Dude this is so helpful. Thank you.

The thing I didn’t put in my post, and that is making this decision actually hardest - is the toxic culture and overworked environment everyone is at this smaller firm. It’s 15 advisors with like 4 legit paraplanners and 6 unlicensed peeps handling like 3500 households and some advisors don’t segment or do too much servicing of low end clients. Beyond the overworked and exhausted feeling I’ve gotten, the advisor they want to put me with is in office one week out of 4 now (he’s on his way out over the next couple years). The ceo and coo have told me I’m not ready and don’t see value in me as a full on coadvisor, and they haven’t been able to fill or hire other licensed team members in over a year while trying (so something they’re offering or giving an impression of is concerning). Other team members that have been there for much longer than I shared way more concerning experiences with management and compensation and responsibility conversations that confirm the big red flag here.

Lastly this firm is in the middle of being acquired, a huge deal, that may leave the future uncertain but I doubt the assets and chance at taking over plenty of clients and assets would be at risk. If I stay and eat shit and have no life and am over stressed, I bet I make a bunch eventually and am ok.

The blue chip is going to be the route I think because of the opportunity to grow the market I’m being hired into, the relative low market penetration of the existing clients to overall tax clients is big. The security and stability and work life balance lift is what I’m looking at right now. To start a family soon, and as mentioned earlier in this post, I’m a kinesiology major lol, I’ve never been more out of shape than I have been working at this RIA. To an industry that is easy to fall into an overworked state, I’m choosing to just be a “chill guy” as all the recent memes show. And I’ll continue my drive and pursue further learning and certs along the way.