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What does an Investment Advisor do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted Expert
Price Fishback Ph.D.

An investment advisor is responsible for managing the clients' financial portfolios, advising them of investment options according to their financial goals and objectives, and their ability to handle risks. Investment advisors should have excellent knowledge of the investment policies, providing the clients with the best financial strategies according to their interests. They also determine their expenses, income, and credit scores to identify a comprehensive financial plan. An investment advisor helps the clients with cash management techniques, as well as conducting data analysis on financial market projections.

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Investment advisor responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real investment advisor resumes:

  • Manage and strengthen customer relationships through cross-selling and up-selling to maximize retention and income generation by contacting existing and prospective customers.
  • Obtain skills with different financial programs and tools such as Morningstar and NetX360.
  • Advise and recommend insurance products including, fix and variable annuities, and term life.
  • Focus on macroeconomic fundamentals, high yield, distress debt, volatility and macro base cross-asset statistical strategies.
  • Communicate information to clients on various products offer such as equity funds, bond funds, annuities, and money markets.
  • Identify client- specific and regulatory reporting requirements, review purchase and redemption activity, securities settlements, and cash movements.
  • Ensure client retention by providing strategic investment recommendations in numerous investments instruments and trading scenarios, including fixed-income and equity securities.
  • Adjust sector exposure to express personal macro views, selecting single stocks within sector base on fundamental analysis and technical indicators.
  • Produce and present quarterly performance reports to client's CFO and/or treasury group.
  • Analyze potential security purchases and sales for fit within total asset/ liability management strategy.
  • Supplement asset class and strategy level performance attribution with holdings level attribution of individual strategies.
  • Monitor preparation of asset/liability management report.

Investment advisor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 12% of Investment Advisors are proficient in Exceptional Client, Risk Management, and Client Relationships. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Sales skills, and Speaking skills.

We break down the percentage of Investment Advisors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Exceptional Client, 12%

    Improved offerings and efficiency by leading strategic initiatives and processes, resulting in exceptional client experiences and company growth.

  • Risk Management, 10%

    Derived and analyzed computed records, interrupted data, and reports providing risk management and recommendations to clients.

  • Client Relationships, 9%

    Deepened and extended existing client relationships by delivering valuable investment solutions tailored to fit to their individual needs.

  • Health Insurance, 8%

    Completed requirements to obtain Florida Licensed Health Insurance Specialist.

  • Business Development, 7%

    Supported the business development group with management presentations, participation in commercial negotiations, and evaluation of pricing proposals and contracts.

  • FINRA, 5%

    Managed FINRA, NASD compliance, quality control and documentation for all stock, bond and option trades placed by team.

"exceptional client," "risk management," and "client relationships" are among the most common skills that investment advisors use at work. You can find even more investment advisor responsibilities below, including:

Interpersonal skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an investment advisor to have is interpersonal skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "a major part of a personal financial advisor’s job is making clients feel comfortable." Investment advisors often use interpersonal skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "develop trust with clients through strong interpersonal and customer service skills. "

Sales skills. Another essential skill to perform investment advisor duties is sales skills. Investment advisors responsibilities require that "to expand their base of clients, personal financial advisors must be convincing and persistent in selling their services." Investment advisors also use sales skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "trained salespeople in financial products while building my own client base for money management. "

Speaking skills. This is an important skill for investment advisors to perform their duties. For an example of how investment advisor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "personal financial advisors interact with clients every day." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an investment advisor: "represented over 45 investment management affiliates that made up united asset management. ".

Analytical skills. investment advisor responsibilities often require "analytical skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "in determining an investment portfolio for a client, personal financial advisors must be able to assess a range of information, including economic trends, regulatory changes, and the client’s comfort with risky decisions." This resume example shows what investment advisors do with analytical skills on a typical day: "performed risk analysis for asset management clients to ensure proper suitability based on stated goals and targets. "

Math skills. Another common skill required for investment advisor responsibilities is "math skills." This skill comes up in the duties of investment advisors all the time, as "personal financial advisors must be adept at working with numbers to determine the amount invested, how that amount has grown or decreased over time, and how a portfolio is distributed among different investments." An excerpt from a real investment advisor resume shows how this skill is central to what an investment advisor does: "facilitated investment manager due diligence utilizing quantitative and qualitative research methodology. "

All investment advisor skills

The three companies that hire the most investment advisors are:

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Compare different investment advisors

Investment advisor vs. Treasury analyst

A treasury analyst is an individual who manages and analyses the financial activities of an organization that can include cash flows, liability obligations, and assets. Treasury analysts are required to execute the daily cash management of the organization such as cash forecasting, investing of excess cash, and running a hedging program in interest rates. They must present monthly reports and daily briefings on cash flows to senior management and provide advice on the financial operations of the movement of cash. Treasury analysts also update treasury policies and procedures for the organization to comply.

The annual salary of treasury analysts is $32,710 lower than the average salary of investment advisors.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between investment advisors and treasury analysts are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like securities, investment portfolios, and due diligence.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, investment advisor responsibilities require skills like "exceptional client," "risk management," "client relationships," and "health insurance." Meanwhile a typical treasury analyst has skills in areas such as "treasury," "cash management," "ach," and "treasury operations." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Treasury analysts earn the highest salaries when working in the automotive industry, with an average yearly salary of $87,077. On the other hand, investment advisors are paid more in the telecommunication industry with an average salary of $127,062.treasury analysts tend to reach similar levels of education than investment advisors. In fact, treasury analysts are 1.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Investment advisor vs. Corporate finance analyst

Corporate finance analysts make significant business decisions based on the data they gather. Typically, corporate finance analysts work within an organization and support management decisions through actionable financial information. They monitor the taxes, expenses, financial statements, and other financial details of where the company sources its income. This position requires a formal qualification in accounting. It also necessitates the analyst to develop interpersonal skills, knowledge in information technology software, financial reporting skills, and experience in management.

A career as a corporate finance analyst brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of an investment advisor. In fact, corporate finance analysts salary is $29,354 lower than the salary of investment advisors per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Investment advisors and corporate finance analysts both require similar skills like "business development," "securities," and "real estate" to carry out their responsibilities.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, investment advisor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "exceptional client," "risk management," "client relationships," and "health insurance." Meanwhile, a corporate finance analyst has duties that require skills in areas such as "strong analytical," "financial models," "hyperion," and "balance sheet." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, corporate finance analysts earn a lower salary than investment advisors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, corporate finance analysts earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $96,991. Whereas investment advisors have higher pay in the telecommunication industry, with an average salary of $127,062.corporate finance analysts earn similar levels of education than investment advisors in general. They're 3.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Investment Advisors in the next 3-5 years?

Price Fishback Ph.D.Price Fishback Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

APS Professor of Economics at the University of Arizona, The University of Arizona

In economics, training in statistical and machine learning methods.

Investment advisor vs. Equity analyst

An equity analyst's role is to help clients navigate through stocks and bonds using their expertise. In a company setting, their responsibilities revolve around performing extensive research and analysis on areas such as the stock market, coordinating with different departments to gather necessary data, identifying new opportunities, preparing and analyzing the company's financial records, and creating forecast models. Furthermore, as an equity analyst, it is essential to make recommendations in adherence to the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

On average scale, equity analysts bring in lower salaries than investment advisors. In fact, they earn a $1,662 lower salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on investment advisors and equity analysts resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "securities," "asset allocation," and "real estate.rdquo;

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from investment advisor resumes include skills like "exceptional client," "risk management," "client relationships," and "health insurance," whereas an equity analyst is more likely to list skills in "financial models," "discounted cash flow," "portfolio companies," and "powerpoint. "

Equity analysts make a very good living in the finance industry with an average annual salary of $125,442. On the other hand, investment advisors are paid the highest salary in the telecommunication industry, with average annual pay of $127,062.equity analysts typically earn higher educational levels compared to investment advisors. Specifically, they're 8.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Investment advisor vs. Bank officer

A bank officer is in charge of overseeing the daily operations at banking establishments, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include gathering and analyzing requests, approving and denying loan applications, providing consultations, processing client requests, and producing progress reports. There are also instances where they sign important documents, delegate tasks, and resolve issues and concerns. Moreover, as a bank officer, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Bank officers tend to earn a lower pay than investment advisors by an average of $25,815 per year.According to resumes from investment advisors and bank officers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "client relationships," "business development," and "financial services. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "exceptional client," "risk management," "health insurance," and "team-oriented environment" are skills that commonly show up on investment advisor resumes. On the other hand, bank officers use skills like customer service, bank products, loan portfolio, and loan applications on their resumes.In general, bank officers earn the most working in the finance industry, with an average salary of $69,266. The highest-paying industry for an investment advisor is the telecommunication industry.In general, bank officers hold similar degree levels compared to investment advisors. Bank officers are 1.1% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of investment advisor

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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