Articles Written by Jon Henschen

Recruiter Confidential: Exploring the Underbelly of Insurance Broker-Dealers

00:00 01 November in Articles Written by Jon Henschen by rafferty

by Jonathan Henschen, CFS and featured in advisorbiz.com November, 2010: My wife recently bought me a book that I've ve wanted to read for several years, Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. If you're not familiar with Anthony Bourdain, he hosts the Travel Channel show No Reservations and is the former head chef of Les Halles in New York City. Bourdain's book looks at the underbelly of the culinary world as he reflects on his colorful, often drug-fueled life working his way up from dishwasher to head chef of a high-end French restaurant. I'd feel remiss if I didn't share some key information that Kitchen Confidential delivers in regard to the unknown dangers of eating out. Bourdain would never eat at a Sunday brunch because it is often the last stop before the dumpster for old...

2009 Broker Dealer Winners and Losers: Who’s on Top, Who Missed the Mark

00:00 01 August in Articles Written by Jon Henschen by rafferty

by Jonathan Henschen, CFS and featured in Investment Advisor August, 2010: For independent broker dealers, 2009 is best described as a recruiting anomaly.The channel's high hopes to capitalize on the wirehouse fiasco never really materialized-- except for a few firms that had a history of attracting wirehouse reps, such as LPL, Raymond James and Wells Fargo Advisors. The primary triggers for independent gains were AIG, ING and former Pacific Life broker dealers purchased by LPL, the firms Mutual Service Corp, Waterstone and Associated Securities. There were healthy gainers in 2009, and some losses along the way. Here's my take on some of the winners and losers, and why. Who Came Out on Top As I evaluated 2009's highly successful firms, I set a few standards. First, I avoided small firms since adding just a few...

Gauging Broker-Dealer Service: How You Can, Why You Should

00:00 01 July in Articles Written by Jon Henschen by rafferty

by Jonathan Henschen, CFS and featured in advisorbiz.com July, 2010: It's no secret: one of the main reasons reps leave firms is lousy back-room service. Sure, all broker dealers claim to offer terrific service, but the toughest thing for reps to gauge when selecting a firm is the quality of that service, and the various factors that can influence that quality, or lack of it. If you've already been burned by a broker dealer's approach to service you know what I mean, and should want to avoid reliving it. If you're new to all this, trust me: you'll want to avoid the experience. Either way, stick around, you'll all profit from what you're about to read. I might as well begin by explaining that from my 20 years in this business, I've learned that the...