What’s it all about?
A financial adviser is someone who has spent time building up knowledge and expertise around financial matters, particularly matters around personal finance. They provide advice on a range of options for those clients who need to invest or save etc.
A financial adviser must ensure that they have the appropriate financial qualifications before they begin to dispense advice. A trusted role, financial planning is instrumental in people making some of the most important financial decisions of their lives.
It is a highly regulated role, and one aspect of the role that perhaps best demonstrates this is the fact that the adviser has to inform clients, before they offer any advice, just what position they have. In this respect an adviser can offer advice as an ‘independent adviser’ or a ‘restricted adviser’.
An independent can offer advice on the full range of instruments and products on the market. However, they must give advice that is completely unbiased in every respect. It’s comprehensive advice, but completely unbiased.
A brand new entrant to the profession can expect to gain £22,000 to £30,000 per year. This increases to the £30,000 to £45,000 mark once qualified.
Restricted financial advisers offer advice and direction on a limited number of products and providers.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Having professional client meetings in an office or other setting, where you listen to and understand the nature of a client’s needs
- Preparing detailed, professionally-informed plans that will help to meet the client’s needs
- Analysing any potential risks in the client’s financial future, whether as a result of following your advice or on a general level
- Helping clients to make financial decisions on the basis of your advice
- Performing deep and complex levels of research around financial products and the current financial climate
- Continuing to provide advice and support as the client relationship develops
- Creating in-depth financial reports
- Keeping abreast of financial issues and developments, both in the industry and on a national legislative level
So how do you get there?
If you’re going to be giving financial advice to people, and essentially helping them look after their money, you should expect some extensive training.
You can become a financial adviser after studying any degree, but for obvious reasons the following degrees will look very attractive on your CV.
- Accountancy
- Business management
- Finance or financial studies
If you are able to demonstrate experience in a customer service related job, this will probably prove to be advantageous, as will any work in a bank or other financial setting. You can also get your foot in the door earlier if you support a financial planner as a paraplanner,
Finally, there are plenty of other routes into the profession, You will need an undergraduate degree still, but you can acquire a stronger CV if you work in banking or insurance.
Who?
Financial advisers can work in a number of settings, but the most common settings are:
- Insurance companies
- Investment firms
- Independent financial advice services
- Financial planning firms
Show me the money
A brand new entrant to the profession can expect to gain £22,000 to £30,000 per year. This increases to the £30,000 to £45,000 mark once qualified.
A senior financial adviser can expect to earn up to £60,000 if they have sufficient experience and a prosperous client base. And right at the top of the tree come the wealth managers for top CEOs and firms. These financial advisers can earn beyond £100,000 per year.
It should be noted that salaries can vary significantly in the industry, and this is down to the fact that some financial advisers can work for large companies, for example. These may also offer bonuses, so it is not hard to see how salaries can rise.
Is it for me?
If you like helping people and you have the background to take a financial degree then this is a great option for you. It’s a mainstay of business to offer advice on wealth etc. If you work hard enough, it can prove to be a very lucrative career.
