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Personal Financial Advisors

Also called: Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Financial Advisor, Financial Planner, Portfolio Manager

Where in the military? In the military: see titles from the Air Force, Army, or Marine Corps.

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What they do:
Advise clients on financial plans using knowledge of tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension plans, and real estate. Duties include assessing clients' assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, and financial objectives. May also buy and sell financial assets for clients.
On the job, you would:
  • Interview clients to determine their current income, expenses, insurance coverage, tax status, financial objectives, risk tolerance, or other information needed to develop a financial plan.
  • Recommend to clients strategies in cash management, insurance coverage, investment planning, or other areas to help them achieve their financial goals.
  • Manage client portfolios, keeping client plans up-to-date.

Knowledge

Business
  • customer service
  • accounting and economics
Arts and Humanities
  • English language
Math and Science
  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
  • psychology
Safety and Government
  • law and government

Skills

Basic Skills
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • reading work related information
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Abilities

Verbal
  • communicate by speaking
  • communicate by writing
Math
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide
  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem
Ideas and Logic
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • use rules to solve problems

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Concern for Others
  • Achievement/Effort

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Data base user interface and query software
  • Microsoft SQL Server Hot Technology
  • Structured query language SQL Hot Technology
Presentation software
  • Financial planning presentation software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology In Demand
Financial analysis software
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
  • WealthTec Foundations

Education

Education: (rated 4 of 5)
bachelor's degree or
certificate after college
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Bright Outlook
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
Salary
$94,170
$47,570
$208,000+
Check out my state Local Salary Info Find Jobs

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See more details at O*NET OnLine about personal financial advisors.