Paraplanner
Paraplanners help financial advisers with technical and administrative tasks.
- Starter salary£24,000 a year
- Experienced£45,000 a year
- Typical hours35 to 38 a week
What you'll do
As a paraplanner, you'll:
- prepare and write finance reports
- research financial funds and products
- provide admin support to financial advisers
- put together cash flow analysis
- keep client records up to date
Working environment
You could work at a client's business, in an office or remotely.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- customer service skills
- knowledge of economics and accounting
- maths knowledge
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- sensitivity and understanding
- persistence and determination
- analytical thinking skills
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a paraplanner
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
College
You could do a college course which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need to be a paraplanner.
Relevant subjects include:
- Level 3 Certificate In Regulated Financial Services Operations
- T Level in Finance
- Level 4 Diploma in Financial Planning
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
- 1 or 2 A levels, a level 3 diploma or relevant experience for a level 4 or level 5 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
Apprenticeship
You could do a Paraplanner and Financial Planner Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.
This will take around 2 years to complete and will include a mix of learning on the job and studying at college.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
Work
You could join a company as a trainee and learn on the job.
Your employer might want you to do qualification while you train, such as the CISI level 4 Certificate in Paraplanning .
Career path and progression
You could:
- specialise in an area of finance like technology or pensions
- train to become a financial adviser
- become self employed, working as a freelance paraplanner
Professional and industry bodies
You can join a professional body for training opportunities and professional development.
Organisations include:
- The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII)
- The Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI)
- Walbrook Institute London
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleFinancial adviser
- Job rolePensions administrator
- Job roleFinancial services customer adviser
- Job roleInvestment analyst
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