Not too long ago, I asked three kids, ages 6-7, what they want to be when they grow up. They told me: a football player, a doctor and a teacher. “Not one of you wants to be a benefits broker?” I asked.

That earned me a befuddled look. Fittingly enough, I got the same look when I posed that question to a friend considering a career change. Just like it’s not a career kids dream about, neither is it the first consideration for recent graduates or those contemplating new jobs. And from the look of it, it’s not even a career brokers dream about. In fact, for some brokers, the field has turned into somewhat of a nightmare.

There’s the impossible uncertainty of the future, excessive heath care costs, the collective glum disposition at broker conferences held across the country, and the ever-present big brother watching in the wings, ready to snag their jobs. And of course, concerns over how they will make their profits after new regulations go into effect. So what does this mean for the broker business?