Independent Qualified Fiduciary Expert 

Audits | Training | Expert Witness

practice related to issues of Suitability, Fiduciary duty, Compensation, Valuation & Employment

History

• Chris McConnell & Associates was founded in 2003.  Believed to be among the first independent, consulting-only practices devoted to objective audits, training and analysis of fiduciary performance.  Mr. McConnell became a designated ACCREDITED INVESTMENT FIDUCIARY AUDITOR in 2003.
  
• Over 25 years experience as expert including 19 years in the securities industry. 17 years in management, at two top Wall St. firms.
• He wrote the compensation plans for the firm's stock brokers, branch managers, regional managers and support staff and wrote the firm's accounting manual. And compliance supervisory reports for customer account reviews. And special customers margin account program.
• Securities and insurance licenses previously held included Series 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 63 and 65; California Life Insurance, Long term care and Variable annuities.
• An unmatched suite of advanced AIFA training, actual hands-on major Wall St. broker dealer experience and sheer breadth of knowledge drawing from his BA in Economics & accounting, MBA, passed the CPA exam unmask the inner dynamics of an investment adviser or securities broker dealer from headquarters level through a branch office, recommendations at the brokers desk.  Compensation, other emoluments like titles, career incentives, profitability and financial incentives are implicit every step along the way; critical to interpreting events.
  
• His expertise spans suitability, fiduciary duty from account solicitation, new account application, supervisors' account application review and acceptance, agreements, statements, solicited trade analysis, broker's book of customers, continuing education, broker workstation tools and training, compliance, suitability of investments and services, fees, commissions, life insurance and annuities; in light of regulatory (e.g. State, SEC, FINRA, NYSE) compliance and supervisory policies and procedures.
• Additional areas of expertise include:
  • Securities and financial planning industry compensation expert inclusive of traders, stock brokers,  financial planners, wealth managers, portfolio managers, branch managers, regional managers, product wholesalers.  (Wrote stock broker compensation manual at a major Wall St. brokerage firm.  Related areas include Forgiveable loans, Promissory notes, recruiting, and training.)
  • Branch manager and regional manager compensation expert.
    
  • Branch Profit and Loss (P&L) valuation and analysis (wrote branch P&L manual at major Wall St. broker dealer), valuation of a broker's and branch customers, margin accounts; stock loan.
  • Investment product marketing, distribution and sales force and market penetration studies. 
  • Studies like "How a trustee prudently fulfills fiduciary duties?" It begins with education and training.

 Education, Credentials

• ACCREDITED INVESTMENT FIDUCIARY ANALYST (AIFA), Center for Fiduciary Studies, University of Pittsburgh, 2003, 2006
• BA, Economics / Accounting option, Rutgers University
• MBA, Pepperdine University
• Successfully passed the CPA exam, New York State Board of Accountancy