well...dreamchaser....they act as a middleman ...as well as manupulate deals... In later case...it is mostly when a firm is trying to unload some of the securities that they might have over-bought...or when they deem securities that they own is ripe for a crash. At the end of the day...it is commission...churning...i believe is the word. I think Emini is hinting at getting a CFA or a CFP to become a portfolio manager of some sort in the long run... I will once again say...becoming a stock broker has nothing to do with finance...it's all about the gift of the gab...and being able to sell ice to an eskimo. G'luck :o)