Ten Things Your Big Bank Brokerage Isn’t Telling You

And why independence matters more than ever.

You trust your brokerage with your life savings. But are they telling you the whole story?

After 40+ years in this industry, we’ve seen how the big firms operate from the inside. Here’s what they won’t put in the brochure.

1. They’re paid to gather assets, not manage them.

Big firms track one number above all else: assets under management. More assets, more fees. That doesn’t mean they’re focused on making your money work harder. It means they’re focused on getting more of it.

2. Your options are more limited than you think.

Ever wonder why your advisor only recommends certain funds? Large institutions pre-approve what you can buy. That limits your choices before you even sit down. Fewer strategies. Fewer tools. Fewer opportunities.

3. Ask your advisor to explain your holdings. See what happens.

At big firms, advisors are trained to place clients into “models,” not manage portfolios. Ask them to walk through each position. Ask why you own it. Ask how it fits your goals. If they stumble, you have your answer.

4. Fees hide inside fees.

You see the management fee. But what about the internal expenses of the funds inside your funds? ETFs that hold other ETFs. Mutual funds layered on top of each other. The total drag on your returns is often higher than you realize.

5. Not every advisor is required to put you first.

Some are fiduciaries. Some aren’t. If your advisor isn’t legally obligated to act in your best interest, expect higher fees, less transparency, and conflicts you won’t see coming.

6. “Guaranteed” usually means “expensive.”

When someone sells you a guarantee in investing, ask what it costs. Safety isn’t free. Annuities, principal-protected products, and insurance wrappers come with steep tradeoffs. Make sure you understand them.

7. Complexity is a feature, not a bug.

Wall Street knows that confusion keeps clients quiet. More products, more jargon, more “proprietary solutions.” None of that means better results. It just means harder questions.

8. Owning 100 stocks isn’t diversification. It’s dilution.

Massive portfolios spread risk for the firm, not for you. Holding 50 or 100 positions makes it nearly impossible for any single idea to move the needle. That’s not a strategy. That’s a hedge against lawsuits.

9. Activity creates fees. Patience creates wealth.

Every trade, every rebalance, every “new opportunity” generates revenue for someone. The best long-term results often come from doing less, not more. But doing less doesn’t pay the firm.

10. The institution protects itself first.

Layers of compliance, legal review, and corporate oversight exist to protect the firm. That’s not wrong. But it does mean less flexibility, less creativity, and less independent thinking on your behalf.

Why We’re Different

We’re not a big bank. We don’t answer to shareholders or a corporate home office.

At Freedom Capital Advisors, independence means:

• Freedom to choose strategies based on you, not internal policy
• No proprietary product quotas
• Fiduciary responsibility. Always.

If you’re tired of being a number, let’s talk.

Interested in a second opinion on your current portfolio?