First Command Financial Services reviews about "pay"

Pay is lower, in BIS management is random. If you are a PM, expect to be there 18 months. PMs don't last. There are no PM processes, no PM Maturity, and BIS management really doesn't get project management. There is a simplified milestone process that one of the VPs put in place, that is a mix of SDLC and project documentation. No real processes. It is a frustrating place. If you are a PM and need a job, ok, if not, just pass this place by. 18 months that you will survive, maybe 2 years.....BIS management is TOP heavy, CIO, SVPs, Directors, Asst Directors, Manager, etc, all for an organization of 100 people...too many chiefs, too few indians and too many of them don't respect the PMs position, Just don't do it..move on, nothing to see here.....Oh, and they use smart sheet, not the best, but senior management couldn't figure out how to use MS project...also, no place to go as a PM, there is a Sr. PM position, don't expect to get there..otherwise, you are stuck

No OT, Not Career Path, Pay Is Not Inline With Market

Low pay, only advancement is to be a financial advisor

Company is still maturing in the area of change management and leadership, but improving as some of the old ideas and management styles are replaced with innovative thinking and strategy.

It's been over a year since I left so I have had time to gain some perspective and let the dust settle. This was the first job I have ever quit. Here is what I feel an prospective "employee" of FC needs to know: For the first year (they push for sooner than that) you are an employee of the First Command corporation. Then once you "go independent" you are now an independent who works with First Command, gets support and software (both are excellent by the way) from First Command, does things the First Command way, sells to who First Command wants you to sell to, gets money from First Command etc. But....you do not work FOR First Command so your paycheck does not have any taxes taken out, you have to provide your own benefits package, pay your own office rent, supplies, etc. (minus a small stipend based off of performance and the whim of your District Advisor-who interestingly is also an independent contractor even though the company expects them to fly up to home office constantly to conduct training, etc.), pay for your own office assistant, advertising (although it has to be within strict rules), attended mandatory training events, etc. I point this out because asking around to friends in other firms you are an employee of that firm with all that carries. FC saves itself endless expense although in their defense they claim this allows them to pass the maximum amount of compensation on to you. Here is the challenge with all of that. With normal firms, if you start a client, you keep that client unless there is some reason for them to decide to change advisors. You build up a stable of clients and wealth under management and all those years of struggling pay off in the long run. With First Command, they want their clients to always have someone face to face (which to be fair, is an excellent model for taking care of their clients). That means you start the client and when they move (and their clientele is military so they almost ALWAYS move) you lose that client. Gone. With the assets you brought in. If you are by a large base, you have enough clients moving in to make up for the ones moving out. If you work at a small base or a base with high turnover (like a training base without many permanent personnel), you will start a ton of clients, get great praise heaped on you by the home office for your New Clients Created, and make other advisors down the road rich when the client moves on, meanwhile you struggle to keep up with your goals that First Command directs towards you which are always going up. If you are not a sales person, do not hire on (this is true of most Financial Advisors I would bet). 90% of your job is convincing people to buy what FC has to offer. The 10% that is actual financial management you will pick up quickly and the vast array of software and home office expertise and eight layers of Compliance will make sure you do a good job at it.

It's a challenging career because people are too caught up in today to care about their future. It's easy to get frustrated and discouraged from the cancellations and no-shows. This is more of a calling than a career. You have to honestly care enough about people to pursue them in their own best interest.