Why do wealth advisors stay or leave their firms?

We study the determinants associated with wealth advisors' consideration to leave or say at financial planning firms. Utilizing self‐determination theory as the foundational theoretical framework and focusing on the psychological aspect of the decision, we develop a structural equation model that defines the factors relating to work satisfaction, affective work commitment, and turnover intention in the wealth management profession. We provide evidence for the roles played by autonomous motivation, reward, and punishment in determining job retention and affective work commitment among wealth advisors in the United States. By showing the importance of autonomous motivation on retention, we are offering the wealth management industry one extra tool to influence employee retention.