Wealth Manager

Financial Planning: Facts and Trends

Financial Planning is Hot

U. S. News and World Report listed the position of financial planner as one of the twenty hottest professions for the future. They note that the entry of baby-boomers into middle age with a bewildering array of investment choices will make financially planning a really hot profession in the future. This said, financial planners interviewed recently point out that getting a solo practice going as a financial planner today can be difficult and highly competitive.

Pay Attention to the Details

To make it in financial planning you need to know the details of various investments, tax law, estate planning strategies and you need to be good at marketing yourself and listening to your customers.

High Growth Expected in Financial Planning

The field of financial planning is expected to experience substantial future growth, but it's a hard field to start in because most financial planners work in entrepreneurial one or two person shops and have difficulty affording new hires. Getting that crucial starting experience is the hardest part.

Quite a Few Financial Planners Already

According to the Consumer Federation of America there are over 250,000 financial planners. The largest company in the field is IDS Financial Services, a division of American Express.

Financial Planning: Skills and Talents

The financial planning sector is booming and offers a variety of career options. This field deals with the largest markets of any kind in the world and call on the following skills:

Key Skill Area	Requirement
People skills:	High
Sales skills:	Medium
Communication skills:	High
Analytical skills:	Medium
Ability to synthesize:	High
Creative ability:	Medium
Initiative:	Medium
Work hours:	25-65/week

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Commentary

Can Invest Directly or Indirectly

Money managers either directly make investments or help others by providing investment advice. If they are in the first business they are usually called portfolio managers. If they are in the second, they are generally called financial planners.

A Variety of Compensation Approaches Available for Planners

Financial planners can be compensated on a flat per-hour fee basis, a commission basis or both. The way you are paid in this business clearly affects the incentives you have with your customers.

It's Important to Have a Broad Understanding of Business

One of the exciting things about investing is that you get rewarded for knowing how business works. People who understand and enjoy business are among the most likely to succeed in this arena.

Financial Planning: Overview

Financial planners help individuals plan their financial futures. How are you going to cover your retirement needs? What do you have to do today to put your children through college? This work can be personally and financially rewarding and requires excellent interpersonal skills. A good financial planner understands investments, taxes, estate planning issues and knows how to listen. This work can be done within a company such as IDS Financial Services or by yourself, as a sole proprietorship. Most planners go solo or work within smaller practices. It's essential then that you have a certain amount of entrepreneurship given that you will be running your own business. The work pays well and is rewarding if you like to help people. Increasingly, it pays to obtain the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.