January 1st starts out each year with a fierce annual competition. NEXT representatives compete for an exclusive invitation to a premier getaway. The luxurious destination is chosen by NEXT reps during the National Educational Conference the previous year. Each year gets more competitive as representatives pursue their vision.

In addition to the top 35 individual producing representatives (NFISCO insurance commissions being applied) awarded with a premier getaway, we also recognize the top five divisions, the top five WE2 advisors, and the top five reps who experience the most growth as a result of using 4WARD’s services.

Past destinations have included The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas; The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel; The Princess, Scottsdale and Squaw Creek Valley Resort and Spa, Lake Tahoe.

Houston is home to the conference every odd year, giving representatives the opportunity to tour NEXT’s 33,000 square foot headquarters. Even years bring different locations. Past conference destinations have included Lake Las Vegas, Chicago and Atlanta. Past featured keynote speakers have included nationally renowned presenter and ESPN analyst, Dr. Kevin Elko; retirement and investing expert, Dr. Greg Salsbury; economic and financial commentator, Dr. Jeffrey Rosenweig; writer, actor, TV personality and financial commentator Ben Stein; Christopher Gardner, who the movie, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” was written about, and many more.

Forty of our top individual producers and 15 top divisions are awarded during our Awards Reception. Each year the challenge gets more competitive as reps strive to achieve their vision.

4WARD Marketing choreographs the entire event and aspires to make every conference a phenomenal experience.

Each May, hundreds of registered representatives, premier partners in business and a strong line-up of prominent industry speakers gather from across the nation to network and educate themselves at NEXT Financial Group’s annual National Educational Conference. This four-day conference educates attendees on current regulatory trends and gives them the opportunity to engage in over 70 intimate, educational and business building sessions, a variety of which count toward their continuing education requirements. NEXT Financial Holdings’ annual shareholder meeting and Division Managers required annual training is also held at the conference.

Our Technology Department also offers other integrated technology tools such as:
• LaserApp Software® – Automatic forms population which lets you share client information with other integrated programs after a one-time entry
• NetX360™ – Advisor access to Pershing client accounts
• Myedocumentsuite™ – Client access to brokerage accounts
• MoneyGuidePro™ – Financial goal-based planning tools
• MorningStar® – Portfolio analysis tools
• Albridge® – Access to brokerage and non-brokerage accounts

Our Technology platform also provides Advisor/Branch reporting which grants access to multiple reports in one centralized location.

We also have a web-based interface system that offers daily full-access monitoring on advisor’s transactions.
• NEXT workflow – an all-in-one web access to multiple features based in a centralized location such as:
o Compliance, trade blotter, document search management, forms access, self-service ticketing and the ability to scan and upload documents directly into a workflow for OSJ approval and back office processing
o WebMail – access your mail anywhere in the world
o Bulletin Board – Front-page posting of the latest communications from NEXT

Our Technology Support offers applications designed to meet your demands now and in the future. Increase productivity and work the way you want to work.
• Nextrep.com is our secure central website for our popular client management tools. Access the programs below with only a single login:
o Redtail – CRM for managing all client information
o Albridge® – Consolidated wealth reporting for all brokerage and non-brokerage accounts in one view
o CashEdge – A permission-based system, offered through Albridge®, that allows advisors access to held-away assets for clients
o NEXT E-mail – direct link to NEXT e-mail and calendar from our platform

Today, advisors rely on technology and support to do business more than ever before. At NEXT Financial Group, we understand the need for efficiency, reliability and convenience to streamline your workflow. Not only does NEXT provide a variety of helpful software applications, we offer it without a technology fee. In addition, you have the full support of our technology team to help provide advice and guidance on some of the industry’s premier technology tools.

At 4WARD Marketing, we offer:
• Personalized graphics and brochures
• Branding campaigns illustrating your practice
• Custom built websites
• Press releases to your community
• Pre-approved seminars
• Turnkey seminar marketing
• 0% Interest Financing for Marketing (contact us for terms and conditions)
• Educational and Regional Roundtables
• Coaching and Mentoring
• Strategic Visionary Planning
• Events and Conferences
• Niche marketing to: Business owners, retirees and the affluent
• Assistance with Practice Acquisitions

At NEXT Financial Group, we support your practice with a variety of award-winning marketing initiatives. You have the freedom to completely customize any marketing endeavor to the culture of your practice. A culmination of our passion and dedication to increasing your same-store sales has resulted in the creation of 4WARD Marketing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NEXT Financial Holdings, Inc. Let us help you achieve your vision through encouragement, powerful educational resources and personalized services to catapult your financial practice to the forefront.

NEXT Financial Group recognizes that an open architecture platform is beneficial for the independent advisor and we have an extensive list of pre-approved investment products and services to reflect this. To help minimize time researching other investment products and services, our advisors can receive complimentary assistance with analysis and research on less-explored products such as mutual funds, third-party money managers and variable annuities. We also perform extensive due diligence on certain registered alternative investments (e.g. REITS, Equipment Leasing, and Oil and Gas programs).