I have been licensed to sell insurance in one form (line) or the other (or all) since 1983. I have been certified and licensed to teach English to kids ages roughly 11-18 since 2004. I have worked as an insurance sales rep at the same time I was teaching full time because the cold hard facts are that you just can't make a decent living as a teacher in Oklahoma. I have a Ph.D., and I have more than 15 years experience teaching, but the state only accepts your primary and secondary teaching experience when they establish a pay scale. I have six years of teaching primary and secondary education, so with those six years, and my Ph.D. I literally only earned $45,000.00 a year, and that includes the very good benefits package that I will admit comes with the job. At least a teacher can't complain too much about bennies. Why am I telling you this? Because now, starting this upcoming year, I will earn exactly as much money as I earned as a teacher and I will not have to leave my house to do it. Wow. So you know, I'm not "disparaging" anyone. Just telling the truth. I've not identified any particular district either. Believe me, I know my boundaries. I've always been rather good at gymnastics. If I do fall, I have a net of attorneys to catch me. (Just one of the many benefits of being educated and old.)
I just passed the Securities Industry Essentials exam, and I've applied with about 40 investment firms. The problem with doing this is that I'd have to start at the bottom, and the positions being offered, though they would get my foot into the door, aren't what I'm wanting. I want to learn to trade stocks, bonds, and options, not purge myself over accounting and making myself a vendor liaison between clients and bankers. I want to be in the mix, in the middle, making choices, running tapes, and I want to experience the ups and downs of the market head on, not looking at it from the back offices while other people who have been there longer are so busy trying to one-up one another to get the Floor Broker with their sweetest deal. It's not about the money for me, it never has been. If it was about the money I would have taken the Banker Relationship position, earned about $60,000.00 and worked my way quietly until I have enough time in to make a request to be trained to move forward. That is JUST NOT ME.
My decision is to stay home, study, take the Series 66, find someone to appoint me, take the Series 7, work stocks, options, bonds and more from my own home and do it with my own money. I don't need to be a part of a broker dealer firm to do that. I just have to be appointed to take the exams, and the company I will be working for as an inbound advisor/analyst will allow me to study on my own and sit any and all exams I desire. That is the life! I don't want to be obligated to wait my turn. I don't (and won't) want to be told when I can move forward. I will move when I damn well feel like it. The one thing about being an ENTJ (and knowing it) is that I won't nod my head and then do what I want to do. I will look you in the eyes and tell you that I'm going to do what I damn well want to do, when I damn well want to do it, and if you don't want that, like that, or appreciate that, I really don't care. I am still moving in the direction I want to move in, even if it means I will be on my own doing it. (which has been the case so many times).
We are just not on this Earth long enough to fight with others who want the power, status, or position lead. No. I am who I am because I pray about my moves, and I trust God will protect me when I seek His will in the decisions that I make. I'm not out there making willy-nilly-silly decisions, folks, no! I am out there making the best thought out decisions I can that will benefit others before they benefit me. It's always been that way. I am the champion of the little guy before I champion my own causes. I figure if I can help someone else stand as tall as I know I am going to stand, there will be two of us standing! To think that I can stay at home nowadays, work from my own desk in my own room, in my jammies and not bothering to put makeup on, do my hair, wear decent clothes, drive in traffic, fight with co-workers, discipline children, put up with parents, put up with other teachers, put up with administration, it makes me SMILE. If I can do that and make the same or more money than I did engaging myself in the tedious work of coming up with challenging lesson plans, only to realize that there are 28-34 kids in each class, with 28-34 ways of learning, it makes me SMILE a bit more! KNOWING that I can do this, make the money, not have to have committee meetings, subject meetings, team meetings, staff meetings, and/or parent-teacher meetings...makes me DANCE!
Recently, I had a few of my former students find me on Instagram, and they were literally begging me to come back after the Christmas break. I can't and won't contact them because of a confidentiality clause in my contract, but no, I can't and won't ever darken the door of another school unless I'm teaching or lecturing in Scotland at a college or university, but even there I won't prepare lessons and make assignments. I will lecture. I don't want anymore instructional responsibility and/or the 50+ hours of grading and planning that you do as a teacher. What does that say about our society when I can earn as much as a 20+ year teacher and not leave my house? My hours are great, my co-workers (pets) are amazing. No one tells me I can't leave the room to get another cup of coffee, no one spits a me, no one calls me names. No one starts rumors about me. No one lies about me. No one thinks less of me and then suddenly realizes that I really was exactly what they wish they had all along. NOPE...I am free to dance, exercise, do my chores and cook while I sell annuities and discuss reasons to invest in whole life products, 529 Savings Plans, or IRAs.
I can't and I don't make suggestions about futures, stocks, bonds, or options, not yet. I am just an associate at this point. I won't ever piss FINRA off to the point that they refuse to let me sit the next exams. This is my new life. This is the chapter I have been waiting to write for years. I am absolutely THRILLED that the day is here and I am making the leap. It wasn't so hard after I finally found the right videos and instructional online tutoring. Trial and error is a great teacher. Experience is better. I will be one of the best traders ever when the day arrives that I pass my Series 66 and Series 7 and can apply for the jobs (jumping ahead) that others have applied for without the exams! You can be at a firm 10-15 years and not sit an exam, but if I came in with the license(s) in my pocket, I'm the ticket! That's the plan. I can teach myself in a year what they can draw out over time and expect me to bend over or kiss their collective feet to move an inch - - no thank you, I'll take that mile! This is my mountain to seize and I'm digging in with both hands.
Money won't be and is not (has never been) the driving force in my life. Making the right and best honest decisions for myself and others, and then following through with a plan or goal is the greater reward for me. Knowing that I set my mind to it, gained the knowledge and skillset on my terms, and then conquered the exam (with prayer) is the way to go. I can't see myself standing in line waiting on anyone else, not when I am the trail blazer. Follow me. You'll get there faster and in better shape! At least I'll appreciate you along the way. It's who I am...thanks Mom.
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