Careers ‹ 1st Discount Brokerage

Think Big

The Independent Broker Dealer for Entrepreneurs

We Think Like a Big Company, But Act Like a Small One

We’re not one of the biggest Independent Broker/Dealer firms out there, but judging from our tremendous range of investment products and services, you might think we are. We offer a great variety of non-proprietary, industry-leading and innovative investment products for our 1DB clients ensuring that our Independent Financial Consultants (IFCs) always have the tools to make appropriate investment choices. Additionally, our cutting edge technology allows our IFCs a more effective way to serve their clients, efficiently manage their office, and help grow their financial careers.

1DB services over 200 Financial Consultants in 48 states, so you won’t be our only Independent Financial Consultant. But we’ll make every effort to make you feel like our only priority. 1DB has come a long way from our single-office start, but we haven’t forgotten the important role that good service and personalized attention play in helping our Independent Financial Consultants (IFCs). All of our IFCs have full and direct access to the entire 1DB team of finance professionals, whenever needed. Bypassing intermediaries ensures that our IFCs always have their questions and requests quickly and skillfully attended to.

Play By Your Rules

Create an independent financial practice based on your own vision

We feel that Independent Financial Consultants can only excel when they’re the ones calling the shots. For this reason, 1DB provides our IFCs with the support to run their offices in a way that is best suited to their needs and the needs of their clients. Since each Independent Financial Consultant is the true authority on the inner workings of their own practice, we give each representative the ability to make their own decisions about the shape and direction of their financial services business.

From our vantage point, each Independent Financial Consultant is a visionary, carving out an individual market niche and growing a highly personalized financial consulting practice. 1DB is here to provide high level business support services, industry-leading investment products and customized financial resources to ensure that each Consultant achieves their individual goals. By focusing on providing the right tools and services, 1DB creates a working environment that allows IFCs to exceed their clients’ expectations and grow their business.

Choose Wisely

When determining the Independent Broker/Dealer for you (and your clients), Choose Wisely

1DB’s sole focus is ensuring that you have access to all the financial products and investment services that will help to meet all of your clients’ needs. We allow our Independent Financial Consultants to select from a wealth of investment options including hundreds of mutual funds, fixed income securities and insurance products, as well as less traditional investments such as managed futures funds, emerging market securities and hedge funds. Thus allowing you to select those avenues that will be most appropriate to meeting all of your clients’ goals.

We take our status as an Independent Broker/Dealer very seriously. 1DB conducts financial due diligence on the investment products we offer to ensure they meet appropriate requirements. However, we don’t show a preference for particular products or product families. 1DB never sets quotas or offers proprietary products, ensuring the autonomy of your decisions and the most appropriate investment choices for your clients. We will, however, always respond with up to the minute investment information or the extensive research you need to make better, more informed choices.

To help you make the most of your time, our Web-based trading platform, TradeVantage Pro, provides dynamic access to your clients’ accounts as well as real time industry information. Our state of the art financial technology, which includes an active trading platform, allows our Independent Financial Consultants to streamline their trading and research efforts and run their business more efficiently.

Sleep Soundly

Sleep soundly knowing your business is backed by the 1DB team of financial experts

For 1DB Financial Consultants, independence doesn’t mean you’ll have to go it alone. You’ll have direct access to many seasoned financial industry experts whose advice and guidance have helped propel a great many Consultants to success. We have assembled a team with diversified talents and abilities, each bringing a commitment to superb service and an irreplaceable skill set to the table.

1DB employs sound practices with all of our compliance, trading, reporting, and risk management systems so you can be assured that all your crucial business functions are in safe hands. We employ some of the highest standards in the brokerage industry and are backed by the operational resources of Penson Financial Services, Inc.. We are always working to ensure 1DB meets (and exceeds) industry requirements—and even more importantly—our Consultants’ requirements. Our staff works on our IFCs’ behalf to ensure all our “i”s are dotted and all “t”s are crossed, so you can focus on your core business.

Enjoy Your Success

Enjoy generous compensation without compromising on the investment strategies you recommend to clients

We believe that our Financial Consultants’ efforts should be directly tied to their financial rewards. 1DB’s payout schedules are transparent, easy to follow and provide competitive payouts whether your clients’ investment focus is on mutual funds, annuities, or individual securities. Our Financial Consultants have the freedom to focus on creating the ideal investment strategy for their clients with the confidence that they will be generously rewarded for their hard work.

President’s Letter

Dear Colleague,

1DB has been one of the fastest growing Independent Broker/Dealer firms in the industry. Yet, even though we’ve been called “the gem among Independent Broker/Dealer firms,” we still remain under the radar. We have grown by acquisition and word-of-mouth by aligning with financial professionals who relate to the unique environment we have built.

The Independent Financial Consultant is an entrepreneur who revels in independence and is motivated to make things happen by forging their own path. Our contribution is made through providing support and guidance, with new ideas and inventive ways to take your financial practice to the next level. Our firm is centered on our Financial Consultants, so we never forget that your success is also our success.

We know that financial professionals have many affiliation options and I invite you to learn more about our firm. I strongly believe that the more you know about 1DB, the better able you will be to judge what differentiates us from the pack. It’s a difference that really matters—and it can matter to you and the success of your career.

I welcome your inquiry about 1DB and what we can bring to your investment practice. I invite you to fill out an inquiry form to have one of our team members get back to you.

Best Wishes,

William Corley, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer

IFC Insights

1st Discount Brokerage Independent Financial Consultants offer their entrepreneurial success stories

After almost 25 years in the brokerage business, I’ve heard my share of promises from investment firms. With 1DB, I’ve finally found a firm that delivers.

My investment business focuses primarily on the fixed income arena. Rather than trying to squeeze my practice into their mold, 1DB has actually worked to create customized support. With 1DB, I have not had to compromise to conduct my business my way. In fact, this working environment has made me considerably more productive.

The 1DB operational support team has been an invaluable resource, providing the information, insights and expert trading capacity my business relies on. Management has been accessible and responsive, addressing issues before they ever become problems. They also provide guidance that helps me make better business decisions and allows me to grow my practice and better serve my clients. I am living proof that 1DB is a great Independent Broker/Dealer for those who want to do their own thing—but who don’t want to do it alone.

Tim Devlin
1st Discount Brokerage
Albuquerque, NM

After 12 years with national wirehouses, the decision to go independent was not an easy one. My partners and I spent over 2 years researching various independent firms in order to find one that would allow us to effectively execute our business plan. We also sought a firm able to provide the levels of technology that we had become accustomed to.

Our vision and goal for our office was to provide our clients with a team of IFCs with different areas of expertise. When other firms said “Let’s see how we can make this happen,” 1DB enthusiastically embraced us and said “We will make this happen,” which was not the normal practice.

1DB was one of the few firms capable of offering services—such as option writing and high quality fixed income securities—that would allow us to manage our business as we had envisioned. 1DB met all of our “unusual” requests then and continues to provide outstanding service for our clients today. We are now recognized in our community as “the brokerage office that offers a team approach.”

Deb Johnson
Financial Resources Group
Cedar Rapids, IA

Over 30 years in estate and financial planning has taught me one thing— you’re only as good as the support behind you. The staff support at 1DB is second to none. They listen to your requests and deliver almost immediately, so you can always be a step ahead of clients’ expectations. The insights from the 1DB team, as well as the education and seminar programs keep me on the cutting edge of financial changes in the industry.

The high net worth clients I work with have particularly high expectations for the products they invest in and the level of service they receive. I can proudly say the 1DB team has always been able to deliver the products and services I’ve needed, when I needed them. My business has flourished during my time with 1DB, and I believe the environment here can help other hard-working entrepreneurs achieve similar levels of success.

John D. McHugh II
JDM Financial
Half Moon Bay, CA

After owning a very successful investment planning firm for 13 years, I decided that it was time to reduce my workload. While I was eager to delegate administrative capacities to an independent broker/dealer, I was concerned that the family atmosphere that I had instilled in my firm would erode in a larger organization. Then I found 1DB. I placed all of my investment professionals with 1DB and they couldn’t be happier with the decision. 1DB has allowed us to maintain our unique company culture while benefiting from the tremendous products and resources of a larger organization.

The broad range of products that 1DB has to offer improves my success as a consultant. This includes everything from the flawless execution of trades to the excellent electronic data that keep my clients and the firm on top of our game. I urge any investment professional interested in building their asset and customer base to consider the tremendous opportunity available with 1DB.

Alan Miller
Winchester Investments
Overland Park, KS

Getting Started

Thank you for inquiring about our 1DB reps program. A 1DB Team Member will contact you shortly to discuss the personalized services and support available to the Independent Financial Consultants that partner with us. If you require immediate support or have a specific question, please call us at 888-642-2811 or email transition@1db.com