Edward Jones Employee Reviews about "edward jones"

Pros

The company gives all employees a great level of support. They really care about each employee and are always working hard to improve their systems and communications. Edward Jones also has an excellent culture and truly is a unique place to work.

Cons

You really need a sales personality for certain positions in order to succeed. If you don't like sales, the FA position is not for you. Also, since each branch is like its own business, there can be immense pressure for FAs to succeed quickly.

Pros

The culture is great. Edward Jones like to move talented people around the firm to get them in a position that works for them.

Cons

Compensation compared to other firms is low. If you want the big bucks at Edward Jones become an Financial Advisor and do well in the field.

Pros

Edward Jones is a great company overall that takes care of its employees most of the time. Their training is extensive and lengthy, putting you in a position to succeed. Things like Regional meetings, diversification trips and so on are great perks. Being able to set you own schedule can be great or horrible, depending on the type of person you are.

Cons

Door to door sales isn't a fun way to build your business. Their compliance department isn't great, if you do something, they look for the worst possible reason it could be done (mistakes aren't mistakes but instead are crimes against the company). Nepotism runs high.

Pros

-It's great to have name brand recognition and the free marketing that comes with working for a known commodity like Edward Jones. -Great training program -Also, if you are looking to avoid micro management, this is the place for you.

Cons

It can be tough to see enough decision makers by going door to door during the daytime. This is a pretty big obstacle if this is your first time building a book. Also, the majority of new advisors do not have an office, which can create a perceived credibility issue in the eyes of prospects.

Pros

Am writing this from a BOA's perspective. Edward Jones has been voted a Best Place to Work for the last 14 or so years. It is indeed a great place to work IF you like the work. You work in a two-person office (some branches have more than one BOA), so IF you get along with your FA it can be a great environment because you create and maintain it. Edward Jones is an exceptionally well-organized corporate entity and offers extensive training and continuing education. The Managing Partner, Jim Weddle, is completely available, accessible, and open to all employees. He is an excellent communicator and Edward Jones as a company does an extraordinary job of allowing all employees to stay as engaged and informed as they choose. All employees are required to take anti-discrimination training, but they give you several months notice before the deadline and you take it online in their in-house Learning Center. There's a lot more positive I could say. It truly is an excellent company to work for IF you like the work. And, as Edward Jones has branches across the Nation and in Canada, there are great opportunities to transfer to another branch in your area or even another state--which is great for military wives.

Cons

The work and compensation. The BOA position is largely a 'paper pushing' job that requires extraordinary attention to detail--every day, all day long. It can be quite intense. Most BOAs will tell you it takes up to six (6) months before you really start to understand what you're doing, and two (2) to three (3) years before you really start to get comfortable with the position. It takes that long to really learn the job--and that's in the midst of constant changes in processing. You will also spend a significant amount of time scheduling appointments for the FA. If you're a people-person, you will likely enjoy contacting clients to schedule their reviews and follow up meetings, but the task it self gets old very quickly. Some BOAs work in branches that have a strong marketing focus. They send out pre-approved fliers (which is totally easy!) and then call/email clients and prospective clients to follow up. Again, doesn't take a rocket scientist to perform this task, but it can get old very quickly. It's basically the same job every day--no two days are alike because you're always dealing with different clients in different situations--but the basic tasks are the same every day: schedule appointments and manage the FAs calendar, manage client accounts and process paperwork. There is a TON of work to do in these three areas EVERY day (if you're in a busy branch) and you must make extensive and oft times duplicitous notes for every transaction, conversation, meeting, or action on the client's account. This too gets quite monotonous after a while. However, IF you like this kind of work, it's totally not a problem. The more anal you are the better you will do and like the BOA position. The major con is compensation for the BOA. Edward Jones pays their new BOAs a low annual salary because they are eligible for bonuses. The biggest bonus is called the Trimester Branch or FA Bonus (most FAs use the FA bonus title). This is a bonus that is issued three times per year by the company based on how your branch performed during the trimester. The better the performance, the bigger the bonus. HOWEVER, the BOA is NOT guaranteed ANY of this bonus. It is TOTALLY up to your FA!! So, you could have a very strong trimester--as we did in our branch--but the FA could give you LESS of a bonus IF you get any of it all!! As long as I was there, I NEVER understood how and why that could be acceptable. It's just the TWO of you in the branch, the BOA does most of the 'grunt' work, you're referred to as a branch TEAM, yet when the trimester bonus is issued, it's ALL the FAs bonus and he/she can share some of it IF they want to!!! Huh?!?!?! There's so much more to say about it, but this was the primary con for me and the primary reason why I left. That and the fact there's no room for professional growth and development. Edward Jones runs almost 12,000 branches across the Nation and in Canada. Their home offices are in St. Louis (primary) and Arizona. If you want to transfer into another position, most likely, you will have to look at openings at one of the home office locations. They are just now creating more field positions, but they are still primarily based out of one of the home office locations.

Pros

Edward Jones is a very supportive firm that is in the top tier of the large financial services firms. Much of your experience will depend on the middle management. Fast paced and demanding, this is not a career for everyone. You will be pushed to your limits and discarded if you don't perform. With that said, they are one of the most supportive firms from a resource standpoint if you can hack it.

Cons

They don't give new advisors much time if you can't hack it. It is a "produce or you're out" deal.

Pros

Edward Jones offers good sales training and they do an excellent job in preparing candidates for the Series 7 and 66 testing. The company has a solid reputation in the communities it serves and is better known to the general public thanks to it's recent television advertisements.

Cons

Although I didn't know when I joined Edward Jones, there’re two methods by which you can join this company as a Financial Advisor. The first, and they way I joined the firm, was as a completely new candidate; this path means that you’re not promised any assets or office space with which to begin your career. Needless to say, this path is a very difficult way to start your new profession and your chances of surviving long term are limited. Although I wasn’t aware of it until I was hired, you can join Edward Jones by way of another path. Often, Edward Jones Financial Advisors will recruit individuals, sometimes even one of their existing clients, to take over an office from a retiring or leaving advisor. This gives the new employee a base of customers and assets from which to build their career. This is the path you should pursue if you are considering a job as a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones.

Pros

Edward Jones is a great place to work because they truly care about the people that they are helping. They have longevity in this industry and they have set themselves apart from the competition with their unique business model. There is great support in this position from the home office as well as from the other branches in the city. Each branch is it's own business but there is no rivalry between branches other than friendly competition.

Cons

While Edward Jones is a great place to work, it is not for everyone. Working in an office of two has it's major pros and cons. If you don't have a great relationship with the FA in the branch, you are setting yourself up for failure. There can also be a lot of down time in the branch when you don't have anything to do and it is hard to stay motivated when you are alone.

Pros

Over the last 9 years I have had the opportunity to build a very rewarding career at Edward Jones. I am able to serve people in my community and actually feel like I am making a difference in their lives, have full control of my schedule and have had the opportunity to make enough where my wife can stay at home with our boys. Edward Jones has consistently giving me the training and resources I have needed at each step along the way in my career. As the Financial Advisor is the only profit center of the firm, we are always treated with respect and priority by the Home Office. Lastly, as a privately held partnership, it is great to work for a company who can look longer term than just the next quarterly earnings call. It is said that we invest over $200k into a new Financial Advisor before they become profitable...I am glad I was worth the chance.

Cons

"We take all the sharp knives out of the drawer, however you can still poke your eye out with a butter knife." If you are looking for complex or speculative investments, this will not be a fit. We serve the serious long term investor and all of our recourses are geared to that type of client.

Pros

Edward Jones provides a comprehensive training programs and strong support from other financial advisors in the region.

Cons

You need to have deep pockets and a ton of contacts to keep up with the "sales" goals they expect you to meet. Better get lucky if you intend to stay.