Well I'm not going to lie I have enjoyed reading these boards over the course of my stint with ameriprise.  Most of what I am reading is completely true especially the posts about a day in the life at Ameriprise there "praise" and "humiliate" techniques as well as writing names on the boards for being late or having the most GDC.  I do not hate the company but I would not suggest working there. But here's my story.

Graduated with finance/economics degree, National Honors Society, Fraternity.... I  got the job, killed the tests in about 2 months and went on my journey through preappointment.  

I am still currently employed as an FA, I am trying to come up with an exit strategy. I am sad to say I am going to leave the company not because I was not capable of delivering a perfect lunch script or pmm, but because I felt I was living in Office Space / Groundhog's day.

Same shit different day, 3 people telling me "good job" or "leads\activity\clients\GDC\Scripts\L&L" no less than 3-5 times a day.

Here are some of my favorites.
Manager :"Come on people finger those phones I want 90 dials in tonights phone clinic. I want your #'s before you leave"

Advisor: 45 dials tonight, Got my books completely filled for the next week. It was good productive night

Magager: 45.... (Pause) Advisor your activity is pretty low

Advisor: Well when you actually talk to people you can't have 90 dials

Manager: Yes you can and not only that I want you to Triple book all of your appointments. Whats the worst thing that could happen, they all show up and another advisor can do the appointment

If anyone is still employed with the company you'll know that management just got back from "leadership conference."

My FVP tells us " When the cats away the mice will play and we had kickoff every morning last week to be monitored.

So they get  back in town and one of our managers no older than 24 yes thats right a 24 year old managing other advisors, starts telling everyone about how they went out drinking and everyone was reciting there scripts on the cab ride home drunk ( Cool Life )  cause crachiloloaaa was picking random managers, fvps... to do them in the morning in front of everyone.  

This is the same chick that brags about getting a preappointee's parents in riversource funds because of the extra kick from the company for pushing there funds. She also writes your name on the board if your late.  

So another thing that pissed me off was that I get asked to leave my desk because "they need my pc for interview testing " The FVP proceeds to tell me that they have 30 people coming in today for interviews"

I asked him if we were going for "quality" not "quantity"... He gave me a look and walked away.

So instead of supporting the people they have already hired. They spend the most of the days trying to  hire new people. They don't give a shit about you or educating themselves to do better for there clients.

I always gave them the benifit of the doubt, but not an organization that I want to be apart of. There are some good offices out there P1 & P2.

My advice is to get your licenses and run if your already in that position or find an office that has a lot of senior advisors with a lot of designations....

TO SUCCEED...
-get scripts somehow before preappointment &memorize

-Put out fishbowls again before preappointment

-already have some people lined up to be your sympathy clients because if you don't you will not be exposed to financial planning.... only scripts and you won't like it

-Tuck your Dick between your legs, know your role, and do what your told, you'll get your #'s if you dream hard enough or have really supportive family that doesn't mind blowing the $$

-You need to be a relaxed individual and keep up the nothing bothers you attitude at all costs, because you might actually be able to convince yourself your happy

- The rest is luck, if you can tuff it out, dedicate yourself to the scripts and lead generations you'll make it. But unless you get really lucky your gonna be making dick shit (the draw) during your 1st year at least maybe 30-50k if your decent looking and naturally good with words and still don't mind working 70 hours a week minimum.

- Keep in mind you do not need to know anything about financial planning to make it in this company. Most the people at my office wouldn't know if the market was up, down, sideways or if the fed dropped rates.

-You will be given the title financial advisor because you have some licenses but in reality those licenses coupled with a degree in Finance\economics don't even scratch the surface of what you need to know to give people sound advice.

I have more stories than I can shake a stick at, but I am coming up with my EXIT strategy this week any ideas on what to do, other areas of finance ? excuse my spelling & grammer

Want to hear my exit strategy?

As a 2nd year, bored out of my mind and sick of all this americrap management mumbo jumbo(i was asked why i didnt sell VUL hourly), I woke up one wednesday morning (wednesday-or whatever the day after the cut off pay period day is now- because then you get the whole last weeks pay...a few months later) walked into my FVP's office, produced a signed resignation letter effective immediately, and said, "I'm outta here"

Asked why, I simply responded, "I am sick of stealing from my clients, the conflicts of interest, and your horrible ineffective management. This career with AMP is for mindless dolts that obey your commands, not for people with brains and intellect"- (FVP face)

Then for the next few days I received a daily call from my manager asking questions, trying to convince me not to leave, but it just made me feel that much better because I knew his scorecard was getting killed losing a tenured almost 3rd year rep....I would just laugh...

Of course I had a job lined up...

good way to look for a new job...take from 10am (or whenever morning phone clinic ends) to about 3pm and say you are going out "fishbowling"...grab a bunch of bowls, jump in your car, and go to the library, type up your resume, look for jobs, apply, and interview...all during this time!  It's perfect, unless your manager wants to ride along or send some pre-appointee along with you, when you deny their request (at least for the pre-appointee) being selfish...

you're on your way out...who cares about the numbers, dials, etc...have a blast, make stuff up, go on phantom appointments, slack off! Dont worry about management, there is little they can do...its not like they can force you to work until 8pm daily...its against labor laws!

I had bi-weekly out of office appointments where I just took off early (5pm or after phone clinic kick off)...they are so involved in their recruiting they wont notice...

good luck man...as for career ideas, if you like the sales gig, I would recommend joining a private client team as a sales assistant at a place like Bernstein, UBS, Bear, Goldman...or you could get a role in an ops team, internal sales, relationship management...there are tons of opportunities out there, you just have to find the one that works for you...

Leads, fishbowls...definitely not legally able to swipe those.

to make it legal just go get them before you quit and throw them in the trash.  Then go put your leads in the shredder.  There is no use in taking them anyway.  All they are is beat up, broke, living off of welware leads that will not get you anywhere.  Get a real list when you find a new firm.  Get this, your next firm will purchase a list for you that actually has phone numbers of people with money.  You know why?  Because, people with real money don't deal with Ameriprise!!!!  They certainly don't go on the internet and order the glorious "Dream Book".  When I sent that to my high net worth prospects and clients they laughed me off the phone!!!!!  They wouldn't do business with me at Ameriprise if pigs flew.  Its funny how I changed firms and now they call me to do business.  Any correlation there by chance?

By the way.  When you leave and they ask what you did with your leads, tell them you shreded them!!!!!   Its a great feeling.  And when they ask why, tell them they are confidential and they had your name with your notes on them.  If they would like a copy call "Crach"!!!!!

HA HA HA,  you are a REAL peice of work 1styrP1.  I think the SEC has some other things to worry about than some peice of SH*& leads and some fishbowls that have some broke a## window washers business card.  Perhaps investigating into why every recommendation you make is disabiltiy, vul and an annuity inside of a ROTH.

OR you could do that!!!

Yes they do.  Here's a homework assignment for you, go find the rule and show us the link and I'll give whoever finds it first a fun size kit kat bar.  Until then keep refreshing your resume so you can get that executive assistant job.

1styrP1 wrote on Feb 29^th, 2008, 5:26pm:


checked with the SEC...no such rule...checked with AMP, and its Rule #1 on the FVP "make sure your recently departed salesmen dont take these with them when they inevitably leave" list.


Please send my kit kat bar to the boston sec office at:
33 Arch Street, 23rd Floor
Boston, MA 02110-1424