Financial Para Planner

Integrated Wealth Strategies (IWS), an Atlanta-based retirement planning and wealth management firm, is growing and seeking to hire a full time Financial Para-Planner.  With over twenty years of experience, IWS’s mission is to guide clients through life’s transitions and inspire them to financial independence. This role supports our mission and the impact we have on our client’s lives.

The ideal candidate manages time, people and multiple priorities, and must care deeply about the personal and financial success of our clients.  The Financial Para-Planner plays a crucial role in providing high level advice to clients, growing the advisor’s practice by delivering comprehensive financial planning services, and by delivering a superior client experience.

With overall responsibility for the advisor’s financial and retirement planning services including preparation, creation, and presenting financial plans, as well as making investment and insurance recommendations.  This candidate shall be willing provide superior service to the client, and to support the team in any way necessary including ongoing client service for existing and new client relationships.

The FPP must be able to work effectively with other team members, clients, advisors, and vendors.  Key areas of leadership include delivering sound financial advice, preparing the advisor for client and prospect meetings, organizing and handling post-meeting activities, overseeing successful implementation of investment management and insurance programs, and documenting repeatable processes to maximize efficiency.

Suitable candidates must have excellent communication, technology, computer and organizational skills as well as the confidence and experience to prioritize and make sound decisions.  The responsibilities include ensuring that our clients receive top notch service from someone who cares, in a timely and accurate fashion.

Responsibilities:

• Prepare all financial planning, investment, and insurance update meetings, identify new ideas and issues to address, assist with finalization of recommendations, participate in meetings as needed, work with outside professionals, prepare and coordinate signature-ready paperwork
• Organize and enter information into financial planning, CRM, and other software packages
• Learn and maintain MoneyGuide software, including alerts, integrations, adding/removing new or closed accounts, and assisting clients with software questions/password resets
• Use Riskalyze or other software to prepare risk assessments and comparisons to recommended portfolios for client meetings
• Coordinate and handle post-meeting activities, including debriefing with advisor and teammates, sending meeting summary to clients, entering action items into CRM, and blocking advisor’s time for key activities
• Assist the advisor with the practice’s investment management programs, including being familiar with the firm’s investment management programs, maintaining model portfolios in various systems, looking for new opportunities, and conducting investment research
• Assist with insurance case design and handle insurance applications, policy delivery and filing, and routine service inquiries; order in-force ledgers when reviewing cash value policies
• Help market and promote the practice, including preparation and participation in various events
• Document and manage processes in Processes Manual and CRM workflows
• Manage CRM system, maintain records, file and retrieve documents and reports
• Prepare monthly practice metric reports and review them with the advisor
• Uphold a strict level of confidentiality and professionalism
• Help maintain the practice’s digital financial planning and investment program for young professionals and client heirs

Qualifications & Skills:

• At least 3 years’ experience in financial services and/or para-planning
• Experience with multiple software packages
  • Redtail CRM, MoneyGuide financial planning software, Riskalzye investment analysis software, Morningstar or other similar packages
  • Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel (including financial formulas), PowerPoint, and OneDrive
  • LPL’s Branchnet/ClientWorks and eSign platforms, or other similar trading and account opening platforms, (desired but not necessary)
• Experience with mutual funds, stocks, bonds, annuities, third-party asset management programs, model portfolios, and separately-managed accounts
• Familiarity with IRAs, Roth IRAs, qualified plans and other employer retirement plans
• Working knowledge of life, disability, long-term care and related insurance products
• Bachelor’s degree, preferably related to financial services and/or economics
• Certified Financial Planner, Para-Planner or other similar designation a plus
• Series 7 & 66 General Securities, Life and Variable Annuity licenses a plus
• Advanced knowledge of investment and insurance rules and regulations

Attributes:

• Honesty, personal integrity, and a strong sense of responsibility
• Remarkable follow-through on all tasks and projects
• Exceptional leadership skills and a keen ability to work effectively with other teammates, clients, advisors, and vendors
• Problem solver who finds ways to get things done in the client and practice’s mutual best interest
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Motivated to continually learn and apply new knowledge across the practice
• Time management & multi-project management proficiency
• Good math skills and financial aptitude
• Friendly and professional demeanor
• Exceptional attention to detail

Soft Skills:

• Interacts with associates and clients in a courteous and respectful manner to create a consistent, predictable, positive work atmosphere.
• Takes action on office priorities in a proactive way.
• Offers and gives assistance willingly, and is coachable.
• Be punctual & reliable.
• Keep promises & commitments & help advisor do the same.
• Own client service requests & issues until they are resolved.
• Willingness to learn quickly and function as part of a client service team.
• Maintain the highest ethical standards and client confidentiality.
• Willing to be cross-trained on duties and responsibilities of other staff to be able to serve as a backup when allowed and necessary.
• Must have a professional demeanor with the ability to juggle conflicting priorities.
• The ability to multitask and prioritize in a fast paced environment.

  Compliance: Assists team members in maintaining a compliant practice. Understands and adheres to policies regarding compliance approval for documents, proper use of stationery/business cards, and other required procedures. Assists clients and Advisor to the extent possible based on licensing and/or registrations. 
   

  Other:
  Since we are a team, in addition to the duties listed above, this person should be prepared to do whatever the team needs to be done to effectively serve our clients. This may include tasks normally performed by other team members or the Financial Advisor when allowed and necessary.  While intended to be thorough, this job description may not cover all the activities, duties or responsibilities that might be required. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time.

  Compensation, Benefits & Continuing Education Offered:

• Cash compensation includes competitive salary, annual goals-based incentive bonus, and health insurance allowance
• Benefits package including 401(k) with match, group health insurance, long-term disability insurance, employee assistance and other related group benefits
• Industry CE, Firm Element Training, systems training on MoneyGuide, Redtail CRM, Riskalyze, LPL ClientWorks & Other Systems, participation in IFG’s various study groups and team meetings
• Financial Assistance available to obtain CFP designation

Integrated Wealth Strategies is a proud, founding member of Integrated Financial Group, one of the largest independent financial planning consortiums in the country.  We pioneered a truly unique concept - what we like to call our "brain trust". This unique and elite consortium of independent LPL financial advisors, delivers practical, beneficial, and effective financial solutions for the long-term financial planning needs of our clients. Integrated Financial Group was recognized by the AJC as one of Atlanta’s top workplaces 2015 to 2020, and ranked #2 midsize company workplace in 2020.