[quote=babbling looney]

Give me an idea of how I can run an office for an entire year for less than $150,000.

Not everyone lives in expensive urban areas with their corresponding expensive rents,wages and cost of living.  Many successful advisors choose to live and work in more rural/suburban retirement destinations.  Granted my clienetele is somewhat short in the age 20 to 35 demographics, but I think I make up for it with the age 45 to 80+ affluent retirees.  The thinking that there are more opportunities in the "cities" merely because there are more people is not always true.  (Digressing briefly into political area here...sorry)  Many advisors from the Blue enclaves look at "rednecks" and "red states" as nuckle dragging neanderthals and a vast cultural wasteland.  Too bad. Many of my best clients are ranchers and farmers, who to look at, you wouldn't think have two cents to rub together, however they are mutli millionaires and loyal clients.

I listed in another post my bare bones overhead (without employee at this time) as approximately 18K a year.  Even if I pad it out by 100% to 36K and add an employee, who at current wages in this area would be thrilled to have a salary of 24K a year, I am still far below your 150K mark.    Sure I could spend 150K to have an office, but it would be overkill.  Granted I am not a million dollar producer, but I don't need to be to live a million dollar lifestyle.  It is all relevant to  your circumstances and level of need/greed.  I am happy with mine.

[/quote]

Nothing like having a farmer with 200 acres, no mortgage, no revolving debt, 10-99 shows him making 10k, although his actual income is closer to 200k.

[quote=Mojo]

[quote=Put Trader] 
But I have to pay the other half of my FICA; I don’t have a 401(k)
match; I have to pay my own phone bill; I have to pay for my own lease;
I have to pay for my own health insurance; I have to pay for my own
office; and I have to pay for my own assistant. 


[/quote]



Pu+sy, there’s something strange about this comment.



[/quote]



The other day, I let it slide when you wiffed the pension fund analogy.
The above freudian slip is the type of comment a 10-20-30 year vet
wouldn’t make, unless, their earning potential was very low 6-figure.
Put, are you contending that a 401k match is something that anyone
earning over 250k (let alone 100k) would consider as a factor (asset of
liability vanilla-p?) of the fulcrum for finding the tipping point of
an Indy exit strategy or to be strong  “golden handcuffs?” 
This is high comedy. Good show, Sir Loin.

[quote=Put Trader] [quote=Duke#1]

In sum, Put, you're being myopic in your analysis.

[/quote]

Or maybe I know exactly what it's all about and am simply acting as the ringmaster.

The boys and girls should note that Duke actually wrote many words in a coherent format--unlike Mojo who has yet to form a meaningful sentence or Starka who cannot seem to get past sneering.
[/quote]

But you see ClerkBoy, you never post anything worthy of more than a sneer.  All you are to me is an amusement.  Nothing more!

So jump up on your soap box and bleat for us!

[quote=Put Trader] [quote=Duke#1]

In sum, Put, you're being myopic in your analysis.

[/quote]

Or maybe I know exactly what it's all about and am simply acting as the ringmaster.

The boys and girls should note that Duke actually wrote many words in a coherent format--unlike Mojo who has yet to form a meaningful sentence or Starka who cannot seem to get past sneering.
[/quote]

You may think you know what it's all about, but that's not the reality.  You've been stuck in the "employee" side of our industry all your career, most of it being clouded by being management.  You may think you know what independence is all about, but you've never been there and its evident by the blinders that are steering your comments.  I've spent about an equal time of my career on both sides of the business (NYSE regional & wirehouse vs independence).  I've "been there, done that", and you haven't.   The validity of your observations about independence vs wirehouse would be as valid as if I started preaching about sophisticated options strategies simply because I read a good book or two.

Instead of pontificating from a postition of ingnorance I think you could be well served by being open-minded and learning from what many post on these forums.

This business is only for those who want to make a real lot of money and work incredibly hard…there are way too many brokers (especially at Jones) only making 60k per yr and starting at zero each month…you could make 60k per yr at a regular job and not have to go through 1/10th of the stress

[quote=Mojo]

[quote=Mojo]

[quote=Put Trader] 
But I have to pay the other half of my FICA; I don’t have a 401(k)
match; I have to pay my own phone bill; I have to pay for my own lease;
I have to pay for my own health insurance; I have to pay for my own
office; and I have to pay for my own assistant. 


[/quote]



Pu+sy, there’s something strange about this comment.



[/quote]



The other day, I let it slide when you wiffed the pension fund analogy.
The above freudian slip is the type of comment a 10-20-30 year vet
wouldn’t make, unless, their earning potential was very low 6-figure.
Put, are you contending that a 401k match is something that anyone
earning over 250k (let alone 100k) would consider as a factor (asset of
liability vanilla-p?) of the fulcrum for finding the tipping point of
an Indy exit strategy or to be strong  “golden handcuffs?” 
This is high comedy. Good show, Sir Loin.

[/quote]



I am sprechen Deutche und gooz schtepping to some Wagner-styled music
(I think it’s the Panamanian National Anthem). Please reply mien
Ubermensch. Only you can annihilate the nihilist.



       Out, out brief candle!

       Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

       That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

       And then is heard no more; it is a tale

       Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

       Signifying nothing.  Shakespeare’s Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 5)