Segment Information The Company has three operating segments. The independent brokerage and advisory services segment includes the broker-dealer and investment advisory services provided by the Company's independent broker-dealer subsidiaries to their independent contractor financial advisors and the wealth management services provided by Premier Trust. The Ladenburg segment includes the investment banking, sales and trading and asset management services and investment activities conducted by Ladenburg and LTAM. The insurance brokerage segment includes the wholesale insurance brokerage activities provided by Highland, which delivers life insurance, fixed and equity indexed annuities and long-term care solutions to investment and insurance providers. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, adjusted for acquisition-related expense, amortization of retention and forgivable loans, change in fair value of contingent consideration related to acquisitions, loss on extinguishment of debt, non-cash compensation expense, financial advisor recruiting expense and other expense, which includes loss on write-off of receivable from subtenant, excise and franchise tax expense and compensation expense that may be paid in stock, is the primary profit measure the Company's management uses in evaluating financial performance for its reportable segments. EBITDA, as adjusted, is considered a non-GAAP financial measure as defined by Regulation G promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Company considers EBITDA, as adjusted, important in evaluating its financial performance on a consistent basis across various periods. Due to the significance of non-cash and non-recurring items, EBITDA, as adjusted, enables the Company's Board of Directors and management to monitor and evaluate the business on a consistent basis. The Company uses EBITDA, as adjusted, as a primary measure, among others, to analyze and evaluate financial and strategic planning decisions regarding future op