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Financial Services Agents

Financial services agents offer a wide array of accounting, banking, tax preparation, insurance, securities and other related services. Securities sales agents arrange securities trades in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other types of financial instruments. They arrange securities trades for individuals and large institutions. The duties for financial sales agents vary greatly by occupational specialty.

Some sample job titles are financial specialist, relationship manager, financial consultant, private banker, financial services representative and investment officer.

Stock brokers sell securities to retail investors and receive a fee for their service. The most vital element of the job is acquiring clients and establishing a customer base. New securities and commodity sales agents spend a lot of time looking for new clients. Some new agents are given clients of sales agents that have retired.

Investment bankers are sales agents which provide underwriting services. Their services involve connecting companies seeking money to finance their operations with investors that are willing to provide the funding in exchange for debt instruments or equity.

Investment bankers sell their services to companies desiring to issue new stock or bonds and they also sell the securities they issue to investors. Investment banking sales agents and traders are involved with selling stocks and bonds to investors for a commission.

Responsibilities

  • Contact potential customers
  • Make presentations regarding financial services to groups
  • Learn about customer's banking and financial needs
  • Ask businesses to participate in consumer credit card programs
  • Prepare agreements or forms to complete sales
  • Analyze business trends in order to advise clients about fluctuations
  • Evaluate revenue and costs of agreements in order to determine continued profitability

Job Characteristics

Financial services sales agents usually work 40 hours per week. They spend a lot of time outside of their office having meetings with clients and prospective clients. Financial services representatives also attend civic functions in order to find new clients. A number of financial services agents work exclusively inside banks.

Stress can sometimes be part of the job for securities sales agents. They typically have demanding managers and the pace of the work is often fast. Stock brokers and investment advisors usually work more than 40 hours per week and it's often necessary for them to work in the evenings and during the weekends since many of their clients work during the day.

A large number of securities salespersons that work for discount or online brokerage companies work in call-center settings. They spend a lot of time on the telephone with customers taking orders and providing information and advice on securities.

Financial services salespersons and securities sales agents should have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. They also should have a desire to succeed an be able to work independently. The ability to analyze numbers is important for financial services and securities sales agents. They also need to be able to handle rejection.

Employment Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment growth of 25% from 2006 to 2016 for securities, commodities and financial services sales agents which is much faster than average for all occupations. Employment opportunities in the securities industry is highly influenced by market conditions and the state of the economy and is very volatile during recessions.

The median annual earnings was $68,500 in 2006. The highest 10 percent earned over $145,600. Many sales agents receive commissions.

An increase in the amount of clients they have and the size of the accounts they handle is the primary form of advancement for financial service sales agents, investment advisors and brokers. Those with experience and success may have opportunities to handle large institutional accounts including those of pension funds and banks. Some sales agents advance into office manager positions.

Education, Certification, and Licensing

Employers of securities and commodities sales agents often seek candidates that have a college degree in finance, economics, business or accounting. A lot of securities firms hire summer interns before their last year of college. The interns that are the most successful are typically offered full-time jobs upon graduation.

Some sales agents earn master's degrees in business administration (MBA), after working for a few years. Many high level jobs in the securities industry require a master's degree. MBA's are very beneficial for job seekers.

New employees are typically provided with on-the-job training by their employer. Securities sales agents regularly attend training seminars and conferences to stay current with new products and services.

Investment advisors and brokers are required to register as representatives of their company with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. In order to qualify as registered representatives, those new to the occupation have to be an employee of a registered company for at least four months and pass the General Securities Registered Representative Examination. Most states also require a second examination called the Uniform Securities Agents State Law Examination.

There are numerous licenses available and each license allows the sales agent to sell different product and services. Financial services sales agents might also be required to be licensed, particularly those that sell securities or insurance. Registered representatives are required to attend periodic continuing education classes in order to maintain their licenses.

Resources

Major Employers

The top job providing industries are financial investment services, security and commodity brokerage firms, investment banking firms, commercial banks, credit unions and savings institutions.

Schools for Securities And Financial Services Sales Agents are listed in the Browse Schools Section.

Securities and Financial Services Sales Agents Skills

Below are the skills needed to be securities and financial services sales agents according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest).

   
Skill NameImportanceCompetence
Persuasion4.124.25
Active Listening44
Critical Thinking44
Speaking44
Reading Comprehension3.884

Securities and Financial Services Sales Agents Abilities

Below are the abilities needed to be securities and financial services sales agents according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest).

   
Ability NameImportanceCompetence
Deductive Reasoning44.25
Oral Comprehension44
Oral Expression44.25
Written Comprehension3.883.88
Problem Sensitivity3.753.62

Securities and Financial Services Sales Agents Knowledge

Below are the knowledge areas needed to be securities and financial services sales agents according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest).

   
Knowledge AreaImportanceCompetence
Customer and Personal Service4.464.97
Economics and Accounting4.133.82
English Language4.113.68
Sales and Marketing4.044.57
Mathematics3.714.03

Securities and Financial Services Sales Agents Work activities

Below are the work activities involved in being securities and financial services sales agents according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest).

   
Work ActivityImportanceCompetence
Selling or Influencing Others4.65.32
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization4.534.98
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.415.06
Getting Information4.364.28
Analyzing Data or Information4.285.36

Securities and Financial Services Sales Agents Work styles

Below are the work styles involved in being securities and financial services sales agents according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest).

   
Work StyleImportance
Integrity5
Dependability4.89
Attention to Detail4.74
Cooperation4.71
Self Control4.69

Metro Areas Sorted by Total Employment for
Securities and Financial Services Sales Agents

Listed below are the 10 largest metro areas based on the total number of people employed in Securities and Financial Services Sales Agents jobs , as of 2019

   
Metro AreaTotal EmploymentAnnual Mean Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim22,900$75,210
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington15,570$82,100
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach12,540$88,220
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward10,660$101,770
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land10,410$85,610
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood8,540$67,760
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale8,400$63,440
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell8,100$82,520
San Diego-Carlsbad6,140$73,810
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn5,150$73,500

Compare Total Employment & Salaries for Financial Services Agents

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Employment
Salary

Total employment and salary for professions similar to financial services agents

Source : 2019 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov; O*NET® 24.3 Database, O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, Employment & Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, onetonline.org

We have some additional detailed pages at the state level for Securities and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Numbers in parentheses are counts of relevant campus-based schools in the state; online schools may also be available.