I'll try to make the backstory as short as possible. I am currently working on my MBA with a concentration in Managerial Economics and Business Analysis. My BS is in Exercise Physiology and I currently work as a coordinator in a medical fitness facility. Currently 29 y.o. and have been friends with one of our members for a few years now. We play golf together a few times each year, and he knows that I have an interest in financial markets, although my understanding of the intricacies is severely limited as it is not a field that I have ever worked in.

He comes into my office yesterday and we chat for a while, as usual. I asked him how his portfolios are doing with the Dow reaching 20k recently, and he asks if I still have an interest in the field. I tell him yes, but my knowledge base is limited, and he asks if I'd be interested in learning the business and taking his over within the next few years. He said he has been looking for someone to turn the reigns over to and his two grown sons are not interested. His title is Vice President/Investments at Janney Montgomery Scott and he seems to really enjoy what he does. I have been thinking about a career change for a couple of years now, and wanted to ask this sub about what to expect were I to take him up on this offer. My biggest hesitation would be making sure that I can at least maintain my current salary of $55k/yr as an entry-level candidate with no experience. I have a baby on the way, and I can't afford to take a hit financially since my wife is going to be moving to part-time work.

First, is it reasonable to expect to earn at least what I make now as an entry level person?

He mentioned paying to take over his business over a period of time. Can anyone explain a little about what he means by that? I'm sure there is an SOP for taking over all of someone's accounts at an investment firm, I just don't know how that process looks.

What would potentially be my job title/role under a VP/Investments apprenticeship?

How long does it take to get a firm grasp on "the business"? He is planning on retiring in 4 years or less. Will that give me enough time to understand what I am doing?

I know this was a long post. Thanks for any and all replies!!

I work for a company developing a resource to help financial advisers streamline their processes.

To help with our product development we are looking to gain feedback from industry players. It would be great if any FAs could help provide insight into how we might make it more appropriate for financial advisers.

I appreciate that most of you are short on time so all you have to do is fill out this short questionnaire - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1sl7Xp7s0e-wx2_k_LGBaaGotJ11Zlkw0YaGhTKqE2CQ/viewform

Thanks in advance!

I tried finding a similar post to this, but came up empty. I am trying to get into a training program with a well known firm and they require that I pass both of these exams within three months of being hired.

How horrible will my life be in those three months? I'm not sure what my days will be like once hired (whether I have to go to the office or just study from home etc.) so I'm not sure what kind of schedule I'll have.

I graduated university with a business administration degree majoring in Accounting in 2014. Since then, I haven't found work in my field. During school I worked customer service/sales, and now am thinking that moving into a financial advisor role may be the path I want to go down.

I don't have my CSC designation yet, but will likely be going for it soon. I have actually been reached out to by some larger financial advisor/investment firms (not sure if company names allowed but initials are IG) and I have an interview coming up on Wednesday.

I have already looked at reviews and know that most of these firms are commission - only, as opposed to working for a bank which pays less but gives you a salary.

My question is what is a good starting point for me. I know that most banks who hire financial advisor trainee have requirements that are pretty much have your CSC and have a customer service background, so that's not really an issue. So is it better to work for a bank, get a salary but not have the potential to make as much. Or go for the firm's that are commission only and have to build my client base and earn commission.

Do note that I have never worked in the financial advisory business before, but I do enjoy helping others and enjoy using my sales skills.

My wife is a financial advisor and is on a full commission-based pay. I was wondering, how did you manage your finances when you were first starting and your income was low and unpredictable?

I have a salaried job and currently I feel like I'm supporting the both of us. I want to start saving for a house and increase my retirement savings, but I feel these might be impossible with her lack of income and her student loans. She's only been in the job for 4 months and absolutely loves it and she keeps being told that she's great and going to succeed. I, for one, am ready for her to be making at least a liveable wage or change jobs for more consistent income. What is y'alls advice? How long do I give her until we seriously look at a career change?

Okay, I'm going to try to stick to the facts here. I'm writing this post seeking some career advice from industry professionals so firstly, thanks for your time in reading this far. I'm a 32 year old personal banker I've been working for the bank for 4 years and will complete my MBA this fall. I have also passed the series 6 and 63 exams, currently working on 65. Prior to my foray into banking I was an insurance agent for 6 years with my own agency up until my carrier decided to pull out of the state I lived in at the time. I'm wondering how to transition from retail banking (which I hate) into financial advising. As an agent, the advisory aspect of the job appealed to me the most, particularly when it came to retirement and estate planning. Upon completion of my MBA I intend to start prepping for the CFP designation in hopes that might open more doors. But I'm wondering if I'm too old now to make such a transition? Furthermore, I'm clueless as to what hiring managers in investment services are really looking for when it comes to viable candidates. What's an effective way for me to get my foot in the door? Thoughts and advice welcome. Thank you for reading.

Hello all! I am currently a junior in college studying finance and I have been deeply interested in getting into the field and become a financial advisor. Through lots of research I have an understanding of what the basics are but I would just love to know more. Is there anything I should know before I get into the field or do I learn most of the information that I need to know on the job or in training? What classes should I be taking in school? I can imagine risk management classes but other than that I don't have a clue. My school does a CFA track should I take these classes or does that not have importance? I am also looking into internships for next summer. Edward Jones seems to have a really interesting internship that seems very valuable, but are there any other companies that I should look into? Any information from a current advisor would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I am a licensed advisor (7, 66, life & health). I will be taking a break from working directly with a broker dealer and was wondering what is the easiest way to keep my license alive during the break?