Comp 2016: Best pay for $1M producers at wirehouses and regional BDs

For a million-dollar producer, where is the best pay today?
Our annual analysis of compensation plans at the wirehouse and regional broker-dealers helps advisors answer that question.


Advisers – whether a $1 million producer or on the path to be one – will find within this analysis the starting points for payouts at the leading firms. Click through to see how they stack up now. Or click here to read the single page version.


You can see last year's analysis by clicking here.


And you can see this year's analysis for the $600,000 producer category by clicking here.


You can see this year's analysis for the $400,000 producer by clicking here.


By Andrew Welsch

Source: company data; compiled by Tasnady Associates


Note: This analysis represents starting points for payouts. A number of special policies are not included here since they do not affect 100% of the advisor population evenly and therefore are more haphazard to compare. Individual results can vary dramatically, based on the mix of business and policies at each firm. For example, pay can rise from special bonuses and fall from penalties such as discount sharing, small client limits, and ticket charges.


Assumptions for Basic Pay: 25% in individual stocks; 25% in individual bonds; 25% in mutual funds; 25% in fee-based (wrap accounts, managed accounts, etc.); length of service is assumed to be 10 years. Assumes no bonuses from growth, nor asset-based bonuses, or other behavior-based awards. Optional potential voluntary deferral calculations assume 25% of pay voluntary contribution amount. Company matches on optional voluntary deferral programs limited to nonprofit sharing based. Also excludes voluntary deferral matches, 401k matches or profit sharing contributions unless otherwise noted.

See how the starting points for payouts compare at wirehouse and regional broker-dealers.

*Includes core (no growth required) annual value from GrowthPlus award= 4.5% ($45,000)