Pros
Edward Jones is the best firm in the industry to get started in your career. Training and support are thorough, and improvements are being made in weak areas. Relatively strong comp potential while building a sustainable business, and I do believe overall comp structure is among the best for employee firms. You can build a great business and a great life at Edward Jones, and make an impact in many lives. If you hit the Eddie J lottery and butter up to the right person, you can be handed a profitable business.
Cons
There is no merit system at Jones. Decisions on how to award assets to advisors defy any semblance of logic unless you say the quiet part out loud that it’s all systematic nepotism/chosen ones. But even taking that aside, At the end of the day, Jones is the minor leagues. Advisors have absolutely no idea how limited their investment platform is because they are all EJ lifers and teachers/engineers/seed&feed sales reps before passing the series 7. The firm has the highest gross attrition in the industry, and nobody will even acknowledge it. You never own your book. You may be a partner, but you are always and forever an employee with no ownership rights or protections. I truly do not believe an Edward Jones advisor could interview with the other leading firms and sincerely think that was the best place to serve clients. Also charging 1.35% for the garbage mutual fund portfolios they leverage is a crock.