Lincoln Financial Network (LFN), the retail wealth management affiliate of Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE:LNC), announced that Dougherty & Associates Wealth Planning & Management (Charlotte A. Dougherty, John E. Dougherty III and Andrew Tedesco), a Cincinnati-based registered representative of Lincoln Financial Advisors, has received the Women’s Choice Award® for Financial Advisors. This award, determined by feedback received from a client survey regarding service and practices, is the only recognition program for well-qualified advisors who are committed to the women’s market and serving their female clients.

The Women’s Choice Award was co-created by WomenCertified and the Women’s Institute for Financial Education in an effort to help women identify advisors and allow advisors to showcase their commitment to the women’s market. Achieving this award reaffirms excellence in addressing the financial needs of women and their families demonstrated by Dougherty & Associates’ financial advisors.

“Women are looking for answers on how to identify financial firms and advisors they can trust. In a cluttered marketplace, our mission is to simplify her choice,” said Delia Passi, CEO and Founder of WomenCertified. “The Women’s Choice Award allows women to make smart financial choices by identifying those advisors who provide quality services and commitment to their clientele.”

“Women account for the majority of financial decisions made today,” said Charlotte Dougherty, president of Dougherty & Associates. “As financial advisors, we strive to empower women to make the best financial decisions for themselves and their families. We are thrilled to have received this recognition as it further demonstrates our commitment and dedication to supporting this vital and generally underserved market.”

With more than twenty years of experience in the financial advisory business, Dougherty is a frequent speaker and conducts workshops for employees of large and small corporations on retirement planning issues. She is a past president of the Cincinnati Chapter of the International Association for Financial Planning (now the Financial Planning Association) and an active member of the Cincinnati Estate Planning Council. She is a current member and past chairman of the Investment Committee of the Board of Directors of The Resource Group, an elite group of leading financial planners within Lincoln Financial Advisors. She is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the St. Luke Hospital Community Foundation and past chair of the Foundation’s Finance Committee. Dougherty holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification and FINRA series 7 and 65 registrations.

Tedesco serves as director of financial planning and investment coordinator for Dougherty & Associates. He received a bachelor of science degree in finance from Xavier University in Cincinnati. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®)certification and FINRA Series 7 and 66 registrations.

John Dougherty, III, serves as financial planning and wealth management specialist for the Dougherty & Associates. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio and a masters of business administration from Xavier University. Dougherty holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification, the Chartered Retirement Plan Counselor (CRPC®) designation and FINRA Series 7 and 66 registrations.

About Lincoln Financial Network

Lincoln Financial Network is the marketing name for the retail sales and financial planning affiliates of Lincoln Financial Group and includes Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. and Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation, both members of FINRA and SIPC. Consisting of almost 8,000 representatives, agents, and full-service financial planners throughout the United States, Lincoln Financial Network professionals can offer financial planning and advisory services, retirement services, life products, annuities, investments, and trust services to affluent individuals, business owners, and families.

About Women’s Choice Award

The Women’s Choice Award Financial Advisor Program is based on 17 objective criteria associated with providing quality service to women clients such as credentials, experience and a favorable regulatory history, among other factors. Financial advisors do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Women’s Choice Award® Financial Advisors, though they have paid a basic program fee to cover the cost of the client survey. WomenCertified Inc., home to the Women’s Choice Awards, awards businesses, brands and services based on high recommendation ratings by female consumers. WomenCertified represents the collective voice of women so they can help each other identify businesses that deserve their loyalty and referrals. To learn more, visit www.womenschoiceaward.com.

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