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WSJ Story: AG Edwards (AGE:NYSE)

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Oct 12, 2006 7:15 pm

Mike, you realize the Grammar Police are going to sanction you for using the wrong homonym (waive) instead of wave, don't you?

No, for the record, I have never worked for a wirehouse and am proud to say so.

Oct 12, 2006 7:28 pm

[quote=ymh_ymh_ymh] <?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Mike, you realize the Grammar Police are going to sanction you for using the wrong homonym (waive) instead of wave, don't you? [/quote]

I'm hoping I can get a waver from the grammar police  on that issue 

 

[quote=ymh_ymh_ymh]No, for the record, I have never worked for a wirehouse and am proud to say so. [/quote]

Well, your contempt for them is clear, as always, but you're yet to explain what you really know of them or their culture.

When you have a chance I look forward to reading your explanation.

Oct 12, 2006 7:47 pm

Tomorrow before the open....

Glad we both beat the Grammar Police to the punch!

Oct 12, 2006 7:59 pm

[quote=mikebutler222]

[quote=ymh_ymh_ymh] <?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Mike, you realize the Grammar Police are going to sanction you for using the wrong homonym (waive) instead of wave, don't you? [/quote]

I'm hoping I can get a waver from the grammar police  on that issue 

[quote=ymh_ymh_ymh]No, for the record, I have never worked for a wirehouse and am proud to say so. [/quote]

Well, your contempt for them is clear, as always, but you're yet to explain what you really know of them or their culture.

When you have a chance I look forward to reading your explanation.[/quote]

I would have been willing to let it go if you had just put a period at the end of your sentence.  We're not looking for perfection here.

Never the less MikeButler222, falling asleep at the wheel can end up killing someone.  Take heed, this is no joke...how would you feel with someone elses blood on your hands just because you chose to be lazy.  It is not a good reflection on your character to let these issues slip by like dust in the wind. 

Bad communication can cause ugly results.  Just look at Keith Richards...can't understand a word he says.  Do you want to end up a burnt out washed up junkie MikeButler222?

Alright, enough sage wisdom for today.  I'm sure you're thanking me right now.

Back to work!

Oct 12, 2006 8:12 pm

[quote=Grammar Police]

Bad communication can cause ugly results.  Just look at Keith Richards...can't understand a word he says.  Do you want to end up a burnt out washed up junkie MikeButler222?[/quote]

Gee, GP, I was with you until you mentioned Keith. Would I like to be like him? Yes, oh yes indeed, if/when I reach his age I'd love to be having as much fun and spending as much cash as he is.

Does that mean I don't get the waver?

Oct 12, 2006 8:22 pm

You would want to be a burnt out washed up junkie MikeButler222. 

Come on now, you don't want to end up like Donald Trump do you?  A big mouthed, self promoting, ignoramous.  Money doesn't buy intelligence, or good looks for that matter.

Glad I can be of help in giving you direction in life MikeButler222.

Oct 12, 2006 8:54 pm

[quote=Grammar Police]

You would want to be a burnt out washed up junkie MikeButler222. 

Come on now, you don't want to end up like Donald Trump do you?  A big mouthed, self promoting, ignoramous.  Money doesn't buy intelligence, or good looks for that matter.

Glad I can be of help in giving you direction in life MikeButler222.

[/quote]

Wow another pain in the arse hijacking any available thread while contributing NOTHING relevant to the boards.

If you're not one of NASD/Put Trader's personas you should meet him.  You two are kindred spirits.

Really, just go away.  I am sure you're happy to be getting attention, but you're really not wanted here.

A classic internet troll, this one.
Oct 12, 2006 9:04 pm

[quote=mikebutler222][quote=ymh_ymh_ymh]

Mike since your only "experience" is probably StanLEH Morgan what do you really know about ANY other firm to include other wirehouses such as Mother Merrill, Smith Blarney, or UB(e)S(tupid)? [/quote]

Been there, done that, have the business card. Now, where have you ever hung your Series 7 license?

I'm not trying to attack you, ymh. Like I said, I find you very interesting on some subjects, but on this one, well....

[quote=ymh_ymh_ymh]

Chuckle all you want, Mike Your boy, Gorman, would have given his left nut (if he still has one) to have snagged those 2 Legg guys. [/quote]

I have no doubt that if they were good producers any wirehouse would love to have had them. I hope they're happy wherever they landed. However, that doesn't address my question to you, which was what do you know of the culture of a wirehouse?

Please define it for us.

[/quote]

Ok I'll bite:  waste-lots of waste-on useless middle managers, product VP's, and ineffective advertising.  A culture that generally stifles risk taking and innovation, and a compliance department that does the same.  Rampant conflicts of interest created by highly profitable but mediocre proprietary produts.  Expensive training programs yet less than 10% of all trainees succeed, and how many of them destroy clients' net worth along the path to success until they finally figure out how to do it right.  Big quotas and high sales pressure.  "How many shares of the new closed end fund are you gonna do this month?"  Overpaid branch managers who love to pull your chain when business is slow, but have little to offer when you need help.  Underpaid and poorly motivated support staff.  Huge account fees for anyone but the largest clients.  Mutual Fund trading scandals and breakpoint problems.  "me-too" hedge funds that don't really work to well.  Mandatory suit and tie every day going to work in pretty class-A office space, but how many of them really know how to put together a good portfolio, analyze a stock, bond, or even a mutual fund, and how many of them even really CARE if their clients make money?

That's the wirehouse culture.

How did I do?
Oct 12, 2006 9:15 pm

You spelled 'too' wrong.  I appreciate your proactive inquiry, it demonstrates a willingness to grow.

Pissants take note.

Oct 12, 2006 9:30 pm

[quote=Grammar Police]Trump do you?  A big mouthed, self promoting, ignoramous.  Money doesn't buy intelligence, or good looks for that matter.[/quote]

Apparently it can buy a young, good-looking wife, though.

Oct 12, 2006 10:36 pm

[quote=Grammar Police]

You spelled ‘too’ wrong.  I appreciate your proactive inquiry, it demonstrates a willingness to grow.

Pissants take note.

[/quote]

Can you be a little more specific as to what you're talking about?
Oct 12, 2006 11:36 pm

[quote=joedabrkr] Ok I'll bite: waste-lots of waste-on useless middle managers, product VP's, and ineffective advertising. [/quote]

Interesting, I get paid for production, not yapping with them, so I don’t.

[quote=joedabrkr] A culture that generally stifles risk taking and innovation, [/quote]

Absolutely not...

[quote=joedabrkr]..and a compliance department that does the same. [/quote]

Oh please tell me compliance departments are different at regionals or GS, et al...

[quote=joedabrkr]Rampant conflicts of interest created by highly profitable but mediocre proprietary produts. [/quote]

Now you're talking history. People are paid the same for proprietary and non...

[quote=joedabrkr]Expensive training programs yet less than 10% of all trainees succeed, ...[/quote]

What's the success rate at regionals, GS, et al?

[quote=joedabrkr] Big quotas and high sales pressure. "How many shares of the new closed end fund are you gonna do this month?" [/quote]

I've never seen that, not once, anywhere. It might have been your office’s culture, but that’s not a fair or accurate portrayal of the biz.

[quote=joedabrkr]Overpaid branch managers who love to pull your chain when business is slow, but have little to offer when you need help. [/quote]

If you let some production washout of a manager jerk your chain it's your problem, at a wirehouse OR a regional.

[quote=joedabrkr]Underpaid and poorly motivated support staff. [/quote]

A grain of truth, but it's biz-wide. We shouldn’t have to kick-in on their pay, but we do. Say, who pays your assistant?

[quote=joedabrkr]Huge account fees for anyone but the largest clients. [/quote]

You mean small clients aren't profitable? Agreed, you can have them all, and give them free checking accounts and debit cards too, and spend countless hours with them.

[quote=joedabrkr]Mutual Fund trading scandals and breakpoint problems. [/quote]

Do you really want to talk scandals? You really think they're just at wirehouses? Would you like me to produce a short list of NASD actions against Indies? Really? Oh, and if you sell mutual funds, you don't have to pay attention to breakpoints?

[quote=joedabrkr]"me-too" hedge funds that don't really work to well. [/quote]

Couldn't say I know what you're talking about there...

[quote=joedabrkr] Mandatory suit and tie every day going to work in pretty class-A office space, ...[/quote]

You mean you have to dress like a professional? Guilty...

[quote=joedabrkr]but how many of them really know how to put together a good portfolio, analyze a stock, bond, or even a mutual fund, and how many of them even really CARE if their clients make money? [/quote]

We're not really going to play the "only indies know or care" game are we?

[quote=joedabrkr]

That's the wirehouse culture.

How did I do?
[/quote]

You sucked, my friend, but you knew that

Oct 12, 2006 11:54 pm

[quote=joedabrkr] [quote=Grammar Police]

You spelled 'too' wrong.  I appreciate your proactive inquiry, it demonstrates a willingness to grow.

Pissants take note.

[/quote]

Can you be a little more specific as to what you're talking about?
[/quote]

Reading comprehension is obviously lost on you.  If you can't identify who the sucker is in the room....the sucker is you.

Help me out here Joe, I'm having a hard time comprehending how someone could be so egregiously and uncompromisingly retarded.  When you get up in the morning....I mean afternoon, how do you gather the energy to face your wasted life?  I mean after the Bloody Mary and bong hit, how do you do it? 

Your story would be an inspiration to us all.

Oct 12, 2006 11:57 pm

This recruitment effort might work in a large metropolitan area, where there are plenty of prospects. However, in small to medium-size areas, the referring broker might be shooting themselves in the foot.

For example, at $800,000 gross per year (Chairman's Club), an assumed velocity rate of 1%, and an average of $250,000 in invested assets per client; that works out to be 320 clients totaling $80,000,000 in assets.

No doubt, many of those clients are the prospects of the referring A.G. Edwards broker. However, by bringing-in this outside broker, 320 prime prospects have just been taken off the table.

Oh sure, you could argue that the broker is $50,000 richer for making the referral, but let's look at the numbers, again. In order to match the referral fee, the A.G. Edwards broker would only have to acat just 20 of the 320 prospects. That's only 6% of this other broker's book. PLUS, that leaves the remaining 300 prospects for possible future acats.

In essence, by obtaining a one time maximum referral fee of $50,000 now, you're eliminating the possibility of earning an additional $800,000 annually, for the rest of your life!!!!!!

So, if I worked at A.G. Edwards, I'd pass on making any referrals.

Just sayin'....

Oct 13, 2006 12:07 am

Wow, great insight.  It's so easy, I'll start right now on that.

How much marketing could you do with that $50,000 Einstein?

How many accounts do you think you could earn from a $50,000 marketing budget?

Please don't think or answer that question.  It was hard enough reading your incomprehensible rectal dribble.  Someone get this man some Depends!  He's talking out his a*s and it's getting all over the place!

Oct 13, 2006 1:44 am

I wouldn't say my opinion of wirehouses is one of contempt. That's a strong word.

Do I respect wirehouses? Nope, not one bit. That's not saying I don't respect "select" brokers who work for a wirehouse, however.

Is my lack of respect the same for each and every wirehouse? Pretty much.

Do Merrill or Morgan Stanley senior management respect their own wirehouse brokers? I don't think so, look at who's "leading" them now:

Merrill Lynch---Bobby McCann (former equity trader)

When's the last time a broker was head honcho at Merrill Lynch? February 13th, 2000 to my recollection. The 14th is when Stan O'Neal took over for Launny Steffens. Grammar Police, did I spell his name correctly?

Morgan Stanley---Jim Gorman (former McKinsey consultant)

It's hard to respect wirehouses when firms such as Merrill and Morgan Stanley don't respect themselves enough to have a former broker in charge of their private client divisions. Do you think the US Marines would follow a former Campfire Girl into battle just because she once pitched a tent?

Payouts? Is the business model really fair and equitable?

Absolutely not. Let's look at fixed versus variable costs geographically:

Fixed costs are much higher for a broker in a major metro area such as NYC over a semi-rural area such as Overland, KS or maybe Fargo, ND (think office leasing rates here). Variable costs are also a little higher in major metro areas versus semi-rural areas (utilities, staff support salaries, et al).

So if that's the case (which it is) why aren't payouts higher percentage wise for a broker producing $500K in Overland, KS versus one producing the same in NYC? The wirehouses "net" much more from a broker producing $500K in Overland, KS than one producing the same in NYC metro.

On the mutual fund scandals of the recent past, I have some very funny stories to tell about certain wirehouses but I will leave that for another time.

Are the clients of a wirehouse better served by a wirehouse or an independent rep?

That pretty much depends on the rep as an individual in my opinion.

Oct 13, 2006 4:42 am

[quote=Grammar Police][quote=joedabrkr] [quote=Grammar Police]

You spelled 'too' wrong.  I appreciate your proactive inquiry, it demonstrates a willingness to grow.

Pissants take note.

[/quote]

Can you be a little more specific as to what you're talking about?
[/quote]

Reading comprehension is obviously lost on you.  If you can't identify who the sucker is in the room....the sucker is you.

Help me out here Joe, I'm having a hard time comprehending how someone could be so egregiously and uncompromisingly retarded.  When you get up in the morning....I mean afternoon, how do you gather the energy to face your wasted life?  I mean after the Bloody Mary and bong hit, how do you do it? 

Your story would be an inspiration to us all.

[/quote]

Actually before I pointed out to everyone what a horse's ass you are, I simply wanted to clarify what you were talking about.

My life is quite fine, thank you.

Oh, and I never have a Bloody Mary before lunch, except at the rare holiday brunch.  ;-)
Oct 13, 2006 12:57 pm

[quote=Grammar Police]How much marketing could you do with that $50,000 Einstein?

How many accounts do you think you could earn from a $50,000 marketing budget?[/quote]

I do have to agree that that is a great point.  I think there are two sides to the equation and other variables will come into play as far as the market, client niche, etc.  Many firms are starting to offer their advisors marketing budgets/expense accounts that have been approved by management, but it is sometimes difficult to run something like that up the flagpole for approval.  There are numerous strategies that can be employed with a $50k marketing budget and, depending on the size of the practice or geographical region, could last for quite some time to adequately help an advisor get over their next production hurdle.

Oct 13, 2006 6:36 pm

[quote=joedabrkr] [quote=Grammar Police][quote=joedabrkr] [quote=Grammar Police]

You spelled 'too' wrong.  I appreciate your proactive inquiry, it demonstrates a willingness to grow.

Pissants take note.

[/quote]

Can you be a little more specific as to what you're talking about?
[/quote]

Reading comprehension is obviously lost on you.  If you can't identify who the sucker is in the room....the sucker is you.

Help me out here Joe, I'm having a hard time comprehending how someone could be so egregiously and uncompromisingly retarded.  When you get up in the morning....I mean afternoon, how do you gather the energy to face your wasted life?  I mean after the Bloody Mary and bong hit, how do you do it? 

Your story would be an inspiration to us all.

[/quote]

Actually before I pointed out to everyone what a horse's ass you are, I simply wanted to clarify what you were talking about.

My life is quite fine, thank you.

Oh, and I never have a Bloody Mary before lunch, except at the rare holiday brunch.  ;-)
[/quote]

Yeah, I should have guessed that the bong hit would do you fine. 

I may be a stud, but a horse's ass I am not.  Now, there are parts of me that resemble other areas of a horse's anatomy.

Oct 13, 2006 6:43 pm

[quote=dude][quote=joedabrkr] [quote=Grammar Police][quote=joedabrkr] [quote=Grammar Police]

You spelled 'too' wrong.  I appreciate your proactive inquiry, it demonstrates a willingness to grow.

Pissants take note.

[/quote]

Can you be a little more specific as to what you're talking about?
[/quote]

Reading comprehension is obviously lost on you.  If you can't identify who the sucker is in the room....the sucker is you.

Help me out here Joe, I'm having a hard time comprehending how someone could be so egregiously and uncompromisingly retarded.  When you get up in the morning....I mean afternoon, how do you gather the energy to face your wasted life?  I mean after the Bloody Mary and bong hit, how do you do it? 

Your story would be an inspiration to us all.

[/quote]

Actually before I pointed out to everyone what a horse's ass you are, I simply wanted to clarify what you were talking about.

My life is quite fine, thank you.

Oh, and I never have a Bloody Mary before lunch, except at the rare holiday brunch.  ;-)
[/quote]

Yeah, I should have guessed that the bong hit would do you fine. 

I may be a stud, but a horse's ass I am not.  Now, there are parts of me that resemble other areas of a horse's anatomy.

[/quote]

Having fun guys????!!!!  My tribute to all the forum trolls is done....I couldn't continue with the over the top asshole persona anymore....although I didn't get to post my 'crayon' paystub on the site indyone mentioned to prove that Grammar Police was a million dollar producer.  God, I really suck at the multiple persona thing, I was really hoping to get 'egregiously' ridiculous with GP's comments.

Anyway, sorry if I pissed anyone off sincerely....I was hoping to make it so stupidly over the top that it was an obvious spoof.  No harm intended to all the folks I truly respect on this forum (that includes you JoeDa).