Boston, MA – February 19, 2008 – LPL Financial announced today the appointment of Christopher Poch as Executive Vice President, Wealth Management and Chief Executive Officer of The Private Trust Company effective immediately. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Mr. Poch will report to Bill Dwyer, President, LPL Financial Independent Advisor Services, and will be responsible for overseeing the development and expansion of LPL Financial wealth management capabilities.

Mr. Poch, 46, joins LPL Financial from Smith Barney/Citigroup, where he spent nearly twenty-five years in various executive positions of increasing responsibility. He most recently served as Managing Director of Smith Barney’s Private Wealth Management unit, which tripled its assets under management and grew revenues under his leadership. He started his career as a financial advisor, working with institutional clients and wealthy individuals.

“Chris is a seasoned professional in the wealth management arena, and I look forward to his commitment and leadership as we maximize the synergies of evolving our trust services with our wealth management offering,” said Bill Dwyer, President of Independent Advisor Services for LPL Financial. “LPL Financial is committed to delivering the highest levels of service and support to its advisors, and the high-net-worth sector has become an important aspect of many of our advisors’ businesses. We have high hopes for the future under Chris’ direction.”

“As the high-net-worth sector of this business evolves, clients are increasingly aware of the importance of receiving unbiased advice from a trusted independent advisor,” said Mr. Poch. “I look forward to working with my new colleagues at LPL Financial to expand our services for advisors to answer the demand for independent advice, attracting high-net-worth clients and positioning the firm as a leader in the marketplace.”

During his tenure at Smith Barney, Mr. Poch’s leadership resulted in national recognition including praise for their wealth management training program, cited by Worth magazine as the most rigorous in the industry, and their Private Wealth Management group, named “Top High Net Worth Platform” by Private Asset Management, and ranked second consistently in Barron’s “Top Private Bank” survey.

About LPL Financial
LPL Financial is the nation’s largest independent broker/dealer1. Headquartered in Boston, San Diego, and Charlotte, LPL Financial and its affiliates offer non-proprietary investment products, unbiased research, and wealth management services through 11,000 financial advisors and 800 financial institutions nationwide. LPL Financial advisors manage assets totaling more than $235 billion for their clients.

LPL Financial is a diversified financial services company, whose 2,600 employees serve financial advisors through Independent Advisor Services, supporting financial advisors at all career stages; Institution Services, focusing on the needs of advisors and program managers in banks and credit unions; and Custom Clearing Services, working with broker/dealers at leading financial services companies.

For additional information about LPL Financial, visit www.lpl.com. Member FINRA/SIPC.