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How much can you (reasonably) make in this biz?

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Jul 3, 2009 12:24 am

Made $37k the first year, $57k the 2nd year.  We won’t go into 3rd year numbers but I think the natural progression goes:  $40k, $55k, $70k, $90k, $110k…This is probably an average (Of those that make this a long term career) and there will be those that say they were making $100k by the 4th year and that may be so, but they are probably above average producers.  If you’re not making $50k by the 3rd year then its probably not a career you should stick with.

Jul 3, 2009 12:26 am

[quote=gabe] Well, my question stands. Anyone care to give me an idea of what you can expect in this business?For example, if I understood correctly a million dollar producer at a wirehouse is at the top of the game, and that person takes home about $450k a year. Is that correct?

[/quote]



A 1mm producer should net (before taxes) a bit more than that. 500K is probably more likely. And a big variable is the bonus (and at Jones a 1mm producer will get excess profit sharing above IRS limit paid out to them in W2 bonus, on top of branch-office profit bonus)

Jul 3, 2009 1:34 am

What if you started 18 months ago.  I have found my production mirroring the market or lagging one month.  I think it’s a great time to start in the business but I dont think those numbers are accurate today.  Maybe 5 years ago they were. 

Jul 3, 2009 2:49 am

he real question (which I THINK you may be getting at) should be, “what does the typical first-year scratch starter with NO assets make, not including salary/bonus?” You can sort of back into it buy figuring out reasonable production, payout %, and how much is in fee-based versus commissioned accounts (since commissions will likely average about 2.5% up-front while fee-based might average 1.25% per year, but it takes a full year to earn all those fees).



Somebody is not selling Equity Linked Index Annuities with 15% year surrenders.

Jul 3, 2009 2:19 pm

Registered Rep mag stated in a recent article from FA’s they surveyed that the avg rep is 49 yrs in age and has approx. 44.9 AUM w/ production at $345k and compensation after deferred etc. around $172k.

Also, the avg time in the biz was 17 yrs or so, but like someone else posted if your not pulling down $100k after 5 yrs quit and do yourself a favor. The avg Morgan Stanley-Smith Barney FA produces in the mid 600s. So by doing the math the avg FA with them is making over $200k. I know the avg is higher at Merril but I don’t know it off the top of my head.

FA’s at Jones are lower on avg. but their overall production avgs will be climbing due to the inception of ways for them to annuitize their businesses etc. w/ map and advisory solutions. The avg Jones FA that is 7yrs out and meeting or beating goals/expectations make $207k on avg as stated by Jones.

Jul 3, 2009 2:45 pm
bb44:

Registered Rep mag stated in a recent article from FA’s they surveyed that the avg rep is 49 yrs in age and has approx. 44.9 AUM w/ production at $345k and compensation after deferred etc. around $172k.

Also, the avg time in the biz was 17 yrs or so, but like someone else posted if your not pulling down $100k after 5 yrs quit and do yourself a favor. The avg Morgan Stanley-Smith Barney FA produces in the mid 600s. So by doing the math the avg FA with them is making over $200k. I know the avg is higher at Merril but I don’t know it off the top of my head.

FA’s at Jones are lower on avg. but their overall production avgs will be climbing due to the inception of ways for them to annuitize their businesses etc. w/ map and advisory solutions. The avg Jones FA that is 7yrs out and meeting or beating goals/expectations make $207k on avg as stated by Jones.

  I assume that you mean grosses 207K.....I thought the number would be more like 216K. The net on that would be 86,400 IF everything was at 40% payout.
Jul 3, 2009 2:46 pm

Gabe,

  Many brokers after they hit a certain income level begin to try and make the same money and work less hours.  When the market was booming, I played a lot of golf and still maintained a six figure income.  Now I am having to work more to maintain my income goals.  This job can give you two things; money or time.  In the begining, you work your arse off to make it.  Once you do, you may want to spend more time with the kids, travel, golf, fish, whatever. 
Jul 3, 2009 4:11 pm
bb44:

Registered Rep mag stated in a recent article from FA’s they surveyed that the avg rep is 49 yrs in age and has approx. 44.9 AUM w/ production at $345k and compensation after deferred etc. around $172k.

Also, the avg time in the biz was 17 yrs or so, but like someone else posted if your not pulling down $100k after 5 yrs quit and do yourself a favor. The avg Morgan Stanley-Smith Barney FA produces in the mid 600s. So by doing the math the avg FA with them is making over $200k. I know the avg is higher at Merril but I don’t know it off the top of my head.

FA’s at Jones are lower on avg. but their overall production avgs will be climbing due to the inception of ways for them to annuitize their businesses etc. w/ map and advisory solutions. The avg Jones FA that is 7yrs out and meeting or beating goals/expectations make $207k on avg as stated by Jones.

  It's hard to compare, since the avg LOS at Jones vs. the Wires is so different, and the wires primarily only hire transfer brokers with substantial experience and AUM.   To give you an idea, this is based right from Jones financial statements: Across ALL 11K+ FA's at Jones, the average FA has $48mm AUM and 300K production, which means approximately half of the FA's have MORE than 48mm and produce MORE than 300K.   These are 2007 numbers, so I am sure they dropped a bit.   I know it's a median vs. a mean, but generally speaking, I think about half our FA's have less than 5 years LOS.  So our more experienced advisors are pretty good producers.  Jones' biggest problem is increasing the average LOS.  Doesn't help much to hire 2000 and lose 1000 every year.  We are growing at about 1000 FA's per year.  
Jul 3, 2009 4:54 pm

[quote=B24]

  To give you an idea, this is based right from Jones financial statements: Across ALL 11K+ FA's at Jones, the average FA has $48mm AUM and 300K production, which means approximately half of the FA's have MORE than 48mm and produce MORE than 300K.    [/quote]   I thought you used to be a financial type??  Mean does not equal median in this case...the median is likely to be much lower based on having so many newbies, besides just general statistics (every 700k producer is offset by 2 100k producers, which "averages" out to 300k, etc).
Jul 3, 2009 5:04 pm

Hence, why I said “I know it’s a median vs. a mean, but generally speaking”…

  Since I have no way of knowing the median, the mean had to proxy for it.   I do not have the time or desire to figure it out, and didn't feel like explaining it.
Jul 3, 2009 6:03 pm

average all RR is $532,394



Median is. $399,902



Jones median production is approx = $192,344



Jones avergae production 2008 = $256,459



But this ties to B’s point of LOS, Jones Achilles heel. Too much turnover, not enough producing transfers.

Jul 3, 2009 9:15 pm

Half of Jones’ advisors have been out four years or less, at least in the regions I’ve seen or heard about.
Anybody out longer than that is probably doing 200k gross like Morean says. After that, it seems that some advisors go to 500-plus K and some stay at 200k.
If Advisory solutions catches on, the numbers will get a LOT better.
I know guys who have 50 million doing 500k just with new business, replacing bonds and insurance. Advisory Solutions will double their numbers.




Jul 3, 2009 9:34 pm

Eleventy kabillion dollars.

Jul 3, 2009 10:05 pm
bb44:

Registered Rep mag stated in a recent article from FA’s they surveyed that the avg rep is 49 yrs in age and has approx. 44.9 AUM w/ production at $345k and compensation after deferred etc. around $172k.

Also, the avg time in the biz was 17 yrs or so, but like someone else posted if your not pulling down $100k after 5 yrs quit and do yourself a favor. The avg Morgan Stanley-Smith Barney FA produces in the mid 600s. So by doing the math the avg FA with them is making over $200k. I know the avg is higher at Merril but I don’t know it off the top of my head.

FA’s at Jones are lower on avg. but their overall production avgs will be climbing due to the inception of ways for them to annuitize their businesses etc. w/ map and advisory solutions. The avg Jones FA that is 7yrs out and meeting or beating goals/expectations make $207k on avg as stated by Jones.

  is somewhere else. Above avg even sooner.
Jul 4, 2009 3:45 pm

[quote=buyandhold]Half of Jones’ advisors have been out four years or less, at least in the regions I’ve seen or heard about.
Anybody out longer than that is probably doing 200k gross like Morean says. After that, it seems that some advisors go to 500-plus K and some stay at 200k.
If Advisory solutions catches on, the numbers will get a LOT better.
I know guys who have 50 million doing 500k just with new business, replacing bonds and insurance. Advisory Solutions will double their numbers.





[/quote]

buyandhold I have seen this as well. I know a guy that is putting up 50k months with mainly insurance and mortgages.

Jul 4, 2009 3:50 pm

[quote=gabe]Well, my question stands. Anyone care to give me an idea of what you can expect in this business?

For example, if I understood correctly a million dollar producer at a wirehouse is at the top of the game, and that person takes home about $450k a year. Is that correct?

[/quote]

Gabe check this out it shows a comparative payout with all the firms, it will give you a good idea of what people net from production.

http://www.onwallstreet.com/global/payout_grids.html

Jul 8, 2009 12:06 am

jones is a different animal than the wires.  from what i know, it's the under 250m households that make a jones office thrive.  the 250m+ is hounded by the wires.  i would be surprised to find many 1MM+ households at jones.

that said, the fee based model likely won't have much impact at jones. too much work and liability to make it worthwhile, and those boys have to pay the rent.   to answer the rook's question, if you give up your life for 1-3 years building the book and still like doing it once you have a book established, the sky's the limit.    to echo henry hill, you may choose $$$,  freedom, or a bit of both...
Jul 8, 2009 12:39 am

[quote=go_huskies]

jones is a different animal than the wires.  from what i know, it's the under 250m households that make a jones office thrive.  the 250m+ is hounded by the wires.  i would be surprised to find many 1MM+ households at jones.

that said, the fee based model likely won't have much impact at jones. too much work and liability to make it worthwhile, and those boys have to pay the rent.   to answer the rook's question, if you give up your life for 1-3 years building the book and still like doing it once you have a book established, the sky's the limit.    to echo henry hill, you may choose $$$,  freedom, or a bit of both...[/quote]   The question that I haven't seen answered to this is why so?  What do wires offer that Jones can't, other than Auction Rate Securities, Subprime Mortgage Derivatives, and other unsavories?  Because you are a legend in your own mind?  Come on....
Jul 8, 2009 1:48 am

[quote=Sam Houston]Eleventy kabillion dollars.[/quote]

That’s it? Ahhh, I quit!

Jul 8, 2009 12:50 pm

[quote=iceco1d][quote=Hank Newbie][quote=go_huskies]

jones is a different animal than the wires.  from what i know, it's the under 250m households that make a jones office thrive.  the 250m+ is hounded by the wires.  i would be surprised to find many 1MM+ households at jones.

that said, the fee based model likely won't have much impact at jones. too much work and liability to make it worthwhile, and those boys have to pay the rent.   to answer the rook's question, if you give up your life for 1-3 years building the book and still like doing it once you have a book established, the sky's the limit.    to echo henry hill, you may choose $$$,  freedom, or a bit of both...[/quote]   The question that I haven't seen answered to this is why so?  What do wires offer that Jones can't, other than Auction Rate Securities, Subprime Mortgage Derivatives, and other unsavories?  Because you are a legend in your own mind?  Come on....[/quote]
I think go_huskies is way off in regards to Advisory Solutions.  I think it will have a profound impact on EDJ.   As for what the wires offer that EDJ doesn't:   -Options -Managed Futures -Non-traded REITs -Robust fee-based platform that can hold individual securities, not just funds & ETFs, and not just in an allocation/rebalance model that EDJ approves. -Most have no limits on penny stocks. -Asset backed lending (although, I think EDJ has this now?) -Selling agreements with more mutual fund companies. -Ability to take discretion over client accounts. -Teams of advisors. -Hedge Funds -Private Equity -EIAs -Partnerships   Notice, almost ALL of the stuff I listed, are things that HNW and UNNW clients want and/or need...or are AT LEAST being told about by wire reps.   A guy with $20MM in assets doesn't give a rip about American funds (or any other mutual fund, most likely).   I'm sure this will be perceived as me bashing EDJ by some - but I'm not.  I'm just answering your question.   Full disclosure - my firm doesn't offer a lot of those products I listed either...and I'll happily take all the appreciative, low-maintenance, non-breakpoint reaching, fee-based, "mass affluent" clients the wires "don't want."  [/quote]   As far as "Robust Fee Based Platform that can hold individual securities" we do have MAP.  I'm new and don't know much about it, but it is said to be competitive with the marketplace and you get to select from a scrubbed list of money managers.  It has discretionary characteristics with the flexibility to customize as per the client.  As for asset based lending, are you talking margin?  If so, yes EDJ offers margin loans.  Most of the other stuff doesn't interest me that much.