Paraplanner
Paraplanners help financial advisers with technical and administrative tasks.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
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.
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
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
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
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
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
More Information
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
More Information
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.
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
Further information
You can find more information about working in financial services from Walbrook Institute London.
Related videos
Suggested videos
Coffee With is in early release mode with a limited number of videos. New videos are being added every week, so please check back for updates.
External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.