, but Nancy Rhea, branch office administrator, said the corporate structure allows the separate offices considerable independence.

“Investment representatives run their own business and act as a semientrepreneurship,” Rhea said. “Doing what’s right for our customers is our guiding principle.”

Edward Jones was recently recognized for its extensive training program. The company spends 3 percent of its payroll on associate training. Fortune Magazine ranked Edward Jones in their listing of “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America.

The Edward Jones approach focuses on high-quality investments that perform well over time. The unique branch office network allows the company to be accessible to clients where they live and work.

“It’s a life dream to work with people one-to-one and help them attain their financial goals,” Wentzel said. “I’m concentrating on retirement planning and overall goals.”

Edward Jones updates their brochure, Investment Perspective, monthly. It contains stock charts and recommendations on stocks to buy, sell or hold.

In July, it featured Johnson & Johnson (JNJ $52) and Bank of America (BAC $76.72). For August, it recommends Wells Fargo (WFC $50) and Royal Dutch Petroleum (RD $46.15).

For more information, call Robin Wentzel at 941-9175 or Cynthia Wemyss at 948-4866.