Personal Financial Advisor Job Description

Series Summary

Personal financial advisors, also called financial planners or financial consultants, provide analysis and guidance to businesses and individuals to help them with investment decisions. Personal financial advisors use their knowledge of investments, tax laws, and insurance to recommend financial options that supports the individual's short-term and long-term goals. Personal financial advisors address Issues such as retirement and estate planning, funding for college, and general investment options. Many advisors offer advice on a wide range of topics however some specialize in specific areas such as retirement and estate planning or risk management. In this free video series, a certified personal financial advisor describes a career in financial planning. Get a personal financial advisor's job description, learn about salary options and find out what qualifications are required to become a personal financial advisor. Weigh the pros and cons of financial planning, get helpful career information and hear examples of a personal financial planner's hardest day and most rewarding moments. A personal financial advisor can help clients meet their financial goals and can be a very satisfying career.

Video Transcript

"This is what it's like to be a financial advisor. My name is Janice Dunn, and I'm a certified financial planner, here in Eugene, Oregon, and the thing that we specialize in is looking at someone's overall financial picture, and trying to find out if there are ways that they can make that picture better; save for retirement, save for education for their children, maybe pass on money to their heirs if they would like. Generally, we look at taxes as part of that picture, and investments as part of that picture, and that can be everything from real estate to metals and commodities; all different kinds of things that you can put money in, and then hopefully later, it'll be worth more money than you had initially. The coolest thing about it really is that every person's plan usually is as different as their fingerprint, and so it's really fun to work with people, because everyone has a different need, and you can help people, and that's really a good thing."