Careers
Why IFP?
Proven System through Existing Branch Offices
Since IFP was created in August of 2014, we have embraced a hybrid model which has allowed experienced advisors to plug into our system either with the intent to drastically change their business model or run their existing model through our system. By allowing advisors to choose their product line and run their business their own way we have a great cross-section of talent across the country in which to mentor other individuals. With our regular team training’s through web-conferences or regional meetings, we tap into this deep pool of knowledge to continually share new products and ideas with our advisors to help increase their effectiveness in helping clients. While there are no guarantees, many advisors have increased their production and assets under management after joining our team.
Simple and Duplicable Systems
The IFP system keeps the financial services business simple, both for clients and representatives. While the product offering is diverse to allow our advisors to help a large range of clients, we focus around financial planning as both a starting point and a continuation plan. By teaching our advisors how to develop a financial plan with a client, no matter how big or small the client, the plan itself helps determine the type of products to implement for the betterment of the client. IFP believes most families need a simple plan they can believe in, products they can understand, and an advisor they can trust.
While we will allow seasoned advisors to delve into alternate investments and more sophisticated products, we advise the newer representatives to avoid overcomplicated investments or financial strategies thereby making the system more duplicable and easier to support. We believe that a simple long-term strategy executed through a competent financial professional is the most effective way to help families plan for their retirement and other financial goals.
Recruit Other Representatives in The Community to Help with Marketing
Branch managers, if they choose, can attract both part-time and full-time representatives. Representatives must obtain the necessary licenses and qualify for contracting with our affiliates. By developing a local team of representatives, they can create more synergy in their branch, reach more clients, and grow the branch’s client base more quickly.
Superior Support: Independent Broker/Dealer and an Independent Insurance Operation
Our broker-dealer, Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. leads the industry in providing superior tools and systems but even greater than that is the training and support they give our reps. It is an absolute pleasure to call their office as they usually stay on top of things until it is resolved. In searching for partners on the fixed insurance side, we have been fortunate to develop several strong relationships with field marketing organizations that provide simple systems to get appointed and write fixed insurance business.
Through the IFP system, we have set up relationships with truly INDEPENDENT organizations that have selling agreements with large numbers of companies in the investment and insurance fields. This independence allows our representatives the ability to use the most competitive products in the marketplace and allows them the freedom to work with whatever product partners offer the best solutions for their clients. In addition to building a large, investment operation through Cambridge and their corporate RIA, our independent insurance operation continues to grow and is highly profitable.
Our Core Beliefs for Clients
We believe in:
- Developing Lifetime Client Relationships
- Solutions Based Strategies
- Protecting a Family’s Income to and through Retirement
- Marketing products we own on our own lives
- The Value of a Personal Advisor
- Building Wealth through Time and Consistency
- Leaving a Loving Legacy to our Heirs
- Doing what’s Right 100% of the Time
Upfront and Residual Income
Due to our flexibility in allowing both commission or fee-based products, our financial advisors can receive compensation in several different ways. Depending on the type of products they choose to use and how they choose to run their business, our advisors can receive both upfront commissions, renewal commissions, and trail commissions on their own and their team’s business. This gives them the opportunity to earn big and secure incomes. In addition, we allow advisors to work solely on financial planning arrangements with clients.
Leadership
Dan Harriman is the President/CEO and primary owner of Independent Financial Professionals. He has significant experience in financial services marketing. (See Leadership Profile). Additionally, IFP will utilize experienced advisors to assist in the training and development process of new branch offices.
High Payouts on Personal Sales
Advisors within our system can get high personal payouts helping them earn more money, faster!
High-Level Overrides
Advisors within our system can consistently earn high levels of overrides on any representatives who produce business within their branch. They can recruit representatives of varying experience levels and bring them into their branch at a contract level commensurate with their experience. In addition, within our system, they can introduce us to other experienced representatives across the country.
Definite Philosophies
IFP believes in always doing what is right for our clients and we have very definite philosophies on how to help them accomplish their goals. We do not try to be all things to all people.
We are Dually Licensed Advisors who can Provide Both Commission or Fee-Based Planning
While some advisors work only on a commission-based model or a fee-based model and may not embrace financial planning; IFP believes in our advisors being dually licensed, which allows us to work with our clients on whichever approach, or combination of approaches, is in their best interests. For instance, investments can be made on either a commission or fee-based model or even a combination of both for a given family, if that makes sense in their situation.
INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS
After studying different models in the industry for years we concluded there are good points and bad points of each model. We began to live by the mantra of “take the best and leave the rest.” We created IFP as a hybrid model within financial services to try to capture the best of each model while doing our best to reduce or eliminate the bad part of each.
If you are an investment professional in any of the following types of sales organizations and you are not achieving all you would like, we would encourage you to take a look at us:
Captive Company
From a career perspective, captive companies usually provide training and support to steer you to their select product line. They may pay for or subsidize their representatives licensing and marketing costs, provide an office, and support personnel. Usually the commissions with a captive company are much less than with an independent firm and the product line may be severely limited. Many advisors in captive companies have a great desire to be able to offer more to their clients and feel they have outgrown the company and no longer need extensive training. If this is your case, we would encourage you to contact us.
Reps Tied to an Insurance Operation
Many advisors are with broker-dealers who are either owned by insurance companies or the principals of the marketing company put all the emphasis on writing insurance. Often promotions, bonuses, and incentives are tied to writing insurance rather than building a financial practice. This can be extremely frustrating for advisors who wish to build clients through gathering assets as insurance is simply one piece of the financial plan. With the emphasis on continually writing new insurance business, we feel your existing client base may go unserved due to constantly having to chase new business. If you are in this situation, please consider joining us at IFP.
Recruiting Organizations
These models rely on a sales management system that recruits inexperienced representatives into the business as independent contractors, provides them training and support, and utilizes their “warm markets” for marketing. Most of these systems operate on a “work your way up” system in which representatives must recruit a team to get promoted or earn a good income. Some of these models will grant contracts to qualified (and often unqualified) representatives but often they are not tied to a physical branch office but rather operate out of their home. Since these types of organizations operate on a “mass-recruiting” philosophy, there is a high turnover of representatives who may have contracted with them for a short period but did not pursue a long-term career. These firms may offer less competitive products and rely on the agents they recruit to purchase them. Some of the advisors within IFP were first introduced to the industry through a recruiting company but discovered they would rather build a financial practice in a more professional manner with access to multiple products. While IFP does allow our reps to introduce qualified candidates to our group, we are not into “mass” recruiting, instead embracing true mentorship programs.
Solo Practitioners
If you are a stand-alone independent advisor, we would welcome you to look at IFP. Many times the “lone ranger” out there does not get a lot of support in business development and marketing. In addition, many times a well-thought-out continuity plan is not in place should something happen to the advisor, leaving the clients having to fend for themselves in the marketplace.
Join Our Team
If you are a stand-alone independent advisor, we would welcome you to look at IFP. Many times the “lone ranger” out there does not get a lot of support in business development and marketing. In addition, many times a well-thought-out continuity plan is not in place should something happen to the advisor, leaving the clients having to fend for themselves in the marketplace.
Insurance Professionals
In today’s competitive world, agent recruitment by Field Marketing Organizations (FMO’s) or Independent Marketing Organizations (IMO’s) is truly a dogfight. Agents and planners often get multiple offers daily inviting them to join a FMO or IMO. We believe in the independent agent and the desire to be as independent as possible. However, there are still many benefits to work within a team environment.
We have established relationships with several leading FMOs in the industry who provide a real benefit to representatives within our group:
- Product specific training
- In-house underwriting
- Exams and APS ordering
- Quick online apps (8 min or less in some cases)
- Case design, case management, advanced market training
In addition to the support of our FMO partners above, IFP offers assistance to bring your practice to new heights with:
- Easy to use quality financial software
- Training on our needs-based philosophy of developing clients
- Proven system of annual reviews with clients
- Regular webcasts and regional training events to improve your craft
Join Our Team
By pooling the production of our reps, IFP is able to get some of the highest payouts possible in the industry, usually much better than independent agents can get on their own. Please click on one of the buttons below to join our team or gather additional information.
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
A great internship can be a huge win for your work life. Experiences like volunteering in the community, planning on-campus events, or participating in clubs or Greek life can be incredibly valuable in developing professional skills however, they are no substitute for on-the-job training.
Before applying for an intern position at one of our financial branches, please answer the following questions:
- Why do you want to intern with a financial services firm?
- What do you know about the industry?
- What are your expectations?
- What is your experience in volunteer work or community service?
- What are your goals after graduation?
Internship Application
All candidates will be required to be fingerprinted and submit to a background check. The following branch offices are currently accepting applications for internships:
- Harriman Financial, Austin, Texas | Branch Manager: Dan Harriman