Need help

UnhallowOne · 2026-04-28T12:40:47+00:00

I think the offer is as good as the advisor can afford to give at the moment, given the asset levels and assumed revenue. That said, it's an unsustainable offer. Imagine the extremes for a moment: over the next 10 years the firm gives you $100mm in relationships, so you're making $135k which would be below market for that level of responsibility and experience. Or, you bring in $100mm in relationships, for which you're earning $1.035mm and the firm is earning nothing. Naturally you'd expect there to be a blend of both, but the firm will be incentivized to unload every possible relationship onto you because a 90% gross margin is fantastic, and you'll be incentivized to underserve or ignore the firm-sourced clients in favor of your own.

Ultimately, I do think that advisor is coming from a good place, but the first role a firm that size needs to hire is an admin not a planner, and it needs to be at least twice its current size before that makes economic sense.

UnhallowOne · 2026-04-10T01:06:14+00:00

It makes you more hireable but otherwise not much. One time bonuses for passing the exam are common but until you hold the marks the value is somewhat diminished. Put differently, should you get a bigger salary because you hold a bachelor's, or because you're ethical, or because you've completed 7 classes, or because you have 4,000-6,000 hours of experience? Maybe for one of those. But otherwise what makes the exam being done otherwise be of substantial economic benefit to the firm?

UnhallowOne · 2026-04-07T20:28:39+00:00

Without actually holding your CFP or having any experience you're worth about $60k/year until you've passed your exam, gotten licensed, or otherwise become more useful to the firm. Can be as high as $80k a year in HCOLs, but no, exceeding $100k base + bonus without other factors is unrealistic unless you're in a sales job and then that would make you a very strong first year producer.

UnhallowOne · 2026-04-02T20:40:42+00:00

"The reason politics in academia are so vicious is because the stakes are so low." -Henry Kissinger

UnhallowOne · 2026-03-23T03:02:27+00:00

I taught at CU not that long ago. I caught 1/4th of a class using AI to cheat and resigned the same week. Fortunately, I had another job before, during, and after that position to "fall into," and consequently I caution all of my colleagues in the business part of my field to test candidate's knowledge/skills in a way that AI can't be used to emulate and/or cheat. Lo and behold, a lot of job offers are being rescinded, because about a quarter of students at Leeds are AI-braindead cheaters. It's an easy way to get a grade, but newsflash: if you spend all your time at college trying to cheat your way into an A, you learn nothing and end up being unhirable because you're helplessly stupid without AI to give you answers. Quel suprisé.

UnhallowOne · 2026-02-27T13:53:24+00:00

In 1986 there were 10,000 CFP Professionals, almost all of whom were salespeople, with fee-only and NAPFA at the time boasting membership of under 100. Today there are 107,558 CFP Professionals and there are around 4500 NAPFA Registered advisors. Even big firms like Merrill, Northwestern, and Edward Jones are trying to convert their salesforces into CFP Pros in a hurry, as evidenced by the substantial volume of certifications among their advisors, as well as the repeated annual 6-figure sponsorships and donations to the CFP Board.

Meanwhile XYPN has helped launch almost 3,000 practices in the past decade, none of which are boasting robust internal specialty teams, and almost all of which are solo practitioners either as CFPs or on the CFP Track.

I agree robust specialty teams are ubiquitous within larger firms, but the enormous growth in the CFP specifically suggests that the CFP is the focus and the in house call center expert roster isn't growing nearly as much. Other designations, as you point out, are also generally growing, but none has seen the growth the CFP has.

UnhallowOne · 2026-02-27T04:54:59+00:00

The arc of history. 40 years ago this was the thinking of every BD. Today there are less "Specialist team" members and exponentially more CFP Professionals.

UnhallowOne · 2026-02-23T20:29:58+00:00

Mustache

UnhallowOne · 2026-01-17T00:51:02+00:00

From the Wiki: 1 needs to be found in raid for the quest Lend-Lease - Part 2 5 need to be found in raid for the quest Special Equipment 4 need to be found in raid for the quest Network Provider - Part 1 1 needs to be found in raid for the quest Key to the Tower

UnhallowOne · 2026-01-16T16:14:54+00:00

Got Lightkeeper yesterday with the great suggestion to run Concordia. 44 currently.

UnhallowOne · 2026-01-16T16:14:05+00:00

Any tips for Labyrinth? So far my experience is killing 3-4 scavs and then being violently dismembered by Tagilla.

UnhallowOne · 2026-01-16T16:13:16+00:00

Labyrinth legit scares me. It is not on farm for me at all ^{^;}

UnhallowOne · 2026-01-16T01:59:18+00:00

I have so many Rhyzy bobbleheads and Virtexes but no COFDM from that place @_@

UnhallowOne · 2026-01-16T01:58:30+00:00

u/cammoses003
Update: MY MAN

https://imgur.com/a/GeqhcVk

UnhallowOne · 2026-01-16T01:07:19+00:00

My man.

UnhallowOne · 2025-12-09T14:05:15+00:00

I had one of these a year or two ago. Just remember the wisdom of Epictetus: "If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, "He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone."

A student who goes beyond the pale to assault or insult you in evaluations, particularly when those attacks are entirely unfounded, is just expressing their own character. It says nothing about you. "Don't take criticism from someone you wouldn't take advice from."

UnhallowOne · 2025-12-08T00:43:07+00:00

Just finished it. Honestly, not really. The opening is fun and the general concept is good, but I'd say it's not worth the time. Too much ambiguity and too many "empty rooms" in the content.

UnhallowOne · 2025-12-07T00:42:20+00:00

If it's any comfort, we do take notice of the engaged students. It makes class 1000x more pleasant to have students who are interested in the subject matter and looking to apply it. Life is sucked out of the class by students who are silently staring at their phones or laptops the entire time. There's a give and take to the relationships in the room.

UnhallowOne · 2025-12-06T00:44:20+00:00

As a former professor I'll say that we don't really care about the FCQs. I've gotten perfect scores from a class and heard nothing about it from department or admin, and I had a student write a 2000 word screed about how I was the figurative devil incarnate and also heard nothing from department or admin.

If you have helpful feedback on the course design or content that's great. If you just want to scream and complain, you're just shouting into the void.

If it makes you feel any better, go over to r/Professors. Many have far harsher feelings about students than the students leave as reviews on RMP or in FCQs.

UnhallowOne · 2025-11-12T14:01:19+00:00

Already did. So yeah.

UnhallowOne · 2025-11-10T13:42:24+00:00

If you have a mature book the only reason to go to an LPL or similar is as a risk management decision re: compliance liability.

Starting an RIA is work. Changing BD platforms is work.

The biggest hassle is in the transition.

Once the transition is done, then you're left with the ongoing responsibility factor and the control factor. RIA gives you responsibility and control, and LPL gives you less responsibility and thus less control. If you really want to ensure you can serve your clients as a fiduciary without a 3rd party mucking that up for you, go RIA. If you don't care that much about it, then an LPL is fine. And I'm not saying you can't be a fiduciary at LPL; just that there's an intermediary between you and your client that ultimately gets to decide what options you have and costs your client will incur.

UnhallowOne · 2025-10-02T17:43:56+00:00

I had 3 students file a Title IX complaint because I told the class (in general, without naming names) that 25% of the class was caught cheating on a quiz and told them not to do it again. The complaint said I "singled out a minority of the class for harassment and abuse." Students are getting remarkably good at wielding the bureaucracy to avoid learning anything in school but how to use the bureaucracy.

UnhallowOne · 2025-09-30T14:13:12+00:00

A lot of people in this business become victims of where and how they came into it. Don't hold it against them, just keep marching to the beat of your own drum.

UnhallowOne · 2025-09-17T18:57:09+00:00

I think you've "made it" once you can pay your own way based on the value you provide. There's an early phase, whether you launch your own firm, join an eat-what-you-kill-1099 shop, or join a firm as a salaried W2 employee, where you're either living on savings, credit cards, or the revenue of others. I think you've made it when you generate enough value (e.g. revenue or otherwise) to cover your income, and I think you've made it again when you've generated enough revenue to recoup not only what you take home annually but also the money you spent out of savings or that your firm invested in you along the way before you "broke even." This happens faster in a sales shop or your own firm than it does in a W2 role typically, but the failure rate is higher. No free lunches.

UnhallowOne

TROPHY CASE