Pros
Probably the best big firm in the brokerage business. It is very careful not to even offer very risky products to clients. This keeps everyone out of trouble - clients, the firm, and advisors. The willingness to offer guidance is outstanding - at many firms, advisors guard their knowedge carefully and jealously, so as to keep their advantage. At EDJ my experience was that there was an enormous amount of camaraderie and willingness to spend time coaching and mentoring younger advisors. The tools available to help clients are outstanding as well. Many firms allow only top producers to use things like the Morningstar X-Ray - EDJ makes this available to all advisors. Also, the customer contact database is far superior to other firms I have worked for.
Cons
The work of a financial advisor is tough at all firms. EDJ could do more to support young financial advisors in their careers to reduce the failure rate. Benefits for financial advisors are very costly after the subsidy period is over (2 years?). At the end of the day all financial advisors at EDJ and other firms are sales people - that is what is valued the most - their understanding of portfolio construction and financial planning is hit or miss depending on the individual skills of the advisors they hire. My experience is that the experience of the average advisor is a little thin. I would not want my parents to invest with an EDJ advisor unless they had "real" credentials - a CFP or bachelor's or masters in financial planning. Truth be told, this is rare, not just at EDJ, but across the industry.