Lemar Williams: The Advantages of Working for a Large Firm

Lemar Williams, CFP®, CPWA®, CTFA, CLU® is a Wealth Management Advisor for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Heathrow, Florida. He said working for a large investment firm has several advantages, including brand recognition and abundant resources.

“I chose to work for a large investment firm because of the brand recognition, which can be extremely helpful with acquiring new clients. A large firm can also invest an enormous amount of money in resources to assist my clients,” he said. “The resources provided by the firm allow me to focus 100% of my attention on my clients’ future and not concern myself with the day-to-day tasks of operating a business.”

Lemar continued, “This model works for me because it takes some of the stress away of being an entrepreneur, but you still get the freedom to build your own business within a larger business.”

Working at a large firm provides a certain degree of flexibility. “Every day is different,” Lemar said. “Some days I spend most of my time responding to client emails or phone calls. Another day I could be prepping for a review for an existing client, or I might be out to lunch with an existing or prospective client. You have the flexibility to structure your day in a way that works for you.”

Lemar’s favorite part of his job is helping his clients through financial planning. “I really do get excited when I walk through a financial plan with a client. It’s a good feeling to tell a client we’re ahead of schedule, so that they can retire early, or that they can pay for their child’s college tuition without negatively impacting their own future,” he said.