Pros
The culture of the company is very close-knit and comfortable, and the company does provide the tools for a basic start to a financial advisor career. The training program is good for the fundamentals of the industry and is relevant to the business model the company pushes.
Cons
However, despite claims of "independence", the selection of funds is really limited to the basic fund families as well as a group of basic products. During the interview process and subsequent training, there is a lack of transparency when it comes to exactly how much money one will make. If the connections aren't there or the networking doesn't yield desired contacts, there is very little room for advancement, regardless of the business one does. The business model begins with the premise of using personal contacts to start building clientele, but aside from that first piece, there is very little help offered besides the occasional event or piece of advice for direction.