Pros
There is so much negative press about our profession, about Wall Street greed, about taking advantage of others for personal benefit and I realize that those critics, for the most part, just don't get it. Although I use "Wall Street" to invest my client's money, my office is in a small town in the Pacific NW-- about as far away from "the Street" as one can get. I am devoted to the clients I work with and the community I live in. My work entails becoming a valuable part of someone's life, helping them navigate life's ups and downs and really making a meaningful difference in their pursuit of reaching their financial goals and accomplish their dreams. I do this with great pride and satisfaction. And because I have been doing it for a considerable time, and because I do it well, I am compensated beyond what most people could ever dream of being paid. The fact is, it doesn't start out this way. It has to be built over time. I was given an opportunity, trained and constantly supported by EdwardJones to build something special. Something special for the people in my community that needed and appreciated this kind of help and service. As they realized success, so did both EdwardJones and I. At first, the work is long and hard. I find hard work towards a goal very satisfying. At first, I was significantly underpaid for the time I put in. But I never gave up-- even though I wanted to quite often in those early days. Over time, however, I am certainly overpaid from a time commitment standpoint. But what is the value of being able to retire comfortably, do all the things you want to do before you die and never run out of money even with the rising cost of living? What is that worth? This is what I create for my clients, and as such, from a value added standpoint I am very fairly paid. And, yes, the money is great, but the real satisfaction is knowing the difference you made in someone's life. I love EdwardJones and I love the life it has provided for my clients, for me and my family.
Cons
We are financial advisors. We advise. The firm defines itself as much by what they do as by what they chose not to do. If you want to become a "stock broker", buying and selling, moving in-moving out and trying to hit the hot trends so you and your clients can make fast money you will be very unhappy at EdwardJones. EdwardJones won't let you. Yes, we can and do buy and sell stocks. But not every kind of stock. The clients that want this kind of fast paced experience aren't our ideal clients and you won't be able to serve them they way they want to be served. That can be very frustrating if you are looking for that kind of career.