National Planning Corporation (NPC®) congratulates affiliated financial adviser Joseph Russo for being elected Chair of the 2012 Financial Services Institute (FSI) Board of Directors. Founder of Advantage Financial Group in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Russo is the first financial adviser to serve as Chair of the FSI Board.

"At NPC, we're proud that one of our affiliated representatives has taken the initiative to play an active role within the broader financial services industry," said Lynn Niedermeier, president and CEO of National Planning Corporation. "Joe is a valued financial adviser within our network--his remarkable work ethic and dedication to addressing the issues that shape our industry are key traits that will contribute to his success as Chair of the FSI Board."

As a Board member, Russo will assist the FSI in their mission of creating a more responsible regulatory environment for independent broker-dealers and their affiliated independent financial advisers through effective advocacy, education and public awareness.

National Planning Corporation has more than 1,500 affiliated financial representatives across the United States and is one of the four firms in the National Planning Holdings, Inc.® (NPH®) network. For more information about National Planning Corporation, please visit www.natplan.com.

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 3,644 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.

About the Financial Services Institute (FSI)

FSI is an advocacy organization for independent financial services firms and independent financial advisors. Established in January 2004, we have 124 broker-dealer members and over 30,000 financial advisor members. Our member firms have upwards of 180,000 financial advisors affiliated with them. Our mission is to create a more responsible regulatory environment for independent broker- dealers and their affiliated independent financial advisors through effective advocacy, education and public awareness. And our strategy includes involvement in FINRA governance, constructive engagement in the regulatory process and effective influence on the legislative process. For more information, please visit www.financialservices.org.

National Planning Corporation
Andrew Silver
303.224.7542
andrew.silver@jackson.com