Leaving Edward Jones in 2026

Short answer: Leaving Edward Jones has become far more common: about 1,458 advisors exited in 2025, up 35% from about 1,080 the year before, and 503 of them had 10 or more years at the firm, according to ThinkAdvisor and InvestmentNews. Edward Jones is not in the Broker Protocol and has gone to court to enforce non-solicit agreements, so get legal advice, price your partnership interests and plan the move carefully.

Why are advisors leaving Edward Jones?

Advisors cite limits on pricing, technology and product choice, the one-advisor branch model, and the wish to own their practice and its equity value. The mix of who leaves is changing: in 2021, advisors with at least 10 years at the firm were 21% of departures, and by 2025 they were 35%, rising from 246 to 503 people. Many of those veterans left the industry entirely, often to retire, which is one reason succession planning belongs in any move decision.

Edward Jones is responding with ownership. It plans to exchange Class A limited partnership interests for a new Class B tier, with issuance expected January 4, 2027, and filings say as many as 33,079 Class A limited partners could be eligible. Understand how that change affects your own stake before you decide.

What you leave behind at Edward Jones

• Limited partnership interests: Class A and the coming Class B interests, and the income they pay, are tied to your role at the firm, so check exactly what happens to them on departure.
• Client data: without the Protocol, taking client names or contact details can trigger a restraining order.
• Office and staff: branch leases and your branch team need a plan before resignation day.

Where former Edward Jones advisors go

High performers often move to an independent broker-dealer first and add or move to an RIA later, according to the same report.

Sources: ThinkAdvisor and InvestmentNews (March 2026) reporting on 2021-2025 Edward Jones departure data; American Banker on the Class B limited partnership exchange; Financial Planning on non-solicit litigation. Figures are third-party estimates.

Edward Jones resource hub

• Edward Jones Advisor Transition Report 2026: free 10-page PDF with departure data and the Class B change.
• Going independent as a financial advisor: compare broker-dealers, hybrids and RIAs.
• Transition packages explained: what firms offer and how to compare offers.
• Advisor transition consulting: how we help plan a non-Protocol move.
• Fidelity RIA custody minimum: what it means if you plan to launch an RIA.

Broker Protocol and your clients

Edward Jones is not a member of the Protocol for Broker Recruiting. Financial Planning has reported a federal judge granting Edward Jones a temporary restraining order that barred two former advisors from soliciting its clients while the dispute went to FINRA arbitration. Have an attorney review your agreements before you resign.

Where do advisors go after a wirehouse?

Most moves land on one of four rungs. Each step down the list adds independence, and each one adds work you own yourself.

Read the full comparison in our guide to going independent.

Leaving Edward Jones step by step

1. Get your own numbers first. Pull your T12, AUM, household count and fee-based share, and list every unvested award and note balance.
2. Review your agreements with a lawyer. Check non-solicit, confidentiality and notice terms before you talk to any firm in detail.
3. Compare real offers side by side. Look at the full five-to-nine-year value, not just the up-front check. Our transition package guide shows how.
4. Plan the resignation day. Decide what you may take, who calls which clients, and when paperwork goes out.
5. Run the first 90 days. Most of the book moves early, so repapering speed and client communication decide the outcome.

FAQ: leaving Edward Jones

Is Edward Jones in the Broker Protocol?

No. Edward Jones is not a Broker Protocol firm and has enforced non-solicit agreements in court, so advisors should get legal advice before resigning.

Can Edward Jones stop my clients from following me?

Clients can choose to move. In one case reported by Financial Planning, a federal judge barred two former advisors from soliciting clients but still let them work with clients who had already transferred and accept new transfers.

How many advisors left Edward Jones in 2025?

ThinkAdvisor and InvestmentNews reported about 1,458 departures in 2025, up 35%, including 503 advisors with 10 or more years at the firm.

What is the Edward Jones Class B partnership change?

Edward Jones plans to exchange Class A limited partnership interests for new Class B interests, with issuance expected January 4, 2027, according to American Banker. Review how it affects your stake before deciding to move.

Where do advisors go after leaving Edward Jones?

Over five years, former Edward Jones advisors joined about 630 firms; LPL, Ameriprise and Raymond James took the most, and others went to regional firms, wirehouses or independent RIAs.