Washing Out at EDJ

Try to eke your way to 36 months, then go independent and take every single client you can with you.  Don't let jones push you out; they will give your clients to your field trainer.

Fido is more of the same.  I know a guy there and have been on a couple of interviews there.  Very metric driven.  Can definitely make what you are looking to make though.  Once you get up to Account Executive they make 115-145ish but you have a manager up your a** and get constantly weighed and measured.  Same at TIAA-CREF from what I hear even though the base salary looks big and total comp decent, it is tough to last long unless you get lucky with manager and existing book to work off an uncover more money.

[/QUOTE] Spoken like a failure. These guys are being nice to you can you have tits. Just leave with grace and find a new career path. [/QUOTE]

100% disagree.  I was in a similar situation as her.  Started selling life insurance, went to Chase, then EDJ.  All of the worst things you can do but you have to start somehow. 

She sounds like a failure b/c she is right now and so was I.  After jumping ship 3 times in 4 years I'm finally in a role I love and am succeeding at and don't see myself leaving until they kick me out the door and based on my numbers that won't happen anytime soon. 

OP all the people on this board make it sound like knocking on doors and cold calling takes time and hard work.  For some of us its just not physically and/or mentally possible.  For the rest of the population we need an existing book or need to be in a support role and there's nothing wrong with that.  Whatever you choose, good luck and don't let EDJ and their used car salesman tactics making you think its the end all be all or sink out of the industry. That shouldn't dictate your future in the business b/c there are many alternate routes as others have suggested. 

How many people in industry fail before they succeed? A ton. Hopefully, you will learn from this experience. The challenge is to find the right fit and clearly EDJ isn't it.

Don't give up on our industry because it didn't happen for you at Jones. Find the right fit, for you and your family, and then do what you need to do to be successful. Maybe you start as an admin, then move back into the FA role once you know what your value is (and that may take time to understand). We need young people to succeed in this biz, we need women to succeed. It helps all of us in the long run otherwise the robos of the world will take over.

Recognize what you are not. You can't be a stockpicker, or a mutual fund seller only. We are relationship oriented advisors, we hold the hands of clients, we quarterback the relationships (or we should) for tax and legal advice. We become the go-to person in our clients lives when they need any type of referral. I know I have crossed the line of being that quarterback when clients ask me for a referral for a local dentist. Things that we don't get paid on, but pay us back 10 times over when we receive that referral because it shows that our clients have trust in us.

After 21 years in this business I can now say the struggle was worth the wait. Don't make the generalization because it didn't work at EDJ it can't work elsewhere.

Oh and for what its worth Crimsom shouldn't be the model you compare yourself to. My sense is he might be better suited to selling that used Toyota...

D.H.K. wrote: There's also Waddell & Reed.  Their only quota is that you sell $1million per year in W&R funds.   Other than that, it's all you.   No salary though, but they have an RIA platform that'll front you 3-years worth of fee income up front. But before you go to W&R, look up Stephen Sawtelle.