management associate

financial advisor

entry level manager

planner

financial professional

Equitable Advisors

Typical Day:
Tri-Role Advisor: 1.) Book the Appointments. 2.) Presentation
3.) Process Paperwork
Repeat.

My day varies, depending on the clients I am meeting day-to-day.  It depends on the stage of career and life events  that my clients are at. (From day 1 at work; signing up for voluntary and involuntary retirement plans, to starting a family, up to the day of retirement and throughout their retirement days).

Here's an example:
Prospect, Set Appointments, Run Face-to-Face Appointments, Process Paperwork, Follow through with NIGO's (not in good order),
Run Staff Meetings, Host Financial Seminars, Prep for Next Day Appointments, Speak about Benefits at Benefits Fair and Enrollment Meetings, Host Luncheons, Host Participation Seminars. Educate clients about Tax Law, Asset Allocation, Assess Risk Aversion Score,
Help client make an Informed decision. Drive to office to submit paperwork and prep for next day appointments and obligations.
Repeat.

Discovery Process- Gather financials and goals that are important to client, Take Information Back to Office to Analyze Data, Bounce Ideas Off of Joint Business Partners, Run Different Scenarios, Present Strategy to Client(showing projections on what'll happen if client does nothing and what'll happen if client chooses to put recommendation into place), Client Decides the Action Desired to Move Forward. Review Account and Financial Needs within a timeframe client picks to make sure that with all of the market changes and life changes specific to client; that goals and finances stay aligned.. Repeat.

Set Annual reviews. Run Annual Reviews. Cross Sell. 
Divert Financial Strategy for Household Needs.
Review Life Insurance Policies, Educate, Needs Analysis, Discover the appropriate Amount of Life Insurance Coverage, Run the Correlated Illustrations based on Needs Analysis, Present Illustrations. Answer questions.
Ask about Long Term Care. Educate as Necessary. Help Clients Who Are In The Process of Taking Care of Their Elderly Parents to Strategize Income strategies based on the Spend Down Laws. 
 Repeat.

Retirement: 
Make sure my clients are saving enough, throughout their careers, to have a sound retirement; while making sure all other assets are aligned with a common strategy for 10,15-20 years into retirement time Fill out retirement application with clients, help clients understand their choices (single life annuity, Joint and survivor (with and without reversion), Period Certain, Annuitize, Should client take PLOP(Partial-Lump-Sum-Option) or not based on their financial situation.)  Develop Income Distribution Strategy.
Repeat.
END OF TYPICAL DAY./

Learned a lot! 
I interned at AXA, my last year of college.  I learned everything above in a typical day: Including, but not limited to; Tax Law-Illustrations-How to Prospect-The numerous ways Life Insurance can be used to help clients meet their financial goals.  AXA has extensive training; I developed a wealth of knowledge; which has equipped me to do extremely well in the financial industry. 
 
Management-
I couldn't ask for a more passionate and caring manager! 
A very structural Top-down (vertical) management approach.


Hardest Part: 
Lack of Structuring Daily Activity: Structure for Advisors on how to manage day(which has it perks, but this was the hardest part of my job, to me.. (prioritizing daily activity to waste as little time as possible).  Some people, like myself,  need more guidance than others when starting out in the financial services industry; to effectively manage the multitude of daily tasks; as stated in the typical day, above. 

My co-workers:
Love them!
Did joint work when it made sense to. 

The Most Enjoyable Part of My Job is..
The uniqueness of each individual household.  Every family has different goals and aspirations. Makes every appointment worth while. The most rewarding part of my job is the peace of mind my clients have before I leave their house.

Worked as intern for 4 years and was on contract for one year.
AXA is a job where you will have to learn quickly and work alot. The things I wish I knew before joining are:

-you will be heavily encouraged to contact friends and family. I was even encouraged to contact my ex’s family. This is a double edged sword. If you have a good network (especially consisting of people with money) you could cash out big time. However, lack of one will probably ruin your chances of succeeding. Dont join if your hesitant about marketing to your friends and family. Theres also the issue of selling bad products to family which ill get to later. This job has a high risk of burning personal bridges.
- AXA is a LIFE INSURENCE company. Their pay structure forces you to push terrible insurence products. Whole/permanant and structured products pay 100% of the first premium up front as commission. This is really the only way to make your 6 month quotas. Taking assests under managment like normal wealth managment, will only generate a small % each year. It is a nearly impossible way to meet quota unless you have millions under managment. You will be put into the position of being let go or pushing terrible products on your family and friends who will be stuck with them even if you leave. (This was a leading reason for my voluntary termination).
-there is zero work/life balance. Best practice was working 12 hours a day plus saturdays.
-beginning pay is dismal for the amount of work. You get $2,000 a month plus reduced commissions. This is phased out after one year and replaced with 100% commission.
-benefits are great, but their is an even higher quota if you want to participate. The benefits are a way AXA forces you to work harder. There is nothing like the risk of loosing your health insurence and 401(k) match to convince you to get your granmda to spend her retirment on terrible insurence products.
-there are many fee’s attatched to advisors. You have to pay rent for your cubicle, computer, software, and E&O insurence. Some dont kick in until 6 months, but others are immediate. Commissions are recived up front. If your client cancles the contract or you leave, you will be forced to pay back the balance.

To summerize, the workplace is great. The managment is very helpfull and availible, however they are driven by making money off your clients so you cant trust them 100% but they will effectivly support your practice. The support staff are also great. Other advisors in your team will also help you succeed. Its a very healthy atmosphere.
This job is like the bootcamp of business, so its a great place to start if you wanna learn.
There are a lot of risks that need to be noted. If your not comfortible calling up your old highschool buddies parents to sell them a whole life policy, then this job isnt for you. If you are in a good social position with lots of money in your natural market then this job will probably give you a lucrative living. AXA however, has the habit of marketing to ambitious college students. Managments goal is to bring you on and get you to bring your family and friends in to expand the client base. Most wash out at their first 6 month qouta, but their friends and family are suck in contracts with AXA.

AXA can be put into the same catigory of cutco, amway, and those other ponzi schemes. The products are just more complex and there is less competition.

AXA Advisors is a top notch place to learn the industry X's and O's.  I would highly recommend to anyone looking to jump into the industry for the first time as they have put together a rigorous training curriculum that very few can rival that will teach you a ton.  The management and training is on point and I couldn't think of a better or more fun place if you want to get a start into the insurance industry.  I learned so much in 3 years there I feel like I could write a book although I'm sure just like anything, you get out what you put in.  I think a lot of it has to do with who your direct manager is, but worst case scenario, you'll still be at a good spot.  They will teach you everything you need to know about how to make it in the industry and while it is "sink or swim," they will always put you in a position to succeed.  The people of Greater Houston (and across Texas) are literally awesome from top to bottom.  They're all really friendly, personable, and sharp.  The products are pretty average and you will pitch proprietary products 99% of the time which aren't terrible but definitely aren't the best.  They will tell you it's "not corporate America sales," but it definitely is- although what sales operation isn't?  The monthy fees and expenses they charge are borderline underhanded as they will charge you rent, E&O coverage, etc. and never tell you (but that's not uncommon in insurance.)  I think the cumulative compensation package and company as an entity are both probably middle of the road (or slightly above) but the people are the best in the industry.  If you want to work with sharp, fun, friendly, cool, hard-working people, this will be a really good fit.  One-time Commission products with no base salary is not for everyone so if you want to go more on the investment side for fee-based comp, I'd go to an investment shop.  In particular, if you want to cut your teeth with some really great people while learning the basics and get world class life insurance training, there probably isn't a better place in Houston.  If there was a ranking for least nerdy/coolest people in the life insurance industry, AXA Texas would be at the very top of the list. They're like the cool crowd in the high school of life insurance.

The experience with Equitable has been transparent from day one. It is hard but rewarding. Put in the time, do joint work and follow the system. Getting licensed will take time. Building your client base will take about 4 to 5 years. You will work hard and a lot of hours and you will have months you get compensated nicely and months that you barely get compensated. This is a long term career you work too hard the first couple years to give up. Everything started clicking about mid way through the third year for me. I never was a top producer. I have a great District Manager that is there when I needed him and guides me through the challenges of the career. We also celebrate when we get our victories. The rest of the leadership of the Rocky Mountain branch is available if I need them and share the vision effectively. Training is the best I have seen. It may be almost too much. You need to determine early on what you want your practice to look like as there are almost to many options. I feel the manager will put in the work that you put in to build your practice. Not all managers manage the same way and not all have the same type of teams or philosophy. For me a good target market and prospecting team was important when I started. One challenge is keeping the interest of the client first. This is how I have focused my business and I believe Equitable has the tools, products and allows you to go to network if there is a better solution for them. Technology in my opinion is okay at best but constantly improving. Culture is excellent and fun if you get involved. Candidates need to make sure they can maintain independence because you ultimately are your own boss and need to hold yourself accountable. First year min comp should be $50k, every year after should increase. Income much greater after 5 years on average. Not part time job.

Been with the company for about a year. Senior work partner is everything. Worked with one manager for a time and nothing ever closed. Started working with another and I’m doing much better. Not sure if I’ll be here long term. I don’t mind the grind, but it’s hard to get paid from AUM. We use LPL as our broker dealer, so we have access to a huge array of money managers that we can recommend. The downside is that half our annual fee that we charge for AUM is paid to LPL to have access to their network of money mangers, portfolios, etc, and the only proprietary products we offer are annuities and insurance. Thankfully the annuities are hard to beat and sell very well. At the end of the day, our relationship with LPL works in the client’s best interest because we aren’t compensated any more or less for one recommendation over another. I assume advisors at other firms that offer proprietary investment funds make more from AUM because they don’t have to pay a broker dealer like we do. However, most of the senior advisors at the firm who are in their early 30s are making low six figure income at the very least and will be pushing mid six figures by the time they hit 40. My only concern is that Equitable makes it really difficult to move your book if you wanted to work somewhere else. They have some aggressive non-compete clauses so you’re kind of stuck with them if you want to do well. So far I’ve really enjoyed working here and the people I work with, but it may be in my best interest to explore opportunities at other companies sooner rather than later. Last thing I want is to find out how great working for another company is but not being able to leave because my book is tied to Equitable.  

Working at equitable fresh out of college has basically just been nothing more then just a stepping stone of a job. I came in here fresh out of college with a dream that was sold to me by management that in the first year you would be making anywhere between 60-120k, but that was literally nothing more then just a lie. Most of my coworker that have been working their for 3+ years do not even make 120k. It should have been said that you make 20-30k the first year. 
After the long process of licensing and having to pay for all the materials out of pocket you really dont make nearly close to that. You are required to cold call companies on a daily basis in hopes of booking a introduction. I started off booking close to 20 meetings per week and had 1 client turn over to where I got paid $10. 
The company should be used nothing more then a stepping stone to get into a real company, they push nothing but life insurance products on every client and dont listen to real needs. They speak a big game about AUM but have not seeing anyone bring in anything more then 100k of AUM. 
I started off with 4 other employees at the same time and 2 have them are gone and I was the only that made enough money to actually contract with them. Along with those 2 employees being gone we've had about another 10 people in the office leave to Merrill Lynch or other companies that actually pay you. 
The biggest pro I would say is the licensing because many people fail the series 7 or 66 the first time, and most major companies would let you go on the spot, but equitable actually gives you another shot. I failed the series 7 by 1% the first time around which was really helpful

I’ve been with Equitable Advisors for over a year now, and it’s truly the best team I’ve ever worked with. Everyone here is professional, kind, and genuinely supportive. Our manager truly cares about people, not just as employees but as individuals, and wants everyone to succeed. She goes out of her way to help others grow and makes work feel like home.

There are weekly meetings for new advisors that are extremely helpful for learning and sharing experiences. What I like a lot is that there’s no competitiveness, people genuinely help each other and celebrate one another’s progress. The company provides the tools, training, and flexibility to build your own path, and it really feels like a place that helps you grow.

As an LGBT employee, I’ve always felt safe, respected, and included. It’s a welcoming environment where you can truly be yourself.

It’s inspiring to see how different people succeed here through teamwork and dedication. Even though being an advisor is often viewed as a sales role, this team is different, they genuinely care about helping people. Sometimes it’s not about getting paid for giving advice, but about knowing you made a difference, and that kind of satisfaction can’t be measured in money.

Lastly, it’s also a great workplace for women. There are Women’s Immersive Events each year, and last year we partnered with Dress for Success to support women in business through donations and professional development.

On a typical work day, I would be out at 6 A.M. prospecting schools in the San Diego area, setting appointments with teachers, administration, and other staff in order to get them started on their retirement plans, and allocate their contributions to such plans into investments that fit their risk tolerance. From 9 A.M. to 1 P.M. I would run appointments with prospective clients and current clients to either acquire clients or find new ways to network through the schools in order to increase market share for AXA. From 2 P.M to 4 P.M. I went back to prospecting at the schools setting up appointments. From 5 P.M. to about 7 P.M. I would either run appointments or be in the office doing role play exercises and making phone calls with other associates. 

Management at AXA Advisors was excellent, they were readily available if I had questions. My co-workers were anywhere from 25 - 50 years old with sporadic experience in the business. The most difficult part of the job was acquiring clients. There were 30 approved providers of the retirement plan in the schools, so discovering creative ways to build rapport and goodwill with the decision makers at the schools was a process. The most enjoyable part of the job was getting to talk to people all day, and discussing with them something that was very important that they really did not know much about. 

Axa has one of the worst recruitment, training and compensation programs in the industry.
1. Upon hire, you must buy a company approved computer. It does not matter if you already have one. No reimbursement
2. If you have not gotten your Series 7 license you must study and pass the exam. If you do not pass the exam, the company does not reimburse you the cost.
3. While studying and taking the exam, if you haven't acquired enough business within the first 6 months, you are terminated.
4. Lexington has been without a manager for 4 years and had not hired an advisor who has lasted those 4 years.
5. There is NO formal training program to help new hires be successful
6. The Lexington office reports to Cincinnati, who has been trying for 4 years to recruit a manager and advisors....NO success due to the above. Some new advisors were recruited but none lasted more than 6 months. There is no management in Lexington or provided from Cincinnati.
7. Axa products have fallen in their appeal and client benefit due to the company continually cutting on the payouts and investment choices. Axa is a French company...look what is happening in France.
8. Axa acquired MONY a few years back. There were a number of agents at that time. All have left. The office is a very large room, with call-center like desks and no-one home. It is NOT a place to bring a client if you want to impress them

I have been working for this firm for 12 years straight out of college. In my first year, I made MUCH less than my friends were from college, I also probably worked twice as hard. In my 2nd year I was making as much as them. By my 5th year, I was making close to $150k. I now make over $.5M per year. This is the most rewarding career (for the right person) in so many ways. The fulfillment you get from helping people in their greatest times in their life (bonus’s, starting a business, selling a business, retirement, having kids, getting married, etc) is super fulfilling. Although, I find it even more rewarding being able to help people and be their right hand man through their toughest times (disability, loss of a loved one, divorce, etc). Being there for people when they need it most is what keeps me going in this business. 12 years later, most of my clients are friends. It doesn’t even feel like work anymore. Although, the first 3-5 years on average is going to be tough. You will want to quit many times and have to keep your eye at the end of the tunnel.

I think this phrase sums up the opportunity being a financial advisor with Equitable best, “work harder than others are willing to work for your first 3-5 years, and you can make more $ than most others will make for the rest of your life”

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