[Copernicus]

Im not underestimating or overestimating anything, and my "grasp" of what they take is just fine. I think you are underestimating what a teacher does. Also we are likely to have different definitions of "hard". For example, I dont equate stressful with "hard". Stress isnt intrinsic to many jobs, air traffic controller being one of the few exceptions, stress is mostly self imposed.

I dont consider putting in 10-12 hours a day on the phone with a computer clicking "Fixed Rate", "ARM", Credit Score etc. "hard". The majority of a mortgage brokers job can be replaced by a website and a customer service rep with a couple of weeks of training. The typical mortgage broker exam can be passed after a week with a study manual. I was an assistant to a mortgage broker and then a mortgage broker for 3 years as a college dropout and found it incredibly boring.

Stressful? Any job can be stressful if you have unrealistic expectations for long term potential. I couldnt sell life insurance if my life depended on it. The stress of inconsistent earnings and constantly being in backslapping mode would be extremely stressful for me. That doesnt make it hard. The life insurance exams could be passed by anyone who can get a teaching certificate.

Some people would find consultative sales very stressful, to me its natural, and not the least bit hard.

I also distinguish between a job being "hard" and a job requiring attaining specific knowledge. The NASD exams are not particularly difficult taken sequentially and incrementally. Moderate success/failure as a broker has much more to do with perseverence and personality than the job being "hard".

My job as an actuary/financial consultant is embarassingly easy. The exam process to become credentialed is far and away the most difficult and comprehensive of any job except doctor. The average teacher works far harder and faces more stress than I do, and Im in the top 15% (but not the top 5%) of my profession.

Ive already conceded that running your own business is hard, and stressful. I also dont consider it a "job" per se. (I even need to qualify that...building your own business is hard. If you have experience in the field and had a windfall of money and walked in and bought a thriving business, running it well wouldnt be particularly hard).