I have been offered a position by both Merrill Lynch and Valic, but cannot decide which one I should pursue. I am leaning toward Valic because they provide a book, and seem to have excellent benefits. It seems as though someone that does not have a lot of contacts, and is just getting started would be better off with Valic than ML, which basically describes me.

Valic
-Provide a book (focuses on 403b plans, K-12), but I have read a few things on here saying the book is not exactly what they tell you.
-Great benefits, 401k match and a pension plan
-I don’t know what type of salary they will start me at while I obtain the licenses
-Because most of your clients are lower income (versus ML), it’s almost impossible to take them with you if you leave

Merrill Lynch
-I have a rough estimate on what they will start me at, but it’s not set in stone (~60k)
-The bigger name will help you sell more
-No book is provided, and I don’t have a lot of contacts, so I will be relying almost exclusively on cold calling or other methods
-I don’t know much about their benefits, but I’m assuming they aren’t as good as Valic’s
-They have the repayment plan for your courses (not that I plan on leaving, but…it’s there) if you leave the company

I’m sure I left a lot out, hopefully you can help me with that. Based on what I posted above, and what you may know, which one would you recommend?

Thanks for your input!