JP Morgan Chase

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is one of the oldest financial services firms in the world. The company, headquartered in New York City, is a leader in investment banking, financial services, asset and wealth management and private equity. With assets of $1.6 trillion, JPMorgan Chase is currently the third largest banking institution in the United States,[3] behind Bank of America and Citigroup. The hedge fund unit of JPMorgan Chase is the largest hedge fund in the United States with $34 billion in assets as of 2007.[4] Formed in 2000 when Chase Manhattan Corporation acquired J.P. Morgan & Co., the firm serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and governmental clients.

In 2004, the company merged with Bank One Corp., bringing on board CEO Jamie Dimon as president and COO and designating him as CEO William B. Harrison, Jr.'s successor. Dimon's pay was pegged at 90% of Harrison's. Dimon quickly made his influence felt by embarking on a cost-cutting strategy and replaced former JPMorgan Chase executives in key positions with Bank One executives -- many of whom were with Dimon at Citigroup. Dimon became CEO in January 2006 and Chairman in December 2006.

The Chase brand named is used for credit card services in the United States and Canada and the bank's retail banking activities in the United States. The JPMorgan brand is used by the Investment Bank as well as the Wealth & Asset Management Group's partially merged Private Bank and Personal Client Services divisions. Fiduciary activity within W&A is done under the aegis of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. -- the actual trustee. The newly acquired Bear Stearns private client group is expected to operate under the name "Bear Stearns Wealth Management, a JPMorgan Company" within the Wealth & Asset Management structure.

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