Personal Financial Advisors

QUALIFICATIONS

A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA) in finance, business administration, public administration, or a related field, or a Bachelor’s degree in engineering accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); A Master’s degree – MBA Finance would be an added plus; along with Personal Financial Planner & Advisor study programs or related certifications like the Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Financial Consultant (CFC), Chartered Investment Counselor (CIC), Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor (CMFC), etc.; encompassing at least 4-year requisite study and practice credit hours in the area or field of management consulting, finance, research & analysis and practice; combined with – On the Job Training (OJT) programs, Apprenticeships, Financial Planner & Advisor Workforce Job Training or Experience; covering work topics including financial planning fundamentals, concepts and principles, financial ratios and metrics, taxation, tax planning, optimization and management, Investment planning and allocation, risk and asset management, insurance planning, retirement planning, estate planning, wealth creation and wealth transfer, business economics, business laws, stock and bond markets, , Return on Equity (ROE), Return on Investment (ROI), business & interest cycle, business math, funds management, processes, MIS & Computer applications, measurement metrics and indicators, statistical analysis & reporting etc.

AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY
(Credits: www.payscale.com)

PROJECTED GROWTH
(Credits: www.bls.gov)

Personal Financial Advisors is an excellent career, in which employment is expected to grow at a steady 4 percent from 2019 to 2029.

SKILLS/ TRAITS NEEDED

Person Finance Advisors must possess deep financial knowledge of finance products, great listening skills, adaptability, problem-solving, critical thinking, analytical & computation skills; to analyze, understand and determine the net worth, factors at play, risk-appetite, risk profile, financial goals & capabilities of the corporate or retail customers; they must have the conviction, motivation and positivity to strategize, guide and advise the best investment advice or borrowing options; to address financial pain-points, and achieve the stated short-term, medium-term & long-term financial goals and growth projections – with transparency, trust, and impeccable integrity, leading to wealth-creation for their clients. They need to be “always switched on” result-oriented “go-getters”; an excellent negotiator and communicator with strong business acumen & networking skills for achieving business continuity, customer-conversion & retention – their primary goals; they must be up-to-date with financial laws, statutory financial rules & regulations, policies, processes, procedures, requirements, documentation, financial ratios & metrics, interest rates, risk mitigation & management and overall finance & economics; in their quest to gIve above-board financial strategies and advice, besides marketing the institution or bank’s financial instruments & schemes to the customer. Also, they must track the emerging economic & financial trends, be measurement & data-driven, ethical, accountable, maintain confidentiality, and need to have a strong “Need, Urgency & Demand Perception”; besides being proactive, people-centric & research-oriented individuals with a cool temperament, resilience, memory, imagination, enthusiasm, trust, strong conviction, planning, and execution; coupled with strong decision-making, with excellent verbal & written communication and interpersonal/ soft skills and a pleasant disposition; self-learning abilities, managerial skills, ability to motivate and influence customer decisions; and follow-up, time management, people & stakeholder management, prioritization, presence of mind, creativity and innovation; an open mind with an aptitude for research, patience, persuasiveness, perseverance, persistence & presence. They must be detail-oriented & self-organized with a “can-do attitude” and a strong passion for their work. Meeting people, strategizing, being sales-oriented and an avid, effective and influential presenter for meeting the revenue, profitability & ROI targets of the bank or financial institution and the customer base; and having strong business or industry contacts are pivotal to this profession.

WORK FUNCTIONS

Personal Financial Advisors, primarily provide invaluable financial insights, strategies & advice to the customers of the bank, mortgage company, or financial institution they work for; analyzing, understanding, and determining the net worth, risk-appetite, financial goals & capabilities of the customer to achieve their stated short-term, medium-term & long-term financial goals – leading to the wealth-creation for their corporate or retail clients; presenting compelling investment, borrowing and financial proposals – through phone calls, chats, face-to-face meetings, presentations & discussions. A typical day of the Financial Advisor may involve, planning, preparing agendas, reading, understanding, interpreting & gaining insights through the customer’s bank & financial statements and personal interviews, determining their net-worth, risk appetite, and credit-worthiness; preparing ratios & metrics, writing structured financial recommendations & proposals, offering regular & sound financial advice; performing risk/ assets/ funds/ and liquidity management, arranging contracts, presentations, documentation, customer communication to financially orient and motivate the customer; ensuring customer delight by becoming a trusted companion, a guiding light and a key enabler in achieving the customer’s financial goals and creating wealth for their clients. They give subtle sales pitches along with trusted advice to the financial customers; articulating, describing, and selling the benefits of the various investment and borrowing schemes, and other financing products & options; overseeing the customer’s financial transactions with the goals of improving customer net-worth and creditworthiness, financial liquidity, and risk mitigation & management; addressing any customer concerns and suggesting appropriate & timely advise and offering the best financing solutions for wealth creation. Besides, they may also be involved in statistical analysis & reporting, training & mentoring juniors, and other administrative functions. They get in touch with all stake-holders by researching and profiling them, liaising and gaining the confidence of their customers; constantly building & maintaining customer loyalty, contacts, and relationships with all stakeholders; especially those who have transacted with them in the past; maximizing organizational sales, revenue, Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) & profitability & Return on Investments (ROI) targets. They generally work with banks or mortgage companies, and other financial institutions. “Robot-Financial Advisors” that provide financial advice using Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning (AI/ ML), and advanced computational technologies, are an emerging trend in this field; and are perceived as a potential future threat to human Personal Financial Advisors.