I think it makes more sense to try and be successful at whatever you are trying to do here and now and not worry about jumping ship. Odds are you wont make it long enough to even have to make that decision 10 years from now.

I’m a Indy going on two years and was at a regional for 14 years–do the wirehouse and I do agree with Jamesbond–if you make it then worried about what your going to do in the future.

ICE, good point.  If you really think you are going to go indy someday, you better make sure you are not selling any proprietary products.  You may also want to be careful about not becoming a one-trick pony if you plan on “remaking” yourself as an indy advisor.  IOW, try to design your practice today for the way you want it to look when/if you go indy.

If you go the insurance route, just make sure that you go with a company that accepts brokered business.  This means that you need to avoid companies like Northwestern Mutual and New York Life.

Why don’t you find an older indy broker in your area who is looking to take on a you protege, and then not worry about “going indy” in 10 years, and by then you could have a book, a nice book of clients and not have to worry about how many of them xfer…



Kind of a long shot theory, but similar to joining a team at a wirehouse…