Careers in wealth management: Your guide to becoming a financial advisor

Contemplating a career in finance after college? Perhaps you’ve heard of financial advisors and are curious about what it takes to become one. If you have a general interest in the stock market and are seeking a fast-paced, client-facing role, then financial advising might be up your alley. No matter what options you’re juggling, let us help you take a position by guiding you through the wealth management career path.

Is wealth management a good career?

Wealth management jobs are expected to see rapid growth in the coming years, making this a highly sought-after financial career choice. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, positions in wealth management are projected to grow 10% between 2024 and 2034, significantly outpacing the national average for job growth. Savvy financial advisors can expect long-term security and upward mobility throughout their careers.

Not only do wealth management jobs offer excellent opportunities for advancement, but they also deliver rewarding compensation. If you’re wondering, “How much do financial advisors make?”, know that expected earnings in this field are often a motivating factor for people entering the field. In 2024, financial advisors earned an average annual salary of $102,140, or roughly $52 per hour. These competitive pay rates contribute to the strong appeal of financial advisor roles among recent college graduates and professionals considering a career change.

Beyond financial rewards, working in wealth management is fulfilling for those who appreciate building meaningful client relationships and guiding people toward their financial goals. Advisors regularly support individuals from diverse backgrounds in managing, protecting, and growing their assets. For those who value job satisfaction alongside income potential, careers in wealth management provide the chance to make a real difference in people’s financial well-being.

What do financial advisors actually do?

Wait, help people? Isn’t wealth management all about making the wealthy even wealthier?

While some might see it that way, wealth management jobs go far beyond just serving high-net-worth clients. Many financial professionals interact with individuals and families from diverse backgrounds, each with unique circumstances and financial goals. Advisors can have a positive impact on clients’ lives by providing personalized, expert guidance on financial planning.

Take, for example, working with someone who has received significant compensation due to a life-changing injury. As a personal financial advisor, you play a key role in guiding them to invest their funds wisely so they can adapt to new circumstances and achieve financial security for the long run.

Or consider helping an elderly couple who have diligently saved for retirement over their lifetimes. Through comprehensive wealth management strategies, you can maximize their retirement savings, ensuring a comfortable future for themselves and supporting generational stability for their children.

Personal financial advisors are at the heart of wealth management jobs, assessing individual financial needs and providing tailored guidance on investments like stocks and bonds. These professionals assist clients with crucial decisions related to both short-term objectives, such as covering education expenses, and long-term planning, like saving for retirement. Investing money on clients’ behalf is standard practice, always reflecting each client’s specific goals and preferences. Many advisors broaden their repertoire by giving tax planning assistance or offering insurance products, delivering holistic wealth management solutions.

Financial advisors often begin their careers at large, well-established institutions like brokerage firms, but can become independent over time by cultivating a trusted reputation and client base. Wealth management offers growth, variety, and a meaningful contribution to people’s lives. Each day, advisors help bring clients one step closer to meeting their financial goals through expert consultation and money management.

What does a typical day look like for a financial advisor?

Financial Advisors complete a number of different tasks on any given day. One of their most common and important tasks is meeting prospective clients face-to-face. At these meetings, an advisor will usually:

• Carry out a detailed review of their prospective client’s financial situation before offering advice. They need to understand their client’s goals and requirements before moving to the advice stage of the meeting. The client may need general investment advice or assistance in planning for a specific event, like paying for a child’s college tuition or saving for retirement.
• Inform the client of the potential investment options available to them, and clearly lay out any potential risks.
• Advise the client by providing suggestions on which investment options best suit the client’s needs and match their risk tolerance.

Advisors also conduct review meetings with existing clients where they might:

• Assess the performance of the current investment portfolio and make suggestions for adjustments to improve performance.
• Audit their clients’ financial situation. Big life changes, like children or marriage, can mean that the client’s original goals and requirements no longer match their current ones. The advisor’s job is to advise on any changes to the client’s portfolio that might be necessary to meet their new goals.
• Update their clients on macro changes in the market and what to expect in the future.

In order for these meetings to be effective, Financial Advisors spend quite a lot of time preparing for meetings and doing administrative and back-office tasks. These include:

• Preparing reports on investment performance for clients
• Filling in paperwork relating to clients' accounts.
• Arranging transfers of money between funds or arranging withdrawals for clients.
• Checking their accounts for compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Researching market trends and following industry news.

They also spend a lot of time on training, also known as continuous professional development. This includes tasks such as:

• Researching the investment market.
• Identifying new opportunities or risks that could help or hinder their client’s financial goals.
• Keeping up to date with industry trends.
• Keeping up to date with regulatory changes.
• Attending provider training about specific products.
• Developing and improving sales techniques.

It takes great time management and organizational skills to be able to keep up with all of the tasks required to be a successful wealth manager. Let’s take a look at the skills you’ll need to be an outstanding financial advisor.

What skills does a Financial Advisor need?

The table above shows the “four skill domains of financial advisor mastery” developed by Michael Kitces, an established financial planning expert. He notes that it’s important to distinguish between client-centric and business-centric skills. Financial advisors have to succeed in each of the following four areas for their business to flourish:

1. Sales (Business Development)
2. Management (Business Execution)
3. Empathy (Relationships)
4. Competency (Technical)

Sales

Sales skills are helpful across many professions, but they are especially critical for anyone seeking success as a financial advisor. Developing strong financial analysis and sales skills is vital for attracting prospective clients and retaining them over time. No matter how thorough your analysis, true results come from mastering the ability to close the sale and build lasting client relationships.

Fundamental sales and financial analyst skills include:

• Prospecting: Identify and evaluate qualified leads who can benefit from your financial services and solutions.
• Cold calling: Comfortably initiate contact with potential clients, even if you haven’t met before, and transition conversations into meaningful sales opportunities.
• Active listening: Apply powerful listening techniques to fully understand clients’ needs and concerns, demonstrating your attentiveness and professionalism.
• Clear communication: Present your financial recommendations and investment strategies clearly and concisely so clients can easily understand and trust your advice.
• Objection handling: Skillfully address clients’ concerns by providing thoughtful explanations or adapting strategies to better align with their objectives.
• Client engagement: Establish rapport quickly with new clients and foster an environment of trust.
• Professional competence: Showcase the expertise and industry knowledge required to inspire confidence and support clients in achieving their financial goals.

While core sales capabilities are a significant part of the financial analyst skill set, these skills can be learned and honed over time. If you’re early in your career, take advantage of the professional development programs your company offers. Proactive firms should offer structured training in sales techniques; be sure to inquire about these opportunities within your current or future organization. Focusing on one specific skill at a time and measuring progress, whether through tracking new prospects or evaluating your active listening abilities, can accelerate professional growth. Collaborate with your manager or leverage formal training programs to maximize ongoing development.

Another effective way to strengthen your financial analyst skills is by observing accomplished advisors in your firm. Seek opportunities to join calls or meetings where expert colleagues demonstrate advanced techniques, such as closing a deal or handling rate objections. Prepare by identifying the specific aspects of their approach you wish to improve, such as how they initiate closing discussions or address client hesitations about your advisory fees. Thoughtfully observing and reflecting on these real-life interactions will further enhance your proficiency as both a financial advisor and a skilled financial analyst.

Management

Strong leadership, relationship management, and time management skills are all fundamental to wealth management roles. These core skills help you handle your clients’ needs efficiently and ensure their investment portfolios are performing at their best.

There is an increasing demand for professionals with robust general management and financial analysis skills within financial advisory firms. As firm sizes have grown over the past two decades, many organizations have come to realize the benefits of hiring and developing advisors with advanced business management expertise. Advisors must demonstrate competency in management and financial analysis to stand out and meet the demands of a shifting field.

Key general management abilities include:

• Problem-solving
• Planning
• Decision-making
• Delegation
• Communication
• Coordination
• Workflow management
• People management and motivation
• Performance management

Many of these valuable skills, such as planning and communication, are integral parts of any financial advisor's role. Others, including delegation and performance management, are skills you can acquire through targeted learning. To develop these essential management and financial analyst skills, especially if you haven’t yet managed a team, consider reading top management books and enrolling in specialized courses. Free online management training resources are available from respected institutions like Harvard and Coursera.

Looking ahead, developing strong management abilities alongside sales and financial analysis skills will become increasingly important for closing current talent gaps within the financial advisory industry. As the industry evolves and expectations rise, financial advisors will be expected to manage more clients simultaneously, making advanced management skills a critical part of long-term success.

Empathy

One of the main reasons there is still demand for personal financial advisers in a time of low-cost, automated, and fully online versions is the empathy that traditional advisors can provide. A solid relationship between a financial advisor and a client can be a game-changer.

“My colleagues and I agree that 80 percent of our job is psychology, and only 20 percent is financial. I know successful owners of financial advisory firms that specifically recruit psychology majors for this reason. Though a business or economics degree will better prepare a professional to take industry exams or explain financial products, the ability to understand the core concerns and goals of a client or prospective client is much more valuable.”

– Financial advisor Eric Schaefer in an interview for U.S. News “Best Job Rankings”

Some feel like these important interpersonal skills are not stressed enough in training. Tania Brown, for example, described her experience of the financial advisor training like this: “[…], I realize how many advisors want to help their clients, but remain chained to a compensation structure that only pays if they sell a product. There is so much focus on selling that advisors aren’t always equipped to look at the entire financial picture to make sure that their recommendations are the best fit.”

Depending on your desired approach, you might want to ask prospective firms how much they value empathy and satisfaction of existing customers versus the acquisition of new customers. This is a great interview question for your prospective employer that will help you understand your values before you work there.

Competency

Clients need complete confidence in their financial advisor's analytical skills, as entrusting someone with their finances requires absolute trust and proven expertise. Demonstrating strong quantitative and technical abilities is essential: an advisor must expertly gather, analyze, and synthesize client-specific data and information about diverse investment products to deliver sound, strategic financial advice.

A solid foundation in mathematics and the ability to interpret and evaluate large sets of numerical data are core elements of financial analyst skills. Effectively analyzing a client’s risk tolerance is also crucial; only by understanding the client’s risk profile can an advisor recommend suitable investment products and funds that align with their goals.

Technical competency is initially measured through mandatory Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) exams, which must be thoroughly prepared for and successfully passed before offering professional financial advice. To help investors recognize truly qualified advisors, FINRA released an investor alert in October 2017, guiding clients on identifying professionals who possess the most relevant credentials and financial analyst skills.

Challenges facing Financial Advisors

Wealth management since the 2008 Financial Crisis

The financial crisis of 2008 rocked the industry. When the mortgage market collapsed and millions of Americans saw their savings lose almost half their value overnight, their confidence in the finance industry was badly damaged.

The crisis was caused by a surge in subprime mortgage lending and exacerbated by financial services providers bundling financial products together to allow for looser underwriting criteria. Aggressive marketing of these products increased subprime borrowing even further. As more and more subprime financial products were sold, default rates rocketed.

The rising default rates caused banks that had invested heavily in these products to experience liquidity problems and eventually require a government bailout to prevent them from going bankrupt. The resulting impact on the stock market saw people's investments shrink dramatically.

The reasons behind the crisis were widely debated in the national and international press, but the underlying feeling was that better regulation would have prevented the crisis. If financial institutions had been held more accountable for their corporate governance and risk management, then the crisis may have been avoided.

The U.S. government acted swiftly and implemented stricter regulations and penalties for financial services companies. In July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act was signed into federal law. It provided widespread and significant changes to the financial services industry.

The Act provides rigorous standards and supervision to safeguard the economy, consumers, investors, and businesses. It aimed to limit government bailouts of financial institutions, provide for an advanced warning system on the stability of the economy, create new rules around corporate governance, and eradicate the legal loopholes that led to the 2008 economic crisis.

With robust regulatory practices now in place, people’s trust has returned, and since the crisis, they have turned to experts to help them invest their money wisely. As Kyle Kensing, Online Content Editor for CareerCast, puts it, “People are starting to plan more aggressively in case something else happens.”

Current challenges

Although the question of how much financial advisors make continues to attract attention, especially given the strong demand for professional financial advice and the potential for high earnings, there are notable challenges facing those in the field today. While compensation remains a significant draw, successful Financial Advisors are navigating industry changes by staying updated on evolving technologies and by offering increasingly specialized, personalized services to their clients. In addition to focusing on salary and career growth, advisors must address some of the key challenges that professionals in this field currently encounter, such as:

Client expectations and market volatility

Clients may expect that investing will make them a lot of money, yet they may not be willing to take the risks often required to reach high yields.

You can help manage those expectations by explaining risk versus reward. All investments have some degree of risk. The general rule of thumb is that higher risk equals higher potential return. To make this even clearer, you also need to highlight that the risk of this is that the returns could potentially be low, non-existent, or the investment could even lose money.

All advisors should educate clients on market volatility and recommend investing strategies that mitigate potential risks. Your role as an advisor is to identify how willing a client is to take the potential risks and ensure they understand the risks involved.

On the other hand, some clients may be very nervous about investing because they are aware of market volatility.

An advisor’s role is to manage those fears or expectations by educating the client about volatility and how it can be managed with strategies like asset diversification. The ultimate aim is to put plans in place that will meet the client’s long-term financial goals while matching their risk profile.

Government regulations

Financial services is a heavily regulated industry, where regulatory changes happen frequently.

Regulations govern the rules around specific investment products and corporate governance. For instance, “impact investing,” a strategy that aims to maximize positive environmental and social impacts of investments alongside personal gains, has become a hotly debated topic within the financial industry. In March of 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ended a rule that would require expanded climate disclosures from private companies.

Regulatory changes can also affect the actual structure and terms of wealth management itself. The Department of Labor’s fiduciary standard rule, though currently in legal limbo, would set new standards for retirement advisors to act in the best interest of their clients. The fiduciary rule is designed to ensure that advisors protect clients and their retirement accounts by clearly disclosing all fees and commissions to them. It expands the definition of fiduciary to include any person making a recommendation or solicitation in a professional capacity, including brokers, insurance agents, and planners.

If the new rule fully comes into force, most firms are expected to replace their commission-based fee structures with flat fee structures. This shows how much can change based on regulation: your whole compensation arrangement could change with just one shift in a definition.

Becoming a registered and licensed financial representative also requires sponsorship from a FINRA-registered firm. FINRA not only distributes mandatory licensing exams, but also sets rules and regulations around fair investment practices, consumer protection, and market integrity. Failure to comply with FINRA rules can lead to dire consequences, including full disbarment from the organization.

Advancing technology

Robo-advisors are digital platforms that provide automated, algorithm-driven financial planning services with little to no human supervision. A $60 billion industry at the end of 2015 now manages over $1 trillion in assets, a tremendous increase in adoption in a short period of time.

The main advantages of robo-advisors are:

• They are a low-cost alternative to traditional financial advisors.
• They’re available through the internet (and therefore 24/7).
• They make broad investment decisions relying only on data and operate at scale.
• Some robo-advisors require no account minimum, which allows them to serve a much bigger market than traditional financial advisors.
• Many today, especially younger generations, have no problem with sharing financial information online and benefit from being able to plan their finances with a few clicks.

Even so, financial advisorship still offers strong career prospects in the future. While robo-advisors are ideal for younger investors with less experience or financial assets, they can hardly manage advanced services like complicated tax management, estate planning, trust funds, and retirement planning. Even with new AI tools hitting the market at a rapid pace, many people prefer to place their trust (and their money) in traditional advising over new technology, especially for more complex financial planning.

Robo-advisors also lack empathy and sophistication, and are not fully trusted by consumers: according to a study conducted by Investopedia and the Financial Planning Association, 40% of participants stated that they would not use robo-advisors during extreme market volatility.

It remains to be seen how the industry develops and whether or not continued innovation will manage to eliminate these shortcomings. In the meantime, know that by maximizing those advisor skills of Empathy and Sales, you can probably do very well regardless.

We all live in times of unprecedented change, and the key to thriving in Financial Services is the same as in all industries: work hard at both the day-to-day and improving your skills over time, keep yourself up to date on new technologies and government regulations, and learn to embrace change and adapt it to your business.

Many of the listed challenges can easily turn into opportunities when you apply the right mindset.

How do I become a financial advisor?

You’ve done the homework. Now, for the fun part: actually beginning a career in wealth management. Here’s a chart illustrating the typical career progression for a financial advisor, including common steps on the path and potential salary ranges at each stage. This overview is designed to give you insight into the earning potential and advancement opportunities as you pursue a career in financial advising:

College degree, or: “What do you do before you apply to your first financial advisor job?”

A bachelor’s degree is your entry point into the wealth management career path. Nearly any academic discipline is accepted on this educational journey, though degrees in finance, economics, business, accounting, or statistics are especially advantageous for aspiring financial advisors. Those interested in becoming a financial advisor will also benefit from a psychology degree, as strong analytical abilities and understanding of human behavior are vital skills in the profession.

Some colleges even offer specialized programs dedicated to financial advising, providing further targeted preparation. There is no strict requirement that your degree be in one of these preferred fields; it simply strengthens your qualifications and improves your chances of success as you pursue becoming a financial advisor.

Pass the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam

The FINRA entry-level exam structure underwent significant changes in October 2018, impacting exams like the Series 7 license, Series 63, and Series 65. The introduction of the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam streamlined the process by consolidating much of the overlapping content from previous exams. This updated approach created a general, foundational exam that now serves as the first part for multiple FINRA licenses, including the Series 7, Series 6, and Series 79. Following successful completion of the SIE exam, candidates move on to specialized “Top-Off” exams, which build on SIE concepts and focus on the knowledge required for specific financial fields.

One major advantage of taking the SIE exam is that you do not need sponsorship from a FINRA member firm. This gives aspiring financial professionals the ability to complete this crucial step before applying for a position at a financial firm. Passing the SIE exam is an excellent way to strengthen your resume and demonstrate your commitment to pursuing further credentials.

Getting a job in finance

Now that you’ve passed the SIE and gotten your resume in order, it’s time to go and get that first job in finance. Hands-on experience is crucial when you are early in your wealth management career. Whether you decide to do an internship or spend a couple of years in an entry-level role, nothing is more valuable than spending some time in the actual workplace and finding out if the industry suits you. If you’re still in college or getting your MBA, getting practical exposure through internships or organizations targeted toward finance and business students will help you gain experience and build connections early on.

To get into an entry-level position, you’ll need to pass the interview. Here is what you can expect and some tips on how to ace a finance industry interview:

Acing the finance industry interview

Finance industry interviews are a bit notorious, but don’t let that discourage you from applying. For every bad story posted online, there are hundreds of examples of people who aced the interview process. That said, the interview is meant to be rigorous: you are expected to have prepared thoroughly and to be professional throughout the process.

You’ll be asked some behavioral interview questions, which are questions that require you to relate a past experience. For example, “Tell me about a time when you have persuaded somebody to make a purchase.”

You may also be asked about your knowledge of current regulatory requirements, so make sure you have a decent understanding of the basics before the interview. Passing the SIE ahead of time will help cover this, but you should still do your own research.

You’ll almost always be asked what you know about the company and why you want to work there, so spend time preparing for these questions. Look at their typical client base, their market share, and their reputation for career progression so that you can provide thoughtful answers.

Some questions you may come across in an interview for a trainee financial advisor position are:

1. Tell me how you will establish rapport with prospective clients.
2. How do you make sure that you achieve your goals?
3. Describe a situation in which you talked somebody around to your way of thinking.
4. Do you consider yourself conservative or a risk taker?
5. How do you stay current on tax and investment laws and regulations?
6. Where do you see yourself career-wise in five years, and then ten years?

Passing the entry-level Series 6, 7, or 79 Top-Off exams

The Series 6, Series 7, and Series 79 licenses are the primary entry-level securities licenses you may be required to obtain as you begin your financial services career. If you haven’t already passed your Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam, passing it quickly is recommended, as it serves as a prerequisite for most advanced FINRA qualification exams. Depending on your specific entry-level role, you’ll likely be expected to rapidly pursue the following top-off exams:

• Insurance Sales → Series 6
• Wealth Management → Series 7
• Investment Banking → Series 79

There are numerous FINRA licensing exams you’ll need to pass throughout your finance career. The particular exams are dictated by both your career path and applicable regulatory requirements. Compliance with FINRA regulations following these exams is critical for any registered representative or advisor.

To sit for most FINRA registration exams after the SIE, you must be sponsored by a FINRA member firm. This sponsorship is essential for qualifying to take registration exams tied to specific roles in securities sales and investment advice.

• Series 6: The Series 6 license, more formally known as the “Investment Company/Variable Contracts Products Limited Representative” license, grants you registration as a limited representative, enabling the sale of mutual funds, variable annuities, and insurance premiums. However, the Series 6 license does not provide authority to sell corporate or municipal securities, direct participation programs, or options. Earning this license can be a critical step for professionals pursuing roles that require more focused knowledge than the broader Series 7 license provides.
• Series 7: The Series 7 license, also called the “General Securities Representative” or standard registered representative license, allows professionals to sell nearly any type of securities product (aside from commodities and futures). The Series 7 exam is rigorous and tests your understanding of investment risk, equity and debt instruments, options, taxation, packaged securities products like mutual funds, retirement planning, and client relationships. The Series 7 exam is an industry standard for those launching a career as an entry-level broker or aiming to advance within wealth management.
• Series 79: The Series 79 license, short for the “Limited Representative Investment Banker’s exam,” is specifically designed for prospective investment bankers entering the finance industry. Introduced in 2009 by the SEC to evaluate key skills for entry-level investment banking professionals, the Series 79 focuses on individuals involved in major financial transactions, including:

1. Debt or equity offerings via public or private placement
2. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A), as well as financial restructuring

Beyond the foundational Series 6 and Series 7 licenses, many finance professionals also go on to secure additional registrations, such as the Series 63 and Series 65, both of which enable increased flexibility to provide investment advisory services and sales across state lines.

Achieving securities licenses not only prepares you for a successful career in finance but also ensures compliance with industry standards set forth by FINRA and individual states.

How do I get a head start on my long-term career as a financial advisor?

Once you have the entry-level exams under your belt, you can start to think about where you want to take your career in the longer term. There are various routes, including technical, sales and business development, and management.

Technical career path

There are two common options for professional certifications, and which one you choose will depend on the aspects of your career you are most drawn to.

CFP & CFA

CFP stands for “Certified Financial Planner,” and those who pass the exam can advise individual investors.

The CFP exam trains students to create and apply financial plans for clients. In order to take the CFP exam, you need to have a bachelor’s degree, three years of work experience in financial planning, and additional education in one of these areas: insurance planning, financial planning, retirement planning, income taxation, estate planning, or investments.

Most professionals with CFP certifications work directly with clients, so if you enjoy this aspect of financial advising, then this is likely to be a good option for you.

CFA stands for “Chartered Financial Analyst,” an internationally recognized certification equivalent to a master’s degree in finance. The CFA is issued by the CFA Institute, and anyone with a Bachelor’s degree may take the exam. However, it is extremely difficult (the pass rates are generally below 55%).

The CFA consists of three tests, mainly covering financial analysis and ethics. Many CFAs work as financial analysts in more behind-the-scenes roles rather than working directly with clients.

If you prefer analyzing financial data rather than face-to-face meetings with clients, then this could be a great direction to take.

Sales and Business Development career path

You can expand your professional portfolio and increase your suite of financial products by taking additional FINRA exams beyond the Series 7 license. Earning credentials such as the Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 allows you to offer a broader range of investment services and financial products to clients.

• Series 63: The Series 63 exam is required in most states for those who hold a Series 7 license and wish to conduct securities business at the state level. This qualification is the minimum examination needed to satisfy state securities regulations. The Series 63 consists of 65 questions, and approximately 85% of candidates pass on their first attempt.
• Series 65: The Series 65 exam is designed for financial professionals who want to act as investment adviser representatives (IARs) and provide investment advice for a fee. While some who take the Series 65 have not passed the Series 7 exam, many are experienced finance professionals (such as accountants) seeking to expand their advisory services. The Series 65 covers a wide range of topics, including economics, investment vehicles, strategies, and ethics. Passing the Series 65 meets state registration requirements for offering advisory services.
• Series 66: The Series 66 exam combines elements of both the Series 63 and Series 65 exams. To take the Series 66, you must first pass the Series 7 exam. This credential enables financial professionals to provide both securities transactions and investment advisory services under state law.

By obtaining the Series 63, Series 65, or Series 66 in addition to your Series 7 license, you significantly enhance your qualifications and ability to serve a wider client base in the financial industry.

Conclusion

Wealth management jobs offer a challenging yet highly rewarding career path, and the outlook for opportunities in this field is exceptionally strong, with substantial job growth expected over the next decade. Entering wealth management jobs has become even more accessible since the introduction of the SIE, a change that allows future professionals to prepare for a career in wealth management even before joining a FINRA-regulated firm.

Building a successful wealth management career as a financial advisor requires careful planning and dedication. However, the long-term career prospects and earning potential associated with wealth management jobs are outstanding. Now is an excellent time to focus on your future in financial advice, as preparing early, even before you graduate college, can give you a distinct advantage. Overall, for individuals considering their options in finance, wealth management is a good career choice filled with growth, stability, and impressive rewards.