intern

trading manager

research analyst

student intern

portfolio manager

Franklin Templeton

* I am always busy from start to finish on a typical day. If required to work on a Saturday due to heavy work load, I would volunteer to help out.
* I have learned so much - from Payments processing (money coming in), e-contributions processing (Employer and Employee contributions to their 403b from Schools, Church, Hospitals and companies), 529 processing (New Jersey Best), New Accounts processing, Money Fund processing, Remittance Processing (all checks encoded for deposits to our Franklin Templeton Bank), Death processing (death values, distributions, liquidations, exchanges, etc.,).  I processed Tax forms (W-9 and W-8BEN).  I am a multi-functional processor with multiple skills.
* Our Management consisted of managers, supervisors, analysts, training co-ordinators, compliance analyst, quality analysts, administrator and a director. They all help out with the procedures and policies update, quality review and assist in the training.
* My co-workers are friendly and we all assist each other because we all have different skills level when comes to processing. The correspondence team might come over to my desk to ask me questions pertaining to the transactions (how should she put in the letter) and my former co-workers might come over to ask questions on Tax Forms (how to handle this). Sometimes, our Customer Service associates would mock me to ask me questions pertaining to the stock broker asking him/her questions and they are not sure how to respond.  When comes to privacy and confidential information, I would say no, please do not disclose any information to the attorney after I review the case notes whether he/she is entitled to the information (would depends on what paperwork we receive).   
* The hardest part of my job is dealing with Deaths (Death Values, Divorce papers (who is entitled to the assets), Estate, Court papers, Letter of Testamentary, etc.,), both shareholder (husband and wife) died around the same time (determine the time and date of who died first and who died second - determine who are getting the assets).
* The most enjoyable part of the job is that I have been with the company for over 17 years (my longest job history that I have with the same employer), all the benefits that was given over the years with Sir John Templeton when he was still alive (originator of Franklin Templeton Investments who passed away more than five years ago in Bahamas), and we all remember the most memorable time with John Templeton.

I have worked at Franklin Templeton for almost 6 years and have excelled and grown in my field.  A typical day at work would be assisting my team with inbound calls related to 529 plans, Coverdell ESA, Charitable Giving Fund, Investment Only Business Retirement Plans etc.  I was responsible for handling customer inquiries, I have investigated and corrected errors in customer accounts, provided problem resolution and account transaction processing in a timely manner.  I would also collaborate with the TA workflow team to improve service capabilities, workflows, policies and procedures.  It is important to be very detail oriented and patient at my job.  My managers were great.  I worked with my director in a mentor/men-tee capacity where we met once each month and worked on goals to be more efficient and learn more about the business.  My co workers were very supportive.  We worked collaboratively together by delegating responsibilities, covering each other.  The hardest part of the job was working with peers who were not hard working or efficient.  I am very detail oriented and responsible and take my duties very seriously.  The best part is the people, the staff and the customers. I would not be here without our customers and in these difficult times I am so happy to be in a position where I can help others. I truly enjoy every interaction I have with my peers and our customers. There are times where you can make someone's day and times where you can't but you can help someone understand. If it were not for this high level or interaction I think I would expire. I love the crazy nature of the work and the fact that it is never the same thing twice. You learn something and are challenged every day.

FT is a double edged sword. I worked there for 9 years until the staff cuts in 2009. The culture is good with a lot of consideration for families, the overall work environment and corporate culture are tops. I found the work interesting as there was a lot of room for process and systems upgrades and projects.

But it is a mature company in a mature industry.

The bad side is that there is little opportunity for advancement. In 9 years I saw only 1 promotion within my department that was not given to an existing manager. And we were a PMO, guiding projects, automation, improvements and cost savings.

The Senior Management is very hands off. Corporate announcements are distributed via email or posted to the IntraNet. While I met with my management biweekly, there were still surprises unveiled at performance reviews. This is not good proactive management. You will have to actively manage your career as it is doubtful your manager will assist you.

There is also little in the way of salary increases unless you are in Portfolio Management. Their method is to give small annual increases (if any) of 2-4% but an annual bonus of 5-15%. So you total annual compensation goes up slowly.

They also devalued employee comp since by raising prices on health benefits and discontinuing stock plan matches.

It is also a dead end technologically. They use a lot of Legacy Systems that have NO application anywhere else. This means that your experience is necessarily meaningful when looking for your next position.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Growth and development - rewards by way of compensation, recognition or promotions to employees whose performance is exceeding expectations. Access to seminars and trainings to develop and enhance the employees' knowledge and develop their skills to be successful to have a career, instead, of just jobs. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
To me, stress is tantamount to working hard to develop yourself, accept challenges and move up.  Had a lot of stress to fight for what I want and dealt with some form of racial and gender discrimination to prove myself.  These required a lot of work to gain acceptance and recognition among my immediate superiors in my department.  

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Having had superiors belonging to the minority, the colonial mentality sometimes exists giving better chances to certain group of people who they think or consider to be better than the rest.  This is part of politics in the workplace and is usually occurring  in all other places. In terms of work environment, the people were usually nice and accommodating  and had a "family"  working atmosphere. This atmosphere resulted in less to almost zero labor turnovers.  Employees stayed with the company between 5 to more than 10 years, some 20 years.  

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Early morning risers due to fund and cash reporting to New York Stock Exchange.

Working at Franklin Templeton was a very positive experience for me. I started as a temp and at the end of my contract I was offered a full time, permanent position. The work was not difficult but not exciting either. In the 6 years I worked there I was chosen for one promotion; from a mail room associate to a processor. I excelled at my job and received very high scores from my supervisors during my annual reviews. Unfortunately, the company kept shifting more and more work overseas. Eventually all transaction processing moved to India and Poland and the US portion of my department was phased out. I managed to keep my job by going back to work in the mail room but a lot of my coworkers were forced to find new jobs or take a lesser position in the call center. Now, most recently, Franklin Templeton has decided to use a third party transfer agent and my job is being phased out again. Franklin negotiated with the third party company to keep all of us as employees which is great but learning about this company's policies and benefits they offer, just makes me realize how great I had it with Franklin Templeton. 

The CEO runs the company as if its still a private enterprise, even though its a public company. Workplace culture leaves a lot to be desired: can't land on a return to office policy (management demands, but doesn't show up themselves), employees take a backseat to shareholders, wages are significantly lower compared to market peers, offshoring yet expecting same employee output , frequent unplanned yearly reduction in forces, low investment in technology and infrastructure, lower amount days off compared to most firms. Franklin has a real business model problem. The firm has been on an acquisition spree but has gone downhill rapidly since LM merger. Franklin has been relying on name and reputation the past 15 years, but the current operating environment is one of the worst in the industry. As far as culture, job protection is more important than doing what's right for the business. There are some good employees, however management ineptitude trickles down to all employees.  Be prepared to constantly be changing direction and pivoting without a clear mission or end goal

They company offers employees many perks, such as an on-site gym, on-site cafeteria, generous vacation time, etc.

However, it sometimes feels like taking the vacation time that you've actually earned through you tenure here is somehow turning you back on the team - even though most employees that I know work a minimum of 50-60 hours each week. 

The benefits that Franklin Templeton offers are very difficult to give up, but it has become an easy decision to leave the culture of being on the clock 24/7 after my first child was recently born.

I still have the same drive inside of me to do my best and produce that absolute best work that I can offer; I would just rather do it for a company that somehow indicates that they appreciate the sacrifices that I make at home in order to get the job done for them while everyone else is at home enjoying time with their family.

There are always going to be times where employees need to put in extra time to finish up various projects, but this is currently the everyday culture at Franklin Templeton Investments.

This is a large company with many types of jobs available.  The company is based in California so there is a rather relaxed atmosphere.  The benefits are good buy have been reduced and become more costly over time.  Recently the company is bleeding assets so they have been in cost cutting mode and putting a lot of pressure on employees to do more and become very critical.  We have an onsite gym, game room, walking trail, and cafeteria.  The campus is very well maintained and is close to restaurants, stores and the highway. There is good training.  The best part of the job are my colleagues.  The hardest part of the job is that they tend to promote people to management positions that are unqualified and untrained in how to manage and then they leave them in those positions for many years with no oversight.  HR does not truly help those that need assistance.  Overall it is a good company to work for if you are fortunate enough to get a good boss.

Pretty good work environment to learn for resume builder. Coworkers are very nice and helpful. Good benefits. 

No room for advancement unless you’re in Customer Service, as they have high attrition.  Customer Service environment is very fast paced but very stressful. The dept wants to focus on meeting their “numbers” to look good for the higher ups. They say they care for the customer but do not train their associates wel enough to provide good service. 

Management and up are disconnected from their employees and their customers. They just want to look good for their bosses. They are not transparent with their decisions. 

Company is behind with the times (vs competitors) as their website and the procedures for processing are outdated. Slow to update and are a very conservative company. 

Pay is low and hard to get raises. Job advancement is tough as they (currently) hire people that micromanage or will do whatever they are told instead of hiring the experienced and good performers.


I cannot speak highly enough of my experience working at this company. The work environment is truly exceptional, fostering creativity, collaboration, and personal growth. One of the standout features is the remarkable work-life balance they promote. The company genuinely values employees' personal time and well-being, which significantly contributes to job satisfaction and overall happiness.

The management team is incredibly supportive, always ready to lend a hand or offer guidance when needed. They trust their employees and provide ample opportunities for professional development. This supportive atmosphere creates a sense of security and encourages innovation.

Perhaps the most appreciated aspect is the flexibility offered by the company. Whether it's adjusting work hours to accommodate personal commitments or allowing remote work options, the company demonstrates a deep understanding of the modern workforce's needs. This flexibility has been a game-changer for maintaining a healthy work-life integration.


Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Intern 1 salary reported	$18.00 per hour
Trading manager 9 salaries reported	$102,500 per year
Research analyst 2 salaries reported	$175,000 per year
Student intern 8 salaries reported	$34.63 per hour
Portfolio manager 8 salaries reported	$207,500 per year

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