For those looking to move into the field of paraplanning or to start off their career in financial services, then we have some great tips for you in our article below.
When it comes to getting your foot in the door of financial services, one of the smartest things you can do is start off as a junior paraplanner and work your way upwards from here. With that in mind, paraplanning essentially gives you access to working with relevant financial documents and workflows, thereby starting your career in the industry with relevance.
That in mind, we have a smart guide to your career in paraplanning below.
Paraplanner Qualifications and Requirements
To kick things off, it’s good to note that due to paraplanning being a financial services role, you will need some sort of registration and education in the field.
For most businesses to hire you, you will need to work on obtaining a license for work in finance as well as a holding your registration to work in the financial fields. You’re able to do this by gaining a diploma.
The simplest and most effective way to do this is through paraplanning courses which provide you with everything you’ll need to work in the field.
A Breakdown of Your Formal Education
Before we delve into what a paraplanner does, it’s good to note a few of the essentials you will need.
As you may already know, paraplanners work alongside financial advisors and as a result, work with a lot of sensitive information and provide a lot of assistance and information to financial advisers. This requires a lot of dexterity in finance, and so educational requirements can be quite stringent.
Step One
You will need to gain some sort of qualification or college degree in paraplanning or finance to land a role in the field.
These degrees will ensure you have a well-rounded understanding of the tasks you’ll be expected to undertake, and from here you will be able to work more effectively as a paraplanner and make your way up the ladder a little more easily.
Depending on where you’re located, there may be different rules, regulations and educational requirements needed before moving on to step two.
Step Two
Moving on from your minor degree, you can then work to land a job in a firm as a junior paraplanner, or work on developing your education further.
It may be worth your while to enrol in courses such as a Monarch paraplanning course to get you from that entry level position to a middle one, and get you on the way to becoming a financial advisor or firm owner a little sooner.
For some of our readers, moving on further to more in-depth courses is the better option from the start, or step one, if you already have a good knowledge of finance or undertook this as a major in high school.
Step Three
Once you have these educational requirements down, you can then move on to gaining your licenses and moving on to working as a paraplanner.
It’s good to keep in mind that the more education, experience and registrations you have, the more avenues you’re going to see open to you when it comes to employment across multiple states.
This is fantastic when it comes to career trajectory and moving up the ranks in a firm or working to develop your own financial advisory business.
On top of this, you could also expect to see a higher income from the outset, which means a better personal financial standing from the beginning.
What a Paraplanner Does
To end our article, we’ll take a quick look at some of the workflows a paraplanner undertakes in their day to day.
In many cases you’ll be required to assist with workflows such as information gathering for the financial advisors you work with — saving them some time. You’ll also often be working to prepare for meetings, which can include setting up meeting spaces, but also making sure documents are prepared and ready for said meetings.
On top of this, you might also be asked to communicate with clients.
For most paraplanners, you will also be able to work on researching investment opportunities for clients, work on presenting preliminary information to financial advisers as well as getting visual aids and documentation taken care of prior to high priority client meetings.
To end, almost all workflows in the paraplanning field are highly relevant to those looking to move into financial advisory, and this is great news for anyone looking to get their foot in the door of financial services.