September 2, 2020
Recently, BrokeAndBroker.com and Securities
Industry Commentator publisher Bill Singer has been inundated with
calls from industry associated persons worrying about the future of their
firms, contemplating resignation, or troubled about potential post-employment
litigation against them by their former employer. Bill raised some of the
issues with veteran industry recruiter Michael King of Michael King
Associates:
Michael, how are you seeing COVID
impact the employment scene?
Michael King: Firms are still hiring. The offers have not gone down at all. When the pandemic started, firms put
everything on hold for two to three months. They are now doing recruiting
virtually e.g. Zoom, etc. and some in person also if requested.
Given your veteran status as an
industry recruiter, what are you seeing in COVID that is
unique?
Michael King: The impact that it is
having in every aspect of the society in general and the economy in particular. It will be a slow process getting back
to any sense of "normalcy." Previous crises have been limited to certain areas
and have not affected the total society the way COVID
has.
What suggestions do you have for reps
you are thinking of relocating during the
crisis?
Michael King: It
might be very good to relocate as long as you have a good and long standing client
relationship. Firms can't go after your clients as aggressively as they could
when everyone went to the office.
What mistakes are you seeing reps making in reacting to
COVID?
Michael King: Not
reaching out to clients on a regular and timely basis. FA's should be utilizing social media and audio/visual
type contacts such as Zoom. Clients want
to feel safe during this time so you must reach out wherever and whenever possible.
How is the pandemic impacting the
recent trend of reps transitioning out of the broker-dealer arena into the
RIA?
Michael King: Trends
toward Independent and RIA continue. The pandemic has given FA's the knowledge
that they can function with or without a large office
setup.
Do you see the recent acquisitions by
Schwab (TDA) and Morgan Stanley (E*Trade) as presenting overall opportunities
or are you worried about any negative
implications?
Michael King: There
will be some initial adjustment but I don't see any long-term negative effects
occurring during these acquisitions.
Baby Boomers seem to be particularly
motivated by the pandemic to either pack it in and retire, or, in the alternative,
many of them are planning on moving to retirement locale and see the chance to
extend their careers as more folks join the exodus from big cities. What are
you seeing in that regard?
Michael King: Relocation
to a desired retirement area is being more commonly looked at by Baby Boomers. FA's should consider if they want to make one
last move and collect both a transition package AND a retirement package. If
the FA wants to remain at his/her current firm, they should set up a formal
retirement package with their current firm. I would advise all FA's in this
category to explore both options, moving or staying. Moving often makes sense
in order to maximize their financial
rewards.
ABOUT MICHAEL
KING
President
Michael
King Associates, Inc.
1120 Avenue of the Americas, 4th
Fl.
New
York, NY 10036
Telephone: 212-687-5490
800-367-3157
Cellphone: 917-747-4805
Michael King,
President has 40 years recruiting experience. We have placed thousands of FA's
and are happy to
give references from the FA's that we have placed if you would
like.
We consider ourselves
to be "Matchmakers" matching advisors with the best firms and provide very
personalized service. We can provide
all the choices available wirehouses, independents and RIA's. COME TO THE
SOURCE!
Michael has been
interviewed by FundFire, Advisor Hub, On Wall Street, The New York Times, The Wall Street
Journal and
other media
publications.