will it be tough for stock brokers to get used to clients saying "fill her up with regular" rather than saying buy xyz stock? with all the lay offs,i wonder if stock brokers and former traders will be good gas station attendants. i think they will but they may have to lie on their resume' and say they were involved with oil related stocks.
Having been a broker/advisor, I can tell you now is the time when you make your money and can easily gather new assets. Make no mistake, most people have no clue what to do right now and they NEED someone to say - just hang on, we'll be ok. And for the aggressive brokers out there, great time to be prospecting. Just like prospecting shortly after 9-11. Many broker refuse to call or help their clients and aggressive ones can gather new assets easily.
I was a retail stockbroker during the Saddam selloff in 1990 and it was a horrible time for brokers. Every single one of the brokers in my office took huge hits in pay. Even the branch manager, who's book was so big it had to be wheeled out in a chair, lost almost half his regular income.