Financial ServicesISCO 2412
Financial planner
A financial planner is a person who helps individuals put their finances in order and build a plan for what comes next.
Check yourself in a minute: financial planner
Rate 5 of the 23 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
assess risks of clients' assets
review investment portfolios
create a financial plan
provide support in financial calculation
obtain financial information
About financial planner
The financial planner starts by gathering financial information: income, spending, obligations, savings, insurance and entitlements, and then assesses the risk to the client's assets — what happens on loss of work, on illness, on a rise in an instalment. The planner draws up a budget that meets the client's financial needs.
The planner then draws up a financial plan for the client and specialises in retirement planning, investment planning, tax planning and in risk management and insurance, and tailors the strategy to the goal and to the time the client has. The planner explains financial products in plain terms: what a product gives, what it costs, and what happens if the money is taken out early.
The planner keeps banking and other financial documentation accurate, maintains a client-centred approach and observes ethical standards. The planner also knows banking and economics, and offers financial services to clients.
Key Work Functions
Core areas of responsibility for a financial planner.
1
Financial Assessment and Planning
- Identify and analyze client financial needs, goals, and risk tolerance
- Develop comprehensive financial plans covering all aspects of personal finance
- Conduct financial forecasting and project future financial scenarios
2
Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management
- Review and analyze client investment portfolios for diversification and performance
- Apply modern portfolio theory and investment analysis techniques to optimize holdings
- Recommend investment strategies aligned with client objectives and market conditions
3
Risk Assessment and Insurance Planning
- Assess and evaluate risks associated with client assets and income sources
- Recommend appropriate insurance products and coverage levels
- Integrate risk management strategies into comprehensive financial plans
4
Tax and Retirement Planning
- Develop retirement planning strategies including savings goals and income projections
- Analyze tax situations and recommend tax-efficient strategies
- Plan for long-term financial needs including education and major purchases
5
Financial Records and Client Service
- Maintain accurate and secure client financial records and credit histories
- Provide ongoing client support and explain financial concepts in accessible language
- Conduct regular financial reviews and update plans as circumstances change
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (23)
customer servicecustomer serviceProcesses and principles related to the customer, client, service user and to personal services; these may include procedures to evaluate customer's or service user's satisfaction.banking activitiesbanking activitiesThe broad and continuously growing banking activities and financial products managed by banks ranging from personal banking, corporate banking, investment banking, private banking, up to insurance, fo...economicseconomicsEconomic principles and practices, financial and commodity markets, banking and the analysis of financial data.investment analysisinvestment analysisThe methods and tools for analysis of an investment compared to its potential return. Identification and calculation of profitability ratio and financial indicators in relation to associated risks to ...assess risks of clients' assetsassess risks of clients' assetsIdentify, evaluate and determine the actual and potential risks of your clients’ assets, considering confidentiality standards.review investment portfoliosreview investment portfoliosMeet with clients to review or update an investment portfolio and provide financial advice on investments.create a financial plancreate a financial planDevelop a financial plan according to financial and client regulations, including an investor profile, financial advice, and negotiation and transaction plans.provide support in financial calculationprovide support in financial calculationProvide colleagues, clients or other parties with financial support for complex files or calculations.obtain financial informationobtain financial informationGather information on securities, market conditions, governmental regulations and the financial situation, goals and needs of clients or companies.advise on financial mattersadvise on financial mattersConsult, advise, and propose solutions with regards to financial management such as acquiring new assets, incurring in investments, and tax efficiency methods.maintain credit history of clientsmaintain credit history of clientsCreate and maintain the credit history of clients with relevant transactions, supporting documents, and details of their financial activities. Keep these documents updated in case of analysis and disc...analyse the credit history of potential customersanalyse the credit history of potential customersAnalyse the payment capacity and credit history of potential customers or business partners.apply technical communication skillsapply technical communication skillsExplain technical details to non-technical customers, stakeholders, or any other interested parties in a clear and concise manner.provide financial product informationprovide financial product informationGive the customer or client information about financial products, the financial market, insurances, loans or other types of financial data.handle financial transactionshandle financial transactionsAdminister currencies, financial exchange activities, deposits as well as company and voucher payments. Prepare and manage guest accounts and take payments by cash, credit card and debit card.budget for financial needsbudget for financial needsObserve the status and availability of funds for the smooth running of projects or operations in order to foresee and estimate the quantity of future financial resources.offer financial servicesoffer financial servicesProvide a broad range of financial services to clients such as assistance with financial products, financial planning, insurances, money and investment management.financial marketsfinancial marketsThe financial infrastructure which permits trading securities offered by companies and individuals govern by regulatory financial frameworks.modern portfolio theorymodern portfolio theoryThe theory of finance that attempts to either maximise the profit of an investment equivalent to the risk taken or to reduce the risk for the expected profit of an investment by judiciously choosing t...interpret financial statementsinterpret financial statementsRead, understand, and interpret the key lines and indicators in financial statements. Extract the most important information from financial statements depending on the needs and integrate this informa...financial forecastingfinancial forecastingThe tool used in performing fiscal financial management to identify revenue trends and estimated financial conditions.identify customer's needsidentify customer's needsUse appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.synthesise financial informationsynthesise financial informationCollect, revise and put together financial information coming from different sources or departments in order to create a document with unified financial accounts or plans.
Optional (42) — show
financial productsfinancial productsThe different types of instruments that apply to the management of cash flow that are available on the market, such as shares, bonds, options or funds.foreign valutaforeign valutaThe currencies of different countries such as the euro, dollar or yen including their exchange rate and the methods of currency conversion.financial managementfinancial managementThe field of finance that concerns the practical process analysis and tools for designating financial resources. It encompasses the structure of businesses, the investment sources, and the value incre...real estate marketreal estate marketThe trends concerning the buying, selling, or renting of property, including the land, buildings, and natural resources encompassed within the property; the categories of residential properties and pr...securitiessecuritiesThe financial instruments traded in financial markets representing both the right of property over the owner and at the same time, the obligation of payment over the issuer. The aim of securities whic...accounting techniquesaccounting techniquesThe techniques of recording and summarising business and financial transactions and analysing, verifying, and reporting the results.types of pensionstypes of pensionsThe types of monthly sums paid to someone in retirement, such as employment-based pensions, social and state pensions, disability pensions and private pensions.mortgage loansmortgage loansThe financial system of acquiring money by property owners or prospective property owners, in which the loan is secured on the property itself so that the property can be repossessed by the lender in ...principles of insuranceprinciples of insuranceThe understanding of the principles of insurance, including third party liability, stock and facilities.debt systemsdebt systemsThe processes needed to obtain goods or services before payment and when a sum of money is owed or overdue.stock marketstock marketThe market in which shares of publicly held companies are issued and traded.tax legislationtax legislationTax legislation applicable to a specific area of specialisation, such as import tax, government tax, etc.financial jurisdictionfinancial jurisdictionFinancial rules and procedures applicable to a certain location, whose regulatory bodies decide on its jurisdiction.types of insurancetypes of insuranceThe various types of risk or loss transfer policies that exist and their characteristics, such as health insurance, car insurance or life insurance.guarantee customer satisfactionguarantee customer satisfactionHandle customer expectations in a professional manner, anticipating and addressing their needs and desires. Provide flexible customer service to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty.analyse loansanalyse loansExamine and analyse the loans provided to organisations and individuals through different forms of credit such as overdraft protection, export packing credit, term loan, and purchase of commercial bil...advise on tax planningadvise on tax planningAdvise on appropriate strategies to include taxes in the overall financial plan in order to reduce the tax load. Advise on questions related to tax legislation and provide advise on the possible impli...protect client interestsprotect client interestsProtect the interests and needs of a client by taking necessary actions, and researching all possibilities, to ensure that the client obtains their favoured outcome.assess debtor's financial situationassess debtor's financial situationAssess the defaulter's pecuniary circumstances by evaluating the personal income and expenses, and the balance sheet which includes the value of the house, bank account, car and other assets.manage pension fundsmanage pension fundsManage the sums of money which individuals or organisations pay across a timespan of many years which will ensure they acquire many benefits in retirement. Ensure the amounts paid are correct and that...analyse insurance needsanalyse insurance needsGather information about the insurance needs of a client, and give information and advice about all possible insurance options.develop investment portfoliodevelop investment portfolioCreate an investment portfolio for a customer that includes an insurance policy or multiple policies to cover specific risks, such as financial risks, assistance, reinsurance, industrial risks or natu...create banking accountscreate banking accountsOpens new banking accounts such as a deposit account, a credit card account or a different type of account offered by a financial institution.assist in loan applicationsassist in loan applicationsAssist clients with filling out and managing their applications for loans by providing them with practical assistance, such as provision of relevant documentation and instruction on the process, and o...advise on investmentadvise on investmentAssess the customer's economic goals and advise on the possible financial investments or capital investments to promote wealth creation or safeguarding.analyse business plansanalyse business plansAnalyse the formal statements from businesses which outline their business goals and the strategies they set in place to meet them, in order to assess the feasibility of the plan and verify the busine...maintain records of financial transactionsmaintain records of financial transactionsCollate all the financial transactions done in the daily operations of a business and record them in their respective accounts.manage financial riskmanage financial riskPredict and manage financial risks, and identify procedures to avoid or minimise their impact.analyse financial performance of a companyanalyse financial performance of a companyAnalyse the performance of the company in financial matters in order to identify improvement actions that could increase profit, based on accounts, records, financial statements and external informati...operate financial instrumentsoperate financial instrumentsWork with financial instruments such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds and derivatives.calculate employee benefitscalculate employee benefitsCalculate the benefits which the people connected to the organisation are entitled to, such as employees or retired people, using the information of the person and the interplay between governmental b...value propertiesvalue propertiesExamine and evaluate land and buildings in order to make valuations about their price.disseminate information on tax legislationdisseminate information on tax legislationProvide advise on the possible implications for companies or individuals on decisions regarding tax declaration based on tax legislation. Advise on the favourable tax strategies that could be followed...monitor loan portfoliomonitor loan portfolioControl the ongoing credit commitments in order to detect anomalies related to the schedules, refinancing, approval limits etc., and to identify improper disbursements.consult credit scoreconsult credit scoreAnalyse the credit files of an individual, such as credit reports which outlines a person's credit history, in order to assess their creditworthiness and all the risks that would be involved in granti...inform on interest ratesinform on interest ratesInform prospective borrowers on the rate at which compensation fees for use of assets, such as borrowed money, is paid to the lender, and at which percentage of the loan the interest stands.sell insurancesell insuranceSell insurance products and services to customers, such as health, life or car insurance.collect financial datacollect financial dataGather, organise, and combine financial data for their interpretation and analysis in order to predict possible financial scenarios and performance of a company or project.analyse financial riskanalyse financial riskIdentify and analyse risks that could impact an organisation or individual financially, such as credit and market risks, and propose solutions to cover against those risks.prepare real estate contractprepare real estate contractCreate a contract between two parties for the purchase, sale or rental of real estate. Make sure the real estate contract and the specifications comply with the legal requirements and are legally enfo...analyse market financial trendsanalyse market financial trendsMonitor and forecast the tendencies of a financial market to move in a particular direction over time.business loansbusiness loansLoans which are intended for business purposes and which can either be secured or unsecured depending on whether a collateral is involved. The different types of business loans such as bank loans, mez...
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Frequently asked questions
What does a financial planner do?
Financial planners assist people dealing with various personal financial issues. They are specialised in financial planning, such as retirement planning, investment planning, risk management and insurance planning, and tax planning. They advise a strategy tailored to the client's needs. They ensure the accuracy of bank and other financial records while maintaining a customer-orientated approach and following ethical standards.
What skills does a financial planner need?
A financial planner needs 23 essential skills, including customer service, banking activities, economics, investment analysis, assess risks of clients' assets.
Will AI replace financial planner jobs?
The AI disruption score for financial planner is 77/100 (very high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: maintain credit history of clients, foreign valuta, accounting techniques. Most resilient: protect client interests, handle financial transactions, types of insurance.
AI Replacement Risk
77/ 100
Very High Risk
Low riskHigh risk
Skills most at risk from AI
Skills resilient to automation
This is the average for the whole occupation. The AI Career Shield test (about 10 minutes) shows the risk in your own work and what you can do about it.
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