In The News

Financial Thought Leaders — December 2010
Brett Ellen is featured on this financial services blog highlighting his use of Web 2.0 to increase his online presence.  Brett is an active user of Twitter, Plaxo and LinkedIn, and hosts his own blog - www.kidsfinancecoach.com. To hear more about how Brett is using Social Media, listen to Financial Thought Leaders.

RIABiz — December 2010
Sourcemedia’s Independent Advisor’s Group recently hosted its Women’s Advisors Forum.   Denise Villanueva, managing director of American Financial Network, spoke about her company’s commitment to teamwork when working in their niche of middle-market corporate America.  Read more from Denise, and the other attendees at Eavesdropping on the Women Advisors Forum: Rainmakers share their secrets. Hint: They revolve around finding a niche.

San Gabriel Valley Tribune — December 2010
Brett Ellen of the American Financial Network was interviewed by Erick Galindo at the San Gariel Valley Tribune.  Brett spoke about Legacy Planning and memorable gift giving at the holiday season such as investing in a child’s future, IRAs/CDs for students to save and the importance of teaching kids about money.  Read Making money - and a difference.

FOX Business — December 2010
President of American Financial Network Brett Ellen, a strong believer in teaching kids about money from an early age, offers tips that parents can use to educate their kids about the principles of sound money sense: save, spend, invest and donate.  Get the tips in How to Teach Your Kids the Importance of Money, Volunteering.

TKO Receives a Donation From BackNine Insurance Services — November 2010
TKO - Turn Kindness On recently received a generous donation from BackNine Insurance Services of Westlake Village, California. Read the article.

How to Write a Financial Advisor Resume -- for Experienced Advisors — September 2010
Having over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, president of AFN, Brett Ellen was sought out by an industry journalist for his insights as to how advisors can prepare a stellar resume. Ellen suggests explaining the degree of experience in a particular area, emphasizing long-term relationships, and avoiding the tendency to overstate a role played in any given experience. Read How to Write a Financial Advisor Resume -- for Experienced Advisors.

7. Use the 'R' Word — August 2010
Brett Ellen was interviewed by journalist Lisa Shidler for her tips on "How to Seal the Deal with Prospects." Brett's practice is to let the client know from the start that what is important is that they develop a relationship, based on compatibility. Read the article.

Advisor as Quarterback — July 2010
In his article Advisor as Quarterback, Brett Ellen looks at how advisors can provide more value for business-owner clients beyond serving as their personal financial planner. Business-owners and executive clients often have business-related financial issues that spill over into their personal financial situations. Advisors can help clients deal with these issues by gathering a team of experts in the business-related fields and acting as quarterback. Reprinted with permission of Advisor Today. Read the article.

Seven Tips for a Successful Family Foundation — March 2010
The final tip in this article is from Brett Ellen - "Engage the Next Generation." According to Brett, "A family foundation affords clients the opportunity to educate their children or grandchildren not only about finances, but family values." This is precisely what Brett has done with his own two young sons. The family founded Turn Kindness On (TKO) Helping Hands in 2001, to encourage children to perform community service. “Through TKO, we’re teaching our children that supporting a cause involves an investment of time as well as money." Read the article. [PDF version]

Alliances for Clients — March 2010
In his recent article published on Forbes.com, Brett Ellen explains to fellow advisors that "one way to increase the value you provide clients is to create a phalanx of potential specialists to solve problems." A strong proponent of collaborative planning, Ellen has established the Collaborative
Services Platform to train advisors in such highly specialized areas as executive compensation, strategic business planning, group life insurance, corporate tax planning, investment banking and commercial real estate. Read "Alliances For Clients"

Strong Alliances — March 2010
In "Strong Alliances," Brett Ellen describes the Collaborative Services Platform, a program he established that trains advisors in high-level methods for working with business owners. Explaining a key component of the program which involves collaboration among various professionals Ellen says, "Developing relationships through our alliance allows each member and their clients to benefit from our collective knowledge, experience and independent point of view." Read the full article here.

Making a Difference: Affiliated with Securities America, Brett Ellen believes in more than just making money — November 2009
Here's the heart of it: Financial advisors are in danger of becoming commodities — unless they diversify revenue sources and position themselves as true partners with clients. So says independent advisor Brett S. Ellen, Securities America’s top producer in 2008 and one of the broker-dealer’s two leading advisors for assets under management. Read the full article here.

Teaching children to help others — October 2009
All sacrifices are relative, but giving up your Nintendo GameBoy DSi console and donating it to an orphanage is no small matter when you are a 7-year-old boy. But that is exactly what Keanu Ellen, a charter volunteer member of the non-profit organization Turn Kindness On Helping Hands, did several years ago. Read the full article here.

Brett S. Ellen Receives Top Award for Mentoring Excellence — October 2009
Brett S. Ellen, president and CEO of Calabasas-based American Financial Network, received the Community Leadership Award in the Mentoring Excellence category presented by Invest in Others Charitable Foundation and  InvestmentNews magazine. Ellen traveled to New York City where he and fellow financial advisors from across the country were honored during the third annual Community Leadership Awards Dinner on September 30 for their outstanding leadership and commitment to making a positive difference in their communities. Read the full article here.

Teaching Children About Money — September 2009
In a 2008 national survey conducted by the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the personal financial literacy of young adults, high school seniors correctly answered only 48.3 percent of the questions. Clearly we could do a better job teaching our children about money, but where should we start?

Community Leadership Awards finalists announced - August 19, 2009
Out of the nearly 400 nominations, Brett S. Ellen is a finalist in the Mentoring Excellence category. Read the full article here.

Expanding Employee Offerings Can Benefit Small Practices - August 3, 2009
Some physicians provide their employees—and themselves—with scant company benefits. Many of these physicians may believe that company benefits beyond the basics—health and disability insurance, IRAs and perhaps a 401(k) plan—may be too expensive, particularly for small practices. Read the full article here.

Research Magazine - July 29, 2009
The down market and new tax credits may have created a silver lining in the current financial cloud that's worth exploring. In the article, Five Tax Tips for a Recession, Brett Ellen outlines strategies for his peers in the financial industry that can help deliver long-term benefits to their clients.

Investors Alley | Los Angeles Business Journal - March 10, 2009
Not only can multiple advisors help provide a reassuring checks and balances system, but their broad range of expertise may help translate into more strategic financial decisions. Brett Ellen looks at the ways teamwork can be particularly beneficial in managing finances. Read You Deserve a Team of Financial Champions.

Advisor Offers Financial Learning for Children - Reuters, April 1, 2009
Brett S. Ellen, president and founder of American Financial Network, announced the debut of his kids' financial blog - www.kidsfinancecoach.com. Ellen believes that it is never too early to start learning about the value of a dollar and how to spend that dollar wisely. His objective with the blog is to give kids a fun way to learn material to which they might not otherwise have access, and to help them become financially literate. Read the full article here.

Registered Rep – March 2009
There are a lot of dissatisfied clients in the financial services arena right now, and justifiably so. Brett Ellen was recently quoted in an industry publication about what he is doing to inspire confidence in his financial planning services. Ellen has found during the market downturn, more individuals are seeking the type of independent advice provided at American Financial Network.

Wall Street Journal - January 20, 2009
Investors have taken a huge hit as the prices of stocks, bonds, real estate and most other assets have tumbled. But sharply lower prices, combined with rock-bottom interest rates, make this an unusually attractive time for many people to transfer wealth to the next generation. Tough Times Are Good Times to Trim Estates.

Morningstar Advisor - January 15, 2009
What are the nation's top advisors doing to shore up client relationships and earn new business? Morningstar Advisor Columnist Marie Swift interviewed AFN's Brett S. Ellen, CFP®, and Denise Villanueva to hear what they had to say on the subject for Ties that Bind.

Registered Rep Magazine Names Brett Ellen a Top Advisor - December 2008
Brett S. Ellen, president and founder of American Financial Network was named by Registered Rep magazine as one of America's Top 100 independent financial advisors for 2008. Read the full release here.

The Market Cap on InvestorsAlley.com - November 3, 2008
The doom and gloom news over the past few months has everyone scared about their finances, and rightfully so. Brett Ellen, President of American Financial Network, understands how emotionally trying it is when you're worried about meeting certain financial goals and obligations. However, as he explains in his article Put your losses to work for you, "Even during uncertain times such as these there are ways to turn your loses into gains if you just know where to look and whom to turn to." Read Ellen's article in the Market Cap newsletter where he describes some of the opportunities present in today's market.

Forbes | SmartMoney | FOX Business | MarketWatch | Yahoo! Finance – September 2008
Rather than getting back in the swim this summer, the markets took a nose dive plunging us right into an official Bear Market. So what is an investor to do? Brett Ellen was among a select group of financial professionals from Securities America to come together and provide consumers with a list of the Top Ten Smart Moves in a Bear Market.

Research Magazine – August 2008
While it is essential to have a practice continuation plan in place in case the unexpected happens, most small-business owners don't have an exit strategy. Brett Ellen was quoted by journalist Marie Swift in her article titled "Passing the Baton" which appeared in Research magazine.

Investment Advisor - August 2008
After being honored by the Muscular Dystrophy Association for his philanthropic endeavors and dedication toward making a difference, Brett Ellen was featured in Investment Advisor, a leading trade publication. In the article titled, Turn Kindness On: Brett Ellen's an enabler for volunteers, He describes TKO (Turn Kindness On), the non-profit organization created by Ellen and his wife and inspired by their two sons, which strives to foster community involvement and social responsibility in young children. Read his story and become inspired.

Investment Advisor magazine – July 2008
Industry journalist, Melanie Waddell, interviewed Brett Ellen for his insight on exactly how globalization in today's market is affecting financial advisors and the way they do business. "At a younger age with a more aggressive platform, we want to see [clients] in 25% offshore investments," he says. Read Globalization Now for the full story.

The Market Cap on Investorsalley.com – June 23, 2008
Although the Roth IRA celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, it's still underused relative to traditional IRAs. However, according to Brett Ellen, "you will be well-rewarded for your efforts with such longer-term benefits as greater diversification and no mandatory distribution rules," should you take the steps to getting money into a tax-free Roth. Read Happy Birthday Roth, to learn more about Roth conversions.

Forbes.com – May 21, 2008
Brett Ellen was been named to Curian Capital's Everest Club, a designation reserved for select financial professionals who offer Curian's separately managed account (SMA) platform. You can read more about this distinction on Forbes.com.

Investment News – May 5, 2008
A survey put out by the Phoenix Companies indicates that wealthy Americans appear to be more pessimistic about economic conditions than last year. In addition to their gloominess over the economy, 50% of those surveyed said they rarely sought professional advice in making financial decisions. Brett Ellen is quoted discussing the role of a financial advisor during tough times. Read Rich give economy a thumbs down.

News Releases/Articles

Habitat for Humanity — November 2010
American Financial Network (AFN) and Turn Kindness On (TKO) teamed together on November 13th, to help Habit for Humanity on a housing project in Pacoima, California. Read the release here.

TKO Receives Donation — November 2010
TKO -Turn Kindness On recently received a generous donation from BackNine Insurance Services of Westlake Village, California. Read the release here.

Brett S. Ellen Receives Top Award for Mentoring Excellence — October 2009
Brett S. Ellen, president and CEO of Calabasas-based American Financial Network, received the Community Leadership Award in the Mentoring Excellence category presented by Invest in Others Charitable Foundation and InvestmentNews magazine. Read the release here.

American Financial Network Hires Impact Communications to Promote Business Services - August 13, 2009
Brett Ellen, President of American Financial Network (AFN) announced today that he has engaged Impact Communications to help promote the Collaborative Services Platform, the firm's planning solution for business owners and executives. Read the release here.

Kids Finance Coach and TKO Helping Hands Presents Children’s Financial Workshop — August 2009
Local Advisor Presents First "Kindness Workshop" for Children’s Financial Literacy. Read the release here.

Five Financial Strategies to Consider Now — August 2009
The economy these days seems to be the very definition of turbulence and change. Even more changes are likely headed our way in the forms of inflation and tax restructuring. To help prepare your portfolio and possibly take advantage of continuing economic changes, Advisor and fellow Securities America advisors offer five strategies worth considering now.

Dollar Cost Averaging May Minimize Risk in a Volatile Market — July 2009
Do you ever run away from a sale? In an example of how irrational investors can be, consumers who react positively to a 25% off sale on apparel or sporting goods are often the same shoppers who flee when the market is on sale. Why? When the market climbs, investors perceive their only risk as not investing fast enough to benefit from certain gains. And when the market plummets, the prevalent fear is that stocks will slide even lower. Read the full article here.

TKO Helping Hands Goes to Kenya – June 2009
While the goal of most family vacations is to spend time with loved ones and enjoy life to its fullest, Brett Ellen and his family have added one more cherished feature to their travels – service. One example: A recent trip to Africa. Read the full article here.

Controlling Risk Mandates Health Insurance Reviews – June 2009
"While an annual health insurance review is always helpful, today’s risk adverse environment makes the evaluation imperative," says Brett Ellen. Read how overlooking long-term health care could potentially jeopardize your retirement.

Lifestyle and Economic Changes May be Permanent – May 2009
The severity of the financial crisis may be laying the foundation for deep, long- term change. Brett Ellen suggests three tips to help adjust to an economic shift by choosing risk management over risky business.

A Secular Bear Market May Require Changing up the Strategy – April 2009
It’s likely that we could be in a secular bear market. So what exactly does that mean, and more importantly, how does that impact investment strategy? While there is no general prescription that will solve the woes of all investors, Brett Ellen suggests any tactical moves should be a function of the safety of your income stream, how much you have already saved, and framed by your life stage and goals. Read Managing Your Finances during the Great Recession.

Brett Ellen Tops the List at Securities America – April 2009
Broker/dealer, Securities America, Inc. announced that Brett Ellen was their Top Representative for 2008. This distinction, which Ellen has earned for 4 consecutive years, is based on gross dealer concessions and fees. In addition, Ellen was also honored as one of the top two Advisors with Securities America Advisors, an award based on assets under management. Both honors are given to successful financial advisors who demonstrate outstanding sales, service and business management. Read the full article here.

Growing up Is Never Easy – but It's Something We Must Do - March 2009
Earlier this year, when I heard President Obama in his Inauguration speech urge the country to put away childish things, I thought of American spending habits. Like children, we became a nation that demands instant gratification. Read the full article here.

You Deserve a Team of Financial Champions - February 2009
Not only can multiple advisors help provide a reassuring checks and balances system, but their broad range of expertise may help translate into more strategic financial decisions. Brett Ellen looks at the ways teamwork can be particularly beneficial in managing finances.

Three Steps to Take Today to Survive in the Recession - January 2009
No matter what kind of economic stimulus package comes out of Washington, it's going to take time to feel the real impact of such action. So how will consumers survive through the coming quarters, until the economy stabilizes? Long-time financial professional, Brett Ellen's tips for managing personal finances during a recession focus on three themes.

New Year's Tips from Top Advisors – December 2008
To ring in the New Year, a group of experienced financial advisors offer a range of philosophical and tactical advice to help ensure your joys outweigh your anxieties in the year ahead. More than any other new year in recent memory, change is on the horizon. From an historic election to the unprecedented efforts underway in Washington to bring our nation’s economy back from the brink, 2009 promises to be a year of firsts. While hope always springs eternal as the calendar turns, it is unlikely market volatility will subside any time soon. So what’s an investor to do?

Open Enrollment Season for Employee Benefits – October 2008
The US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates nearly 30 percent of each employee's salary comes in the form of benefits. However, if you are like most people, you flip through the glossy brochure of options and push it aside promising to take a closer look next year. "By not investing the time to make informed choices, you may be leaving money on the table and putting your future at risk," says Brett Ellen. Read Ellen's list of Questions Every Employee Should Be Asking about benefit options.

Investing in a Volatile Real Estate Market – October 2008
The subprime lending crisis continues and For Sale signs linger in neighborhood lawns. So is investing in the real estate still the tried-and-true method for building wealth, even during a down real estate market? Read Brett Ellen's ideas about Navigating the volatile real estate market.

Five Tips for Dealing with Pain at the Pump – July 2008
You might as well get used to higher prices at the pump. While in the near term they could fall, the permanent demand from developing countries is here to stay, which means high gas prices are too. Read Brett Ellen's Suggestions for conserving gas and money.

Understanding Roth IRA Accounts – June 2008
A big opportunity is coming in 2010 for tax-free-on-withdrawal Roth IRA conversions. According to Brett Ellen, there are several reasons for choosing to enroll in a Roth IRA plan if eligible. Read the full article here.