Salary of Financial Advisor Overview

What is A financial advisor?

Financial advisors meet with clients and advise them on financial matters. This could mean sitting down and creating a budget, solidifying retirement plans or providing investment advice. Financial advisors can also invest client funds and meet with them regularly to discuss their investments. Some also have a license to sell insurance. Many times, financial advisors help plan a secure and comfortable future for their clients, but they’re also called upon when the unexpected happens—perhaps an aging parent suddenly needs a live-in caregiver. Whether a couple is going through a divorce or a child needs to transfer to an expensive private school, financial advisors can step in and understand these financial problems and create a plan for moving forward.

It’s an exciting time to be a financial advisor because decades ago, the position didn’t really exist. According to James Kinney, a certified financial planner and founder of New Jersey-based Financial Pathways, you were either a stockbroker or a community banker or even in insurance sales. Today, however, financial advisors fulfill all of these roles, from small independent practices to large investment firms.

“As a larger part of the industry moves away from banks, brokers and insurance companies, more opportunities have opened up,” says Eric Shaffer of Virginia-based wealth management, investment management and financial planning firm Evermay Wealth Management. “As this transition occurs, many advisors have gone independent or formed group relationships in new businesses. These new businesses need young, energetic, forward-thinking professionals to take advantage of senior advisors’ time and business continuity.” provide in the future.”

“Good financial advisors and good teachers have a lot in common,” Schaefer explains. He notes that counselors must be able to listen to their clients, explain complex ideas in understandable ways, and be able to empathize with their clients.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment growth of 15.4 percent for financial advisors between 2021 and 2031. During this period, it is estimated that 50,900 jobs will be created.

How much does a financial advisor earn?

Financial advisors had a median salary of $94,170 in 2021. The top 25 percent earned $158,890 that year, while the bottom 25 percent earned $61,200.

How to become A financial advisor?

To be a financial advisor, you need financial expertise and a desire to help people. Here’s how to get started:

1. Get a bachelor’s degree. Financial advisors often study finance, accounting, or other business-related disciplines to prepare for the job, but you can choose from a wide range of qualifications. Increasingly, universities are also beginning to offer financial planning degrees.
2. Train on the job. Financial advisors spend a lot of time learning from experienced senior advisors, especially on how to develop and grow their client base.
3. Get permission. Becoming a CFP requires the Accredited Financial Planner Certification Exam—a distinction that looks good to employers and clients. To participate in the exam, you need a bachelor’s degree and you must have other educational requirements and work experience.
4. Get an advanced degree. Many financial advisors pursue a master’s degree. Fields of study may include finance or business administration. Earning an advanced degree can help financial advisors move into higher-level roles.

You can also earn other designations if you want to specialize in a specific area of ​​financial planning. For example, you can complete the required training and testing to earn the Certified Retirement Plan Specialist designation. And if you are going to buy or sell stocks or sell insurance, you need to get special permits for that.

Although this job takes more than education and certifications. You need the ability to navigate complex customer relationships. “My colleagues and I agree that 80 percent of our jobs are psychology and only 20 percent finance. I know successful owners of financial consulting firms who specifically recruit psychology majors for this reason,” Schaefer says. Although a degree in business or economics better prepares a professional to take industry exams or explain financial products, the ability to understand the primary concerns and goals of a client or prospect is far more valuable.

Job Satisfaction

The average American works well into their 60s, so workers may have an enjoyable and fulfilling career. A job with a low stress level, good work-life balance, and strong prospects for improvement, promotion, and higher pay make many employees happy. Here’s how Financial advisors Job satisfaction is rated in terms of upward mobility, stress level and flexibility.