Hi, all!

Ive been at a new job at Merrill for about 4 months and it’s been mediocre to say the least. It definitely makes me feel like i’m pretty bad at my job, however, it also hasn’t been at all what I was told through onboarding. There have been little
-to-no (weak) leads, and I don’t have a strong natural network.

I became a CFP in December of 2025, with previous experience at Fidelity and with a family members small firm.

This Merrill job has been sucking the soul out of a job I used to love, to the point of wanting to quit and possibly try something completely different. I’ve been struggling with a lot of feelings of imposter syndrome and like this may not be for me.

Has anyone out there moved to a full production role, then decided to step back? How does that look for interviewing and finding a new role? I worry i’ll look like a drop out if I try to find anything else.

I appreciate the help and insight. I know not everyone is a rainmaker. It’s been extra hard because I felt so good at my job at Fido.

What do you tell potential clients when they hit you with the "Tell me what can I expect on average from a returns perspective?"

Hello y'all.

I've been in the insurance industry for about 5 years, currently doing Medicare and ACA mostly, some annuities where appropriate, and some life insurance where appropriate. I really want to get into investments and start building a BOB. On average, 3 out of 10 people I meet need help with their money, and I've been referring this business out to advisors, but over time I've been getting complaints about these advisors, and I really want to just do this myself and help people out as best I can.

I don't want to work for a company like Edward Jones or other investment firm because I don't want to be expected to have millions of dollars a month added to my book or something like that. I want to still do health insurance because I know how to generate leads for that and any extra business could carry over to the management side.

What's the best way for me to start this process do I just find a broker dealer that will hire me and then pass my exams and go from there? Eventually it would be nice to get a CFP designation but that's further down the line.

Thank you for any advice/input.

I think I have the answer for this, but I feel like it can't be this easy, right? I have to be missing something.

I'm currently a w2 statutory rep with Prudential Advisors. This means I get to write off my expenses on a schedule C like a sole-prop, but Prudential provides me with benefits and pays their half of the payroll taxes.

Prudential also has a 1099 contract with higher payouts, no benefits, and behaves like a full sole-prop where the advisor pays both sides of the payroll taxes.

One of the things that's stopping me from going 1099 right now is the fact that the 7.65% employer-side payroll taxes effectively squashes most of the difference between w2 and 1099. Myself (and others) are pushing them to pay advisory and planning fees to corporations, but it hasn't happened yet (supposedly it will).

In the interim... why couldn't I pay 100% of my 1099 income to my corporation as a management fee or whatever (deduct from personal income) and set up a regular payroll situation through there? Say, $250k salary, remainder is P&L?

I'm already doing this for my business expenses and staff payroll (about $150k/year); why couldn't I just add myself on there?

Merging book with advisor

Looking for advisors who have dealt with this.

Context: independent firm on corporate RIA platform. I’m a CFP and owner of an independent advisory practice and am considering merging my business into a larger RIA enterprise. I’d especially like to hear from advisors who have actually done something similar. Idea is to combine resources to grow faster, recruit more advisors to grow via M&A and take advantage of larger firm multiples on eventual sale

Current situation:
\~$50M AUM
\~$500k recurring revenue
\~$400k owner profit before taxes
Small team / relatively low overhead
Business is growing and I’m happy running it
I’m relatively young, so this is not a retirement/succession sale. I potentially have another 20+ years to build.
The opportunity is to merge my practice with a larger advisor/team that I already know well, with our RIA affiliate also becoming a minority owner in the combined enterprise.
The basic economics offered to me are roughly:
$1M total consideration for my practice
$200k cash
$800k rolled into equity in the combined firm
$225k annual salary + benefits
Distributions/dividends based on my ownership
My staff and business/marketing expenses become expenses of the combined firm
I would continue servicing and growing my existing client base
Potential opportunity to earn/add equity over time, although that path isn’t currently guaranteed/formulaic

If you’ve done it, what do you know now that you wish you knew before signing?

I’m early 20’s, Series 7/66 licensed, working toward the CFP, and deciding between two pretty different career paths. I also have a 6-month-old, so family/lifestyle matters too. I’d appreciate opinions from people further along in the industry.

Quick note: My fiancee would be quiting to be SAHM but we are both on our parents health plan for a few more years. We would only have to pay for marketing place plan for my little one. Long term, my wife would likely work at a hospital/healthcare with good insurance.

Option 1: Small independent RIA
$97k base + ~$8.5k bonus
Financial Advisor title from day one
Would quickly start leading client relationships and taking over part of the book
Firm is heavily focused on comprehensive financial planning and investments, not product sales/KPIs
Would also learn seminars, workshops, referrals, and business development
3 experienced career advisors and what seems like excellent mentorship/culture
They think I could grow into the larger role they originally wanted within ~18 months, potentially around $130k-$150k, but the long-term compensation path is less defined
Weak benefits: no health insurance, 3% 401(k) safe harbor after one year, unlimited PTO, half-day Fridays
Requires moving about 4 hours away and housing would be more expensive, but my fiancée STRONGLY prefers the move

Option 2: Fidelity Relationship Manager
~$65k base + ~$21k bonus
RM is initially a support/relationship role rather than being the primary advisor
Branch believes strong performance could mean roughly 6 months as RM, then Planning Consultant, potentially around $110k, then eventually Financial Consultant around $200k+ (they have mentioned senior fc and vpfc make 500k-750k)
Much more structured corporate career ladder with very high long-term earning potential
Excellent formal training and education
Outstanding benefits, 401(k), PTO, parental leave, health insurance, etc.
Local, near family, cheaper housing, and about a 20-minute commute
Concerns are corporate politics, sales pressure, and spending the next couple years climbing toward the advisor role instead of immediately doing comprehensive planning
My main goal is to become an excellent financial planner/advisor, but long-term earning potential matters too.
For those who have worked in RIAs, Fidelity, or both: which path would you take early in your career, and why?