HERNDON, Va. — Kehrer Bielan Research & Consulting (Kehrer Bielan), an award-winning provider of research and insight for the financial advice industry, selected Karen Benedict, senior vice president of Northwest Financial Advisors (NWFA), as the No. 1 director of mid-sized financial advice firms on its inaugural Top Directors Awards list.¹ The list recognizes the most successful investment services directors among the nation’s banks and credit unions. Kehrer Bielan defines mid-sized firms as those employing between seven and 24 financial advisors.

Kehrer Bielan assessed the performance of 406 banks and credit unions to form a list of 26 directors who have risen above their peers. The company used a data-driven, transparent selection process to compile the list. Each director’s performance was rated using 11 metrics and a fair and balanced methodology. The criteria acknowledge the importance of revenue, assets, advisors and clients to the success of the financial institution’s investment services business.

Kevin Fisher, NWFA’s president and CEO said, “I’m extremely proud of Karen for her recognition as the top investment program director among her peers. Kehrer Bielan is a respected, unbiased resource for the wealth management industry, and Karen is a highly accomplished financial services executive who has taken our program to new heights over the last several years. I congratulate her on this well-deserved achievement.”

NWFA’s team of 11 advisors serve Northwest Federal Credit Union (NWFCU) members and the general public from its Herndon headquarters as well as NWFCU’s branch locations in Virginia and Maryland. Under Benedict’s leadership, NWFA surpassed $2 billion in total assets under management (AUM) in March 2021 and produced record-breaking gross and net inflows as of the third quarter.

The winners were announced in a virtual awards ceremony held on December 13. For detailed information about the awards, visit kehrerbielan.com.

About Northwest Financial Advisors
Serving individuals and businesses across the nation for a quarter century, Northwest Financial Advisors (NWFA) is owned by NW Capital Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Northwest Federal Credit Union. The firm offers a comprehensive range of personalized, objective wealth management advice and solutions to help individuals and business owners work toward creating, growing and preserving their assets. LPL Financial, the nation’s leading independent broker-dealer and NWFA’s securities custodian, ranked NWFA the No. 1 investment program among its credit union programs and the No. 7 investment program among its bank and credit union programs combined in 2021.² Visit www.nwfllc.com for more information. 

About Kehrer Bielan
Kehrer Bielan Research & Consulting (KBR&C) provides the financial advice industry with insights based on a melding of research and experience in managing the delivery of investment, insurance and wealth management services. The firm provides performance assessment and benchmarking, human resource management and development, due diligence, consumer insights and interpretation of industry trends through its original research, unbiased consulting and peer study groups. Please visit www.kehrerbielan.com or email info@kehrerbielan.com for more information.

¹The recipients of the first annual Kehrer Bielan Top Directors Awards were chosen based on a transparent, data-driven process using 11 criteria and a weighted average score.

²Rankings based on total production among all LPL Financial Institution Services (FIS) advisors through September 30, 2021.