Nov. 2, 2009 (Business Wire) -- National Planning Holdings, Inc. (NPH^®), one of the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer networks¹, booked revenue of more than $156 million in the third quarter of 2009, a 5.4-percent increase over the prior quarter. NPH also generated nearly $3.6 billion in total sales during the period, up 3.5 percent from the previous quarter.

NPH’s four affiliated broker-dealers continue to attract new financial advisers and maintain a stable sales force. While the network’s representative count fell slightly from the second quarter, more than 400 financial professionals have joined NPH during the past year, an increase of 13.5 percent since September 2008.

“NPH’s ability to achieve profitable business growth while expanding its representative base is a direct result of our consistent strategy and efficient business model,” said NPH President and CEO Jim Livingston. “In these uncertain times, advisers need a broker-dealer partner that is stable, responsive and dedicated to providing tools and resources that have a meaningful impact on their business. Advisers gravitate to the NPH network because we consistently deliver on our core value proposition, which is to help representatives meet their clients’ needs and build successful practices. Furthermore, we achieve economies of scale by leveraging one efficient technology platform across the network and sharing best practices among the four NPH firms.”

NPH’s third-quarter results also showed improvement compared to the same period a year ago. The network experienced a slight decline in sales, but increased revenue by nearly 2 percent over the prior year period.

In October, NPH announced that Steve Dowden had been named president and CEO of Tampa-based INVEST Financial Corporation. Mr. Dowden succeeded Lynn Niedermeier, who retired in July after more than eight years as the firm’s president and CEO.

National Planning Holdings, Inc. is an affiliate of Lansing, Michigan-based Jackson National Life Insurance Company^® (Jackson^®). The NPH network consists of INVEST Financial Corporation^®; Investment Centers of America, Inc.; National Planning Corporation^®; and SII Investments, Inc. Each company maintains its own unique culture and serves a specific niche of the financial planning marketplace, allowing the NPH network to deliver customized, market-specific services to representatives of all profiles.

For more information about the four 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.

1. Independent Broker-Dealer Network rankings by gross revenue, InvestmentNews, 4/27/09