Considering A Career In The Financial Industry?

Are you considering a career in the financial industry? If so, becoming an independent financial adviser (IFA) could be the correct choice for you. An IFA job will involve advising and developing a number of clients (both personal and corporate) on how to achieve efficiently and suitably, their financial ambitions.

There is a difference between tied Financial Adviser jobs and IFA jobs in that an IFA will advise on products from across the whole of the market whereas a tied Financial Adviser will only advise on the products from a specific provider.

Both IFA jobs and all other Financial Adviser jobs which advise on products carrying an investment content are regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

An IFA will have access to approx 30,000 different products and will need to recommend the right one for the clients needs.

A major part of the job will entail talking to the client to establish what is important to them in terms of retirement options and protection for their family and income.

An IFA will often work along side an accountant or solicitor or other professional who has a client with financial planning requirements. Charges for the service can be on either a fee basis or commission depending on the client.

The basic entry level qualification for an IFA is the Certificate in Financial Planning but many jobs require an additional advanced qualification from one of the many
examining bodies to show some commitment to professional development.

If the above all sounds good to you, and you are interested in finding out more on the possible paths to becoming an IFA, head over to the CII website.