Vantaggi
Initially very family friendly work environment.. Met with other advisors regularly to share ideas and experiences. Never felt like I was really alone. Left alone to run business how ever I wanted as long as I met sales goals. Good training program, BOA support, mostly team oriented with opportunities to lead and mentor other advisors.
Svantaggi
Took me six years to see through the corporate facade and wean off the Jones Kool-aid. New FAs are cannon fodder. Attrition rate in the first three years is north of 75% with most tapping out in the first year. Vets are excited to bring on new recruits since they get to split the good accounts (local partner get first choice) when they leave. Home office only cares about star producers. Field Supervisor has way too much power and can destroy you if you don't get along. Culture is two faced. We were trained to explain very eloquently how we always do what's right for the client. However, all training, compensation, and reward systems very subtly motivate us to sell "preferred" funds, annuities, and proprietary proprietary products that put more money in partner's pockets, and are in no way "best" for the client. In the end, Jones is among the worst of the organizations guilty of raping millions of middle class retirees and other retail investors by leveraging the fear created by the financial crisis to sell over-priced annuities and "alternative" investment products to line the pockets of the general partners.