[quote=tmorris93]This is supposed to be a forum for
insights, ideas sharing of experiences etc.
[/quote]



OK, sit down and absorb some "insight."



There are several undeniable truths in Wall Street.  One is that
the hiriing standards for registered reps has been lowered–the job
cannot be considered sophisticated when all it takes in the way of an
educational background is the ability to blow on a cold mirror and have
it fog up.



What has to be asked is why.  Why would a once highly selective
industry embark on a self-imposed lowering of standards.  There
are lots of reasons including the fact that it is almost impossible to
find well educated young people and the industry must regenerate
itself–so in the absence of available smart kids settle for what is
there.  As this forum’s own Scorpio noted, it’s not hard to
explain mutual funds to people and that is (essentially) all that is
expected of today’s "customer’s man.“



Another reason is the national self-flagellation that we call
"diversity.”  The reality is that in order to obtain a diversified
workplace, standards cannot be kept high.  It’s happening across
the board–who among you would like to be rushed to a public hospital
if you’re in the back of an ambulance?  Who among you believe that
your son or daughter is going to encounter a string of excellent
teachers in your local public school?  Who among you finds a
diversified district attorney’s office to be the winner when it comes
to engaging in mental wars with defense attornies who dont’ give a damn
if their partnership resembles America?  Who among you figures
that the brightest accountants become IRS auditors?



The list of industries that have been negatively affected by the
dumbing down of the schools and the fixation on diversity is endless
and the malaise these two factors have caued infects all segments of
our society.



But what to do about it?  Well, how about this.



Go ahead and hire marginally qualified individuals as the “face” of the
company but support them with a cadre of brains–the “shooters” as
somebody called them the other day.



Let Bob or Brenda Broker find the client.  Let them explain mutual
funds and the few other things that they are capable of
explaining.  The odds of them actually encountering a need for
specific expertise is not that great–but if it happens fly in somebody
who is smart enough to grasp the advanced subject and close the deal.



It is presented as a benefit of working at a full service shop–and it
is.  But it’s even more, it’s a necessity.  The reality is
that a branch office of Merrill, or Smith Barney, or any of the othes
simply does not have the brain power available–somebody needs to come
in and help.



The concept is not new–shooters have always been around.  It’s
what I became in 1977, a “Have Gun, Will Travel” type for the firm’s
options effort.  There were similar guys for insurance products,
tax shelters, futures, etc.  What was different was we were only
summoned when the client was an elephant–for the average retail client
the local broker was fully capable of explaining the products. 
After all, we were all college graduates who were chosen because we
scored high on the battery of IQ tests they gave us–most of you were
chosen because you scored relatively low.  Bright enough to be
able to explain mutual funds–but not much more.



How many of you could close–without a shooter–a prospect who is
saying, "I’m interested in putting $500,000 into a disciplined ratio
writing program using no issue that is not in the Dow 30?"



How many of you could close–without a shooter–an executive who is
retiring with $10 million in a qualified plan and wants to minimize the
tax implication of diversifying?



I could write several more questions like that, but why bother. 
The answer is that most of you could handle none of them–others of you
could handle one, perhaps two.



Why cannot you handle all of them?  Are you not smart
enough?  Are you not motivated enough?  Just what is the
factor in play that causes your employer to look at you as being smart
enough to explain mutual funds, but not smart enough to do much else?



Several of you are making insane comments such as trying to keep your
clients away from the firm’s shooters, lest the firm convert the client
to being more loyal to the firm than to you.  The reality is that
that is going to be what happens most of the time regardless of what
you try to do.



Suppose somebody like me–thirty years experience, well spoken, well
educated, etc–is the shooter you find yourself making a call
with.  You picked me up at the airport and we’re heading for your
client’s office.



Do you suppose I will leave there without leaving my business card, and
collecting your client’s business card?  Do you suppose your
client will assume that I am pulling your strings?  Do you suppose
your client is thinking a variation of, "Well, the local kid didn’t
seem to know anything, but that guy with him sure knew his stuff?"



It is anticipated that this is a long term relationship, right? 
As the years go by you’re out there holding the guy’s hand but do you
think he’s talking to me too?  Whose name do you suppose is on his
Rolodex card with a yellow highlighter accent?



Let’s suppose you decide to leave the firm.  Some of your clients
will be distributed to other guys and gals in your local branch–who
will be on the phone with them before you have got yourself to your new
office.  “Mr. Johnson, my name is Billy Broker and I"m with
Acme.  I’m calling because we had to let Bobby Broker go this
morning and I’d like to assure you that continuity in your relationship
with Acme is not at risk.”



"Oh, is that right–you signed the documents to have your account
transferred?  Well, if you decide to stay with us we can
countermand those instructions.  Please let me tell you a bit
about myself and why I think you should decide to stay with me. 
I"ll start by saying that I am have a degree in business, I believe
Bobby dropped out after his sophomore year…"



Or how about this.  Billy Broker is looking at Mr. Johnson’s
account and sees that he has a position in the Smegma Fund.  “Mr.
Johnson, I see that you own the Smegma Fund.  I won a trip to
their home office last year and think it’s a hell of a
fund…”  Do you really think Mr. Johnson is going to
remember that Biilly told him that, even if it’s not true?



The role of the shooter is even easier.  "Even though we had to
let Bob Broker go I want you to know that I’m still very much involved
and will continue to be available to Billy Broker, who I understand has
been assigned your account…"



How about this for a Macheavellian twist.  Hire nimrods, work them
for ten, fifteen, twenty years then install a policy that in order to
retain your job you must have a degree.



"Damny Bob Broker, I hate to see you go but I’m sure you understand
that the firm has lost some arbitration claims because we lowered our
standards for a few years back when you were hired.  The reality
is that we never should have hired you in the first place, and the new
management team at the home office is making demands that I hate to see
implemented but there’s nothing I can do."



Your broker/dealer is not here to provide you a job.  They are a
money making organization responsible to their owners and nobody
else.  You have no right to work for them and they have no
obligation to continue to offer you a place to go.



The world is filled with people who were cut free–who would have sworn
that their clients would rise up in righteous indignation.



That you don’t think like this, or that you don’t like the possibility
that you could become a victim of some weird twist in the
employer/employee dynamic does not change the reality that we are all
out here on our own and we damn sure better be planning for the worst.



Even you “Indy” types are hanging out there.  Suppose Tom James
decides to sell out to The Bank of England and the Bank of England
decides that all they want is the Boynton Beach branch of
RJ&A.  I understand that my example is ridiiculous–but no
more ridiculous than your believe that you’re immune from unbelievable
turmoil at almost any second.



Another book you should read is “What Color Is Your Parachute?”

Wow, did anyone manage to make it behond the third paragraph of above?  We should give a prize out to anyone who can manage to muddle through the entire thing. 

Tmorris-Brokers are unique people.  They have to be to survive in this business.  And it takes an especially strong personality to start from scratch and make it.   So relax.  You're seeing a lot of very strong personalities all put together in one spot.  There are about 40 brokers in my office and it isn't much different than this forum.  I suggest you get used to it if you want to be in this business.        

Put, after your post I'm more convinced than ever that you clearly don't have the pulse of our business today.  I strongly take issue with your opinion of the sophistication/knowledge of reps today versus the old days when you selling options.  I've been around about as long as you (registered in 1977), so I know of what I speak.  Unlike you, I'm  in production and know first-hand what our business is like.

Back in those early days of my career most brokers were smile & dial transaction types selling the "stock du jour".  The good ones were trying to manage stock/bond portfolios.  Some, like you, might have specialized in a narrow nitch (options in your case). That was basically it. It was a relatively simplistic business once you had the requisite experience. 

Today, reps need to know much, much more than when you and I were first selling to be successful, competitive, and to properly serve their clients.  First, the product side of the business is tremendously broader than in the old days.  (Just consider how many varieties of debt instruments there are today, let alone all the new investment categories and the myriad of products within those categories.) Secondly, reps now need to have a much broader strategic education to serve clients -- asset allocation, financial planning, retirement planning, etc..  There are some dinosaurs still left in our business that are entirely lost today.  They come away from our educational conferences looking glassy-eyed and shell-shocked over what they don't know and can't comprehend.

You keep harping on the lower mental capacity/education of reps today.  I don't know who you work for, but you're obviously not aware of the screening that goes on in the quality b/ds to ensure that trainees have the requisite mental power to handle our business today.  And what's all this stuff about lack of college degrees?  The default position for most, if not all, good firms is to require college.  Sometimes exceptions are made for relevant work & life experience.

The use of "shooters" as you call them is not a bad thing; it's actually a very responsible thing if the rep is going to properly serve their clients.  With the much more sophisticated business of today, it's imperative that these resources be available and utilized.  No one can be expected today to be an expert in all that we face, regardless of education, mental capacity, or experience.  I've been a practicing CFP for 20 years and feel I'm very proficient as a financial planner.  But, I'm smart enough to know when I don't know enough about something to effectively meet my clients' planning needs.  If I have a corporate executive client/prospect with $1mm or more of company stock, I know enough to bring in our "structured products group".  These "shooters" as you call them, are much better positioned than I to design strategies with variable pre-paid forwards, participating VPFs, costless collars, etc.  It would be irresponsible of me not to bring them into the picture.

So, you can keep spouting off about college degrees and the dumbing down of our industry -- but you simply don't know what you're talking about when you do.  The old days when you were once producing were the least sophisticated days in our business. 

Put wrote: "Even you "Indy" types are hanging out there.  Suppose Tom James decides to sell out to The Bank of England and the Bank of England decides that all they want is the Boynton Beach branch of RJ&A.  I understand that my example is ridiiculous--but no more ridiculous than your believe that you're immune from unbelievable turmoil at almost any second."

Put, one beauty of our "indy types" is that RJ, LPL, etc. don't own us or our books.  So, if the RJF board decides to sell out and I don't like the buyer (or the buyer doesn't like me), I and all the rest of my indy associates here can go freely go our merry way to other b/d's of our choosing.  Heck, we might all band together & form our own b/d!

[quote=Duke#1]

Put, one beauty of our "indy types" is that RJ, LPL, etc. don't own us or our books.  So, if the RJF board decides to sell out and I don't like the buyer (or the buyer doesn't like me), I and all the rest of my indy associates here can go freely go our merry way to other b/d's of our choosing.  Heck, we might all band together & form our own b/d!

Duke>>>These “shooters” as you call them, are much better positioned than I to
design strategies with variable pre-paid forwards, participating VPFs,
costless collars, etc.  It would be irresponsible of me not to bring
them into the picture.



That client does not belong to you–that client belongs to the shooter
who offered them the advice you were incapable of offering.



You’re whistling past the grave yard if you don’t think that the
shooter could contact the customer and tell them that they have lost
faith in you and suggest that the client entertain the thought of
allowing somebody else to offer advice in the future.



I realize that the entire industry is built on trust, and that you have to trust that it won’t happen.



All I am saying is that there are lots of things that we all should be
looking out for–and that being a dumb-ass guy who explains mutual
funds is not going to be enough to build a lifetime career.



I also agree that the industry offers far more products than it once
did, where we differ is that I do not agree that the quality of the
reps being hired has kept up with the product development.



Unless you have been in my shoes you have no idea–none–regarding what
a bunch of dumb asses most kids under 40 are.  As
somebody–Scorpio I think–pointed out the smart kids in the younger
generations are able to find work that is intellectually stimulating.



You and I–and others who got licensed more than twenty five years
ago–are the last generation of brokers who are smart enough to grasp
the business.



Again, you do not have the world vision I do.  You have not had
reason to encounter thousands of college graduates who cannot write a
business letter much less grasp the fact that they hold their client’s
futures in their hands.



Do you really think that a guy who signs his posts in this forum “Fist
Full of Forex” is out there doing good by the people he’s fleecing?



Being willing to criticize what is worthy of being criticized is a sign
of intellectual maturity.  I fear you are just another slave to
the “Who am I to judge” mentality that we call political correctness.



With that I’m leaving.  Going to play with the wife and dog for the rest of the day.

Each morning I read the Wall Street Journal looking for grains of wisdom or truth that may give me insight for my job.  Most of the journal is filled with unusable garbage.  However, if you read it with an open mind, you can learn from it.

I see similarities to this board.  While I often don't agree with some of what is written, there is wisdom to be gained.  I see a daily clash between new brokers ready to tackle the world and make their fame and fortune and experienced brokers who have been tempered by the fires of a long career.  I enjoy reading both.

I would encourage all to read with an open mind, enjoy some of the humor and look for tiny pearls of wisdom.

Koom Ba Ya Baby!

TMORRIS93

YOU MADE ALL THE 3 AND 4 STAR GUYS COME OUT.  DEFEND YOURSELF SOILDER!!!!

WORD OF ADVICE:  I FEEL THE SAME WAY. PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD DO COMPLAIN IN MANY OF THIER POSTS. BUT REMEMBER THIS "TAKE WHAT YOU CAN USE AND LEAVE THE REST"  I DONT CARE WHO IS BICKERING I JUST WANT INFO. JUST READ THE POSTS UNTIL YOU SEE ABOUT 4 CONSECUTIVE POSTS THAT HAVE QUOTES FROM OTHER POSTS. THATS WHEN IT STARTS TO GET UGLY. GOOD LUCK

PUT

THAT POST WAS AMAZING.  I AM HALF WAY DONE AND GOING TO TRY TO FINISH BY THE END OF THE WEEK.  IF NOT FOR SURE BY THE END OF THE MONTH.

Put wrote: "You're whistling past the grave yard if you don't think that the shooter could contact the customer and tell them that they have lost faith in you and suggest that the client entertain the thought of allowing somebody else to offer advice in the future."

Put, again your thought process & conclusions are biased by YOUR employer's policies and/or YOUR unfortunate experience in the wirehouse side of the business.  Once again, you're speaking out of ignorance about this business outside of your own narrow experience. "Shooters" at RJ don't have any opportunity to take clients from our reps.  As a matter of policy at RJ, the reps are clients of the firm.  The "shooters" and everyone else in support roles are here to service the reps, help them do business, and not to compete for their clients.  In fact, I've received prospect referrals from RJ "shooters". 

Your jaundiced, prejudicial and negative opinions on just about everything about the industry is unfortunate.  You must have really been burned by someone or some event in the past.  For that I feel sorry for you.

Lost in the highspeed chatter of constuctive criticism is an analogous way of thinking showing the forest instead of each tree.



When our firm “restructured” we reseached a number of studies on the
subject of competittion within advisory  business. Our main
concerns were threefold. Generalist or specialist. Increasing pre-tax
margins. Independent or leveraged scale.



One example which provided some of the form and design to the currents
moving our practice was to consider the evolution of the healthcare
industry. Twenty years ago, small generalists represented the market
where they operated in a procedure driven environment (substitute
transaction fee, or a mental picture of Putsy with a shiny silver
dollar in his hand). Today the healthcare industry has been
commercialized by large enterprises known as HMO’s and PPO’s. They
control the structure of compensation for the generalist and
effectively migrated the “procedure fee” into a percentage for
"patients under management." These large groups have efficiently
commoditized the industry for generalists and pressured a low-bidder
environment.



The decision we made was to align ourselves with the specialists. 
We operate in a specific niche with alternative capabilities in an area
our competition will find hard-pressed to marginalize. The parallel
universe would be populated with plastic surgeons, opthalmologists,
cosmetic dermatologists, cardiologists and neurosurgeons. Since, we
already were positioned to service a form of client which demanded
design options tailored to fit their particular needs - we were able to
transition seamlessly to a relationship which charges a premium for our
services. Our competition tends to present products selected from
off-the-shelf solutions designed to serve the masses. The chasis design
of  a double-decker bus painted red with a whitegloved driver
pulling up at the clients doorstep loses its curb-appeal when it
procedes to stop at each corner to pick up passengers to fill the
required “seats.” Additionally we joined forces with a collective of
firms which provided the leverage we lacked alone. The magnification of
similar client groups has improved our ability to enhance client
advocacy. This enhanced our position as specialists with the reputation
to handle complex financial problems, by designing handbuilt credible
solutions, backed by the necessary influence to implement. This
continues to drive the perception of value.



The bottom line is scale and margins. Privately held advisories can’t
fight it out toe-to-toe with the 800lb gorillas on price. These
monolithic beasts can absorb losses which will cripple the independent.
Putsy’s view is like the City Doctor in the late 60’s who was still
making house call’s on his wealthy clients. His relationships were
driven by introductions and understanding a servants place. I would
learn more from him if he would take the time to tell good war stories
so the next generation can adjust to the changes facing the profession.
The romantic arguments for a “better advisor” are defeated when you
realize the captain is just workin’ for da man.

[quote=tmorris93]It is very sad that newbies like myself come to this forum hoping to
get some usefull info and all we get is a bunch of losers that having
nothing better to do than sit at their PC all day and bicker with other
losers they have never met before. Led by the dumb azz put trader. What
a life you guys must have. Obviously you don’t have wives. You guys
remind me of little teenage girls. This is supposed to be a forum for
insights, ideas sharing of experiences etc. Not a teenage chat room
where old burnouts can see who can come up with the best insult. Grow up
[/quote]



Tmorris, take a page from Blarmston’s notebook. Watch and learn. We
aren’t here to educate you or provide improved adult daycare services.
You might want to ask yourself the same questions you have posed for
us.  Your approach wont get you invited to play “golf”  if
you don’t learn and demonstrate the ettiquete of the game. In a “real
world” I would remind you that I tip my bartender more for advice then
you make in paychecks. Good luck meat.

"In a "real world" I would remind you that I tip my bartender more for advice then you make in paychecks. Good luck meat."

Wow Mojo, little harsh on the guy eh ???? You should come out to sunny San Diego and relax on the beach- lots to look at out here

We make it for the Newport to Ensenada Race each year. We recoup’d this
year on Coronado while the kiddies checked out the zoo. If Bonds gets
over the Balco thing and makes it back soon after the all-star break,
we may come down to check out the new park. If not, there’s always
spring '06.

Was anyone else surprised that Put has a wife and a dog?

[quote=sienna]Was anyone else surprised that Put has a wife and a dog?[/quote]



Yeah- and even more surprsied his name is Fito.

[quote=sienna]Was anyone else surprised that Put has a wife and a dog?[/quote]



Not just a wife, a best friend and soul mate.  Met her in 1969 married her in '71.



A long marriage is just another of the generally accepted positives about life that characterize my entire existance.



I am proud to be a golden boy who losers refer to as "Yuppie Scum."



As for the dog.  Putette is a “Brookie.”  There is a younger
Brookie in the news today–figure it out.  As a very upscale woman
she is not going to have an ordinary canine.  Add that we live in
a relatively small home and you can determine that we’re most likely to
have a small dog.



Our guy is 11 pounds, off-white with champagne colored ears.  When
we got him his breed was very rare–but there are more of them now.



Bred to be gifts from Spanish sea captains to the ladies of the Cuban
Court they became almost extinct when Castro ordered that they be
killed because they were signs of the despised aristocracy.  A few
had been taken out of danger and before the breed died out some of the
former Cuban aristocracy in Miami, Costa Rica and Spain started
breeding them back.



We got our guy in Zurich of all places.  We were in a cafe and
started talking to a woman at the next table about her well behaved
companion–who was sitting in a chair watching what was happening.



To our amazement after less than an hour she asked if we would like to
have him–free for nothing.  She had spent close to $2,000 US for
him but he was a bit of a problem for her since he has eplipsy. 
It’s no big deal–five minutes of gentle head bobbing is all.  The
problem is that it happens most often in the dead of night and he needs
to be taken out immediately and she was not into 3 AM walks.



Our plans had us leaving for Montreaux the next morning–she suggested
that we take him with us and if it didn’t work out we could drop him
off on our way back.  We looked at each other, and in one of those
moments that long time married people understand, we realized that we
were going to  have a new travelling buddy.



He’s been back to Europe five times since he left.  We don’t want
him to lose his roots or his accent.  He keeps asking when we’ll
sponsor him for US citizenship.  I don’t think we will, we’re
afraid that he’ll vote for Hillary.



Europe is such a great place to travel with a dog–they’re welcome everywhere.



We fly to Stuttgart.  Normally it’s the week after Thanksgiving
and the only reservation we have is an apartment in Salzburg from
December 22nd through the 29th.  We often have no idea where we’ll
go, although we will have talked about things we’d like to do. 
Over the years we’ve developed a tradition of having two rough ideas of
what we’ll do–perhaps head to France and drop down into Spain before
heading for Salzburg through Switzerland.  Or perhaps heading
north to Belgium and the Netherlands before drifting south through
Germany, stopping off as the whims dictate to prowl the Christmas
markets.



We’re in the garage at Stutgart, ready to put the car into
gear.   We filp a coin and how it comes up dictates which way
we turn as we leave the airport.



As for his name–he took to English very easily and soon forgot the
French name that is on his papers.  We call him several things,
but the most appropriate is “Velcro.”



We’ve had more than a few people stop us going through airports to say
that our dog lives better than they do.  It’s true–how many of
you go to Europe for a month every year and can get a fool human to
pick you up and carry you if you get a little tired or a bit cold?

Damn it worked.

Here’s some advice …

Study, pass your exams, and develop your selling skills. That’s what it’s all about. 



Good luck!