CFP Careers #1: Financial Planning
Growing your career as a personal financial planner is a solid and straightforward CFP® career opportunity. As a financial planner, you’ll work closely with your clients to tailor financial plans to meet their unique goals.
For example, with a bachelor’s degree, you can enter the profession as an analyst within a financial planning team. With experience, you can grow into the position of associate advisor or paraplanner where you assist financial planners and advisers with documentation and financial administrative tasks.
Only after becoming a CFP professional®, can you push your career further into planner, director, and partner roles—or even start your own consulting firm. With your certification, you can take on new leadership responsibilities, including:
- Drafting and presenting financial plans
- Participating in client meetings
- Managing client relationships
- Overseeing financial plan implementation
- Leading teams
- Assigning projects and supervising quality of performance[2]
CFP Careers #2: Financial Advising
Alternatively, other CFP® opportunities may lead you into financial advising positions. Financial advising includes financial planning strategies, but generally begins with an assessment of the client’s or company’s overall financial health and strategic areas of improvement. Then, you may offer guidance on investments and plans that work to grow wealth.[3]
Entry-level financial advising positions only go so far as assistant or associate. With certification, you can enter team leadership and independent advisory CFP® opportunities that don’t rely on the supervision of a senior team member.
CFP Careers #3: Wealth Management
Wealth management is another of the CFP® careers that leverages the deep financial understanding and reputation as a trustworthy fiduciary that you gain during the certification process. If you pursue CFP® opportunities in wealth management, expect to work with wealthy clients (individuals or companies), and leverage some or all of the following areas of specialization to evaluate their current resources and maximize their assets’ potential:
- Tax
- Investment strategy
- Securities
- Insurance
- Pension plans
- Real estate[4]
As a wealth management advisor, you’ll likely work with high-profile clients and possess great relationship-building skills, in addition to your financial knowledge. Your CFP® certification only helps you gain trust with these clients and strengthen your ability to give sound, lucrative advice.[5]
CFP Careers #4: Investment Management
Like wealth management, investment management provides CFP® opportunities for your career as you help your clients maximize their assets through strategic investments. Whether working within a firm or on your own, you’ll work closely with your clients to understand their financial goals and the portfolio that they’re ready to invest. Using your knowledge of their finances and the general market, you’ll develop a financial plan and suggested investments.
But in addition to the overall planning and oversight, you’ll also likely handle the day-to-day buying and selling of assets on your clients’ behalf. You’ll have to follow the market closely and trade as needed to ensure that your clients see positive return on their investments.[6]
By earning your CFP® credential, you’ll gain both investment advisory knowledge and skills of implementation. Plus, you lay the groundwork for CFP® opportunities that allow you to grow in leadership within an investment management firm.
The Places You’ll Go with CFP® Opportunities
When you become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, you’re able to push your career into more advanced positions, no matter what specialization you choose. Whether you hone your focus in financial advising within a large firm, take on wealth management with a few select (high-profile!) clients, or choose to open your own financial consulting firm that provides services across the board—being a CFP® professional allows you to grow in the field.
Find CFP Opportunities with BIF
So, if you already know you want to take a career path where you can work more closely with clients, helping them prepare for the future and build their wealth, becoming a CFP® professional can help you achieve these goals. Boston Institute of Finance offers industry leading CFP® Education and Exam prep to help you earn your certification in as little as 10 months! Connect with an education consultant to find out more about getting certified and unlocking the many CFP® opportunities that await you.
[1] https://www.cfp.net/why-cfp-certification/financial-planner-salary-and-stats
[2] https://www.cfp.net/-/media/files/cfp-board/knowledge/reports-and-research/guide-to-careers-in-financial-planning/guide-to-careers-in-financial-planning.pdf
[3] https://www.indeed.com/hire/c/info/financial-planner-vs-financial-advisor?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA8fW9BhC8ARIsACwHqYql0VQqqo1rjdw-ssyJw9KvUoz2n2dJXcWr_wc9omWBvhdqPAk6KHkaAg4OEALw_wcB&gbraid=0AAAAADfh6_t1jzOgCqiMiFVK0XA9Bx5VY&aceid=&co=US&gclsrc=aw.ds
[4] https://www.franklin.edu/career-guide/personal-financial-advisors/what-do-wealth-management-advisors-do
[5] https://www.cfp.net/why-cfp-certification/career-guide/what-is-financial-planning/career-opportunities
[6] https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/investment-manager.asp
