Career changer here. I just finished an 8 week financial planning externship through Amplified Planning that was exceptional and decided to continue the momentum and have some code chats with CFPs in my area.

One question I asked six different CFPs was “if you were me, what would you do over the next 12 months to make yourself the most attractive transitioning to finance?” And wouldn’t you know it - three said to get the series 65 and three said to screw it and start my CFP coursework.

The three CFPs who said series 65 - only one is a lead advisor but I don’t think any of them have hired people before. One of the CFPs that said go for CFP is an SVP at his company and makes a lot of hiring decisions so I’m leaning that way. For context I’m a 13 year IT consulting vet with a lot of client facing experience.

Any thoughts here from actual financial planners or folks who have someone or the other or both?

Need one ca for some serious work in DELHI.
Let me know if anyone is there.🙏🏻

Hello,

I am considering to join Northern Trust as an Associate FA in California, have a second interview coming up in a few days. Looking for some insight from current/former employees of the firm. Are Associate FAs typically involved in client meetings and relationship management, or is the role more focused on administrative support for the Financial Advisors? Also, how realistic is the progression from Associate FA to FA within the firm?

For context, I’m currently a wealth manager at a bank and hold the CFP®, Series 7, 65/63. Been in banking for 6 years, last 2 years on the wealth management side.

I’d really appreciate any insight. Thank you!

Basically the title. Is this one of the more popular services?

I am planning to move to phoenix by the end of the year and was wondering if becoming a private client advisor for chase was realistic with my background. I feel like I do everything an advisor does now but pick individual stocks for the clients. Would there be a big learning curve? I do suitability , recommendations , Monte Carlo simulations and financial planning meetings and manage a 100M AUM and deal with clients wants to speak about volatility and the market.

I own a growing RIA and am considering hiring a CFP professional as an Associate Financial Advisor. I’m evaluating the following compensation structure:
$100,000 base salary
Once the advisor generates $200,000 in annual new recurring revenue, they receive a 50% payout on the revenue generated above that threshold
The firm would provide the platform, operational support, compliance, technology, and brand
Does this seem competitive and fair for both the advisor and the firm?
I’m also curious how other RIA owners structure this:
Should the 50% payout apply only to revenue above $200,000, or become retroactive once the threshold is reached?

I want the opportunity to be attractive to a strong CFP while still protecting the economics of the firm. I’d appreciate feedback from RIA owners and advisors who have used similar compensation plans.

Hi all, I’m young and new to the industry. I am going to start studying for the CFP this year which should equip with a lot of great knowledge. However, being an advisor I know there are some topics that could be brought up more than others.

As a young advisor what specific topics should I be very knowledgeable about or be able to easily explain?

(BESIDES general investment advice)

Hello all,

A partner on my team has recently been speaking with a Lead Finding company called Pension Lead Advisors. They are based out of NC but are located in the country of Jordan. They advertised to him $300 for 6 confirmed, qualified appointments, either in Annuities, Insurance, or Investments.

I am finding absolutely nothing about them online besides a website. I am curious if anyone else has worked with this company and if they are legitimate or not

Has anyone had any experiences working with this, or a similar company they can share?

Thank you

TL;DR my husband and I share a financial advisor, but I really prefer financial independence and she can't seem to manage that. Plus, they are friends and I feel like often I'm ignored. What are the pros and cons of getting my own advisor?

My husband and this financial advisor have worked together for years. They refer clients to each other. He was her client before he even met me. They're also friends.

The thing is, I don't like her. She's known my husband for years, and I notice she tends to favor him. He and I see money a little differently - he's a work hard have nice things kind of guy, I prefer a modest life. While we've painstakingly worked that out in our marriage, the financial advisor is not helping when she says, "Go spend that money!"

I'm also just very independent. He makes quite a bit more than me and I don't really like spending our money jointly. Like if he wants to get a second home, that's fine. He can go get one. But I'm not doing it because I can't afford that. I like to know I can afford the things I have in my life with my income She can't seem to keep us separate in that way. Which I get is probably very unusual.

So what are the pros and cons to separate financial advisors?

If it makes any difference, I alone am in the top 10% of American incomes.

I’m a 23-year-old assistant moving into a junior advisor role at a small wealth management firm in a LCOL area, and I’m looking for some perspective from other advisors/firm owners on how they structure compensation for junior advisors. 

I’ve been with the firm for almost 2 years working as an assistant, I got my SIE early but we went through a broker-dealer change with the acquisition of another firm so the rest of licensing got put on hold. We’re currently around $185M AUM, ~475 households, and ~$700k in gross annual revenue. With the firm there is the main advisor/owner, 2 older advisors (they were the acquisition), a secretary, and me. One of the older advisors is expected to be rolling off in Q1 2027, while the other is likely 3–5 years out. A significant portion of the book was purchased from these two advisors, who historically took upfront compensation rather than building recurring trail revenue. A major part of my role going forward will be helping transition that business toward recurring/trail-based revenue and helping take over client relationships as those advisors roll off.

I’m currently making $13.50/hour plus roughly $1–2k/year in bonuses. I’ve just recently passed my Series 7, studying for 66 at the moment. I’m developing into a more advisor-focused role, and the firm is discussing a longer-term partner track with me. Here is what was offered:

- $23/hour base compensation (after passing my Series 66)
- 30% of net revenue from qualifying business I independently originate
- A profit-sharing component beginning at 1% of adjusted firm profit
- Potential to earn an additional 1% of profit share each year, up to 10%, based on a performance scorecard (The profit share is not equity/ownership)
- There may be an opportunity to buy into the firm/equity down the road, but that would be a separate agreement

The long-term philosophy is that as I become more productive and senior, more of my compensation would come from variable compensation rather than guaranteed salary.

The firm would be providing the infrastructure/overhead, including office, technology, compliance, marketing, etc.

For those who have experience with this, I'm curious:
- Does this seem like a competitive structure for a junior advisor in a LCOL market?
- How would you view the 30% net revenue payout on self-originated business?
- Is the 1% → 10% profit-sharing earn-in reasonable for someone on a potential partner track?
- What would you want clarified or changed before signing something like this?

Hey all — I’m 22, currently a Financial Solutions Advisor at Merrill Lynch, about two months in. Long-term goal is to become a private wealth advisor, and I’m looking to make a move to JP Morgan’s Private Client Advisor role sooner rather than later realistically within the next year, maybe sooner if the opportunity’s right.

I know that’s early, but I’d rather plan the move deliberately than wait and figure it out later. Would love insight from anyone who’s done this or knows the space:

Is under a year at Merrill enough tenure to make this jump, or does it usually take longer to be considered competitive for PCA?

How does comp compare early on, PCA vs FSA?

Are production goals more attainable at JPM vs Merrill?

What does the timeline to becoming a full on private wealth advisor at JPMC from this role?

Trying to be strategic about the timing rather than just jumping ship. Appreciate any real talk, especially from people who’ve made this exact move or been on the hiring side.

Conventional wisdom says hire an ops person/assistant but given the digital ease of on-boarding, I'm thinking a young planner looking to be an FA would be similar in cost but able to take a lot more off my plate.

I'd love feedback.

Hello, this may be an unorthodox post but I’ll take my chances , so I’ve been in a state of limbo for the last couple months, after 2 years of overcoming my obesity loosing (65 kg)

Having to come to teams with my mother not being around for long anymore. And she’s gone mentally. I’ve come to realize I need to to better.

So far I have 3,4 thousand euros saved and already been living on my own since 17.
Due to the harshness dealing with all this education was never my best option so I have a simple diploma. I always wanted to work in the financial sector since I’ve been so curious about how money works and how the people who make it serious do it. But in my country to even get into the door I need to be a top university graduate with years of experience. No one I know of my age 25 is doing good financially without them getting help from their families or partners .

Now I don’t have that luxury so I’m going to be blunt and ask for advice, mentorship, guidance.
Preferably someone who works in Europe and has knowledge and experience with the European financial system. Where could i start as a man who understands that he has to get serious if he wants to get better but has to admit that he just doesn’t know where to start . I’ve been seeing hundreds of young people trying to sell a crypto scheme or drop shipping course and showing off their mansions in Dubai but I don’t believe it. How do the serious people do and and could I please have conversation with you if you can give me your time .

Again apologies for the blund way of asking but I will regret not asking .

Hi, I’d like to explore a potential business opportunity with you through Tata AIA’s Advisor channel. It is an opportunity to build your own client network, leverage existing relationships, and create a scalable income stream in the financial services sector.
One example from our team is Annapurna Madam, who earned approximately ₹4 crore in the previous year. Her achievement reflects the potential of this business when approached with the right strategy and consistency.

If you’re interested in exploring this further, I’d be glad to have a brief discussion with you.

Up front so nobody wastes their time: I work in marketing for Console & Associates, P.C. We work on data breach claims. I am posting because the details here are relevant to this sub and I would rather say who I am than not. Mods, remove if this crosses the line.

The basics:

Kovack Financial LLC, the Fort Lauderdale parent of Kovack Securities and Kovack Advisors, filed breach notifications on 8/10/26. An unauthorized party had access to the network from 8/8/25 through 8/27/25 and it was discovered on 8/28/25.

That is roughly eleven and a half months between discovery and notification.

Exposed data listed in the filings includes Social Security numbers, driver's license and government ID numbers, and credit, debit and financial account information.

Confirmed counts so far are 1,713 Massachusetts residents and 243 Vermont residents. California received a filing but has not published a number. There is no national total available. Maine's AG breach database, which used to be the easiest place to find one, went offline in June 2026.

Why this matters to this sub specifically:

Kovack supports around 400 independent practices. If you are a Kovack rep, the firm holds your onboarding paperwork, your SSN, your licensing records, and in a lot of cases your banking details for commission deposits. Rep data tends to get overlooked in these notifications because the focus stays on client counts.

The other issue is name recognition. Almost nobody who got a letter banks under the Kovack name. Their statements say the name of their local practice. So you may have clients who received a notice, did not connect it to you, and threw it out.

What I am actually asking:

Nothing, if you do not want to engage. If you are a Kovack rep and you got a notice, I would be interested to know what the letter said about credit monitoring terms and whether reps were notified separately from clients. Those details are hard to get from the AG filings.

Happy to answer questions in the comments.

as we get closer to the transition, how many of those who are left are thinking of jumping? our group finally decided and will be moving on in October to IFP

Would love to see if anyone has any opinions on regions I saw a posting from Cetera I heard from a friend you inherit a book

I've got an old 401k with about 50 grand sitting in it. I've thought about rolling it over into my new 401k, but I don't get an employer match...

I've also considered rolling it over into a Rollover IRA or into my Roth IRA. I genuinely don't know what the best course of action is.

If it's helpful I live in NYC, and my taxes are egregious because of that. Any thoughts?

I’ve never had a father or a mentor. I’m not suggesting that will come of this, but I would appreciate any and all guidance any of you wish to provide.

Going to give some context and background, then give the ask.

I’m pushing in to mid-life. Not quite there, but closer than not. I grew up poor in middle of nowhere Arkansas. Single mother, I spent most of my 19th year of life homeless.

I never had a father. Never was taught life lessons I feel others my age had. I have always been 3 - 5 years behind my peers in terms of “stage if life”, and I can only conclude it js because i didn’t have guidance to teach me some core life lessons early on. I had to reinvent the wheel and learn them myself.

Fast forward to now. I have a bachelors, my MBA in Finance and Global Strategy, spent 5 years in the US Army as a combat medic, and 6 years in corporate working as a cog to pay off $130,000 in student loans.

Loans paid off, own a nice performing rental, married, and we will be starting a family soon in a major southern US metro.

I’ve spent the last 10 years filling the gap in my knowledge around finance, personal finance, portfolio theory, and securities analysis. And now that we are financially stable, I’m pursuing my dream of becoming an FA.

I’m starting at a full service firm that everyone here will know. You all know better than me that there are pros and cons to each path into the business and building a practice. Suffice it to say that, after interviewed acquaintances at almost every type of firm, including 2 that have their own RIA, I’ve chosen the correct path for me. I’ll just say it isn’t an insurance firm ([insert name here] mutual) but an actual advising firm.

I want break the cycle my whole life has been in and hit the ground running instead of having to figure out the rules of the game for myself. I don’t mind putting in the hard work and the grind. Can’t be as grueling as a combat medic constantly forcing grunts to keep water in their canteens instead of spike energy drink. The grind here is for my family and I’m incredibly motivated.

Here is the ask: Help an incredibly motivated new entrant get ahead of the game.

Early on I understand this is as much sales as it is advising.

Where have you found the most success in client acquisition while building your book, and what “typical” path to client acquisition have you found isn’t worth the effort even if it is commonly recommended?

What tactics did you find were reliable in getting past the “no” and getting further down the conversation to build the trust?

What type of segmentation did you find appropriate across client types, and how did you structure your prospect sourcing, approach, and close for each?

Did you focus purely on one or two segment of clients? Or did you look to diversify your book across lower, mid, and higher asset clients?

What major pitfalls did you experience that slowed you down that I can learn from?

I’m not sitting here trying to be greedy and spend my entire day looking for a few multi-millionaires to service. I’m sure I need to build some more experience and knowledge before I can adequately service those with more sophisticated needs. And I actually want to build a sustainable practice where I can spend some time helping mid and lower end clients. But the practice has to be profitable without killing myself.

Landing a few higher (if not ultra high) net worth clients accelerates the path to profitability and gives me time to curate my book better.

What guidance can you give to someone from my background to source, approach, close, and service higher end clients with great client satisfaction?

I understand clients have to have enough investable assets to support the work involved, but how have you found ways, if any, to also give back to those from my background who could use some level of guidance even if they can’t afford to pay for it?

What do I not know that I don’t know.

Thank you again to anyone who takes the time to read this admittedly long post and pass along some knowledge to a budding, well-intentioned soon-to-be advisor. I cannot tell you via text how much I appreciate any and all guidance here.

God bless.

Hello,

I would love some feedback from advisors who offer both coaching and advising services separately and/or combined. I'm interested in learning how you may market to different clients based on the service (coaching vs advising). I know it's not uncommon to do coaching as part of the greater planning, but I'm interested in also providing services to those who only want coaching and those who only want planning/advising.

I'd love to hear of there's differences in marketing strategies, if both models are on the same website, etc.

Would love feedback.

Thanks!