Becoming a Financial Advisor

First of all you must know what a financial advisor career is all about to make an informed decision. You should get a bachelors degree in the financial field which may carry some clout with your clients and your boss. But, have you ever heard the saying that a man/woman can have twenty one letters after their name but do nothing? It all boils down to your achievements, how you are with your clients, and do you put their needs first? After all, this is how you are going to build your reputation in the business. Word of mouth by your loyal clients will be as gold to your future.

Building a business during your financial advisor career is going to be a plus if you like being your own boss, if you are not afraid of the telephone, if you can take the stresses of handling other people's finances, if you are a determined individual, if you can make decisions quickly, if you can be trusted, if you are analytical, if you are energetic, if you truly care about the clients you will be cultivating, then you are on your way. There is no ceiling on the amount of money you can earn. You have seen ads where it says, "self starter." This will be you. Remember you can do anything you set your mind to doing!

Whether you have just gotten out of college or you have just retired from a large corporation, becoming a registered rep and starting on a new financial advisor career is going to mean commitment. The retiree may know more people than the person just graduating from college. On the other hand, the college graduate will just start out building a client base and have many years to do so, whereas the retiree may volunteer in his community, he and his family may be known and trusted already so he has a ready-made group of possible clients to speak with.

You will have to have a sponsor or firm you are going to work with who is licensed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You will have to study and take the Series 7 and Series 63 security exams and pass. You will have to take continuing education classes to stay on top of your specialty. Also, you will be registered with a Self Regulatory Organization (SRO) or Financial Industry Regularity Authority (FINRA). Furthering your financial advisor career will be an ongoing and very exciting process.