Matthew Taylor

The Vanguard Group, Inc. (VGI) is an independent, SEC-registered investment advisor and mutual fund manager headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania. The firm was founded in 1975 by John Bogle. In 1976, they introduced the first indexed mutual fund, the First Index Investment Trust (now known as the Vanguard 500 Index Fund), to individual investors. VGI provides investment advisory services to Vanguard family of funds and Vanguard's non-US clients, which are comprised of funds established as trusts under the laws of the Province of Ontario in Canada and separate account clients of Vanguard's international subsidiaries.

Wachovia Securities LLC offered equity, fixed income, and structured products. It was founded in 2001 and was headquartered in St. Louis, MO.

HighTower Advisors LLC (HighTower) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and has offices throughout the US. The firm was founded in 2008 by Elliot Weissbluth, Peter (Todd) Lyon, and Eugene Lerner. They are a wholly owned subsidiary of Hightower Holding LLC. HighTower provides investment advisory services to institutions (which include ERISA), and ultra-high and high net worth individuals.