One thing that many people don’t like to think about is money. But money is extremely important, especially as people reach retirement. This is why financial planners are so important.
But what is financial planning? What all does it include? And how can you become a Certified Financial Planner (CFP)?
Not just anyone can work in financial planning. It requires specific education and skills. Then you have to pass a certification exam. After that, you simply need some experience to be a good financial planner.
Various degrees allow you to become a CFP. The more important thing is the subjects you study. Read on to learn seven topics to study to become a CFP.
1. Investment Planning
One of the most important services that financial planning companies provide is ideas on how to grow your money. The primary way that they do this is by investing that money. This means playing the stock market.
But the stock market isn’t something that the average person necessarily knows a lot about. That’s where a financial planner comes in. Part of their job is to pay attention to market trends and predict which stocks are going to do well and which ones are going to fall.
They also understand how to do this legally so that they can prevent being accused of insider trading.
2. Income Planning
The next thing that financial planners might do for their clients is income planning. This involves knowing how much money a client is earning and where that money is coming from. This allows a client to plan for any financial problems they might have in the future.
If a client should become unemployed, for example, then their financial advisor will be able to help them determine what they can adjust to make their money stretch more. They’ll be able to inform them of how much they’re earning from investments and side hustles.
All of this determines how much money they’ll have in savings should they have an emergency. That kind of planning gives clients confidence that they can handle whatever happens.
3. Tax Planning
One thing that many people struggle with is knowing how much tax they need to pay. Especially considering how many different types of taxes someone might need to pay.
Business owners, for example, will need to pay both personal taxes and taxes on their business. A financial planner helps them sort out how much they owe for both types of accounts. Then they’ll help the client set aside the right amount of money to ensure that they have enough to pay it.
They’ll even predict the amount of property taxes that one of these clients might need to pay. This means that these clients will be ready every tax season rather than dreading it.
4. Retirement Planning
At some point, most people plan to retire from their jobs and enjoy the rest of their lives. And the truth is that people are starting to live longer. This means that people are also having longer retirements.
But the only income that retirees in the United States have is usually from Social Security. This isn’t always enough for retirees to do all of the things they want to do during retirement. For this reason, it’s advised that people start retirement financial planning early.
This is why some people become a CFP. They’re able to help their clients set aside money for their retirement according to the things they want to do during that time.
5. Estate Planning
A person’s estate consists of all of the property and assets that they own. Estate planning involves how different assets get handled.
For example, it determines how property is taken care of. Should they become rental properties? Or are they going to be used for some other purpose?
It also determines what happens to the estate when the owner dies. It ensures that the owner’s wishes are respected when that time comes. Each of the heirs will get exactly what the owner wanted them to have.
Financial planners are part of the group of professionals involved in planning the estate. They make sure that everything is running as well as it should be.
6. Insurance Planning
In the United States, insurance is one of the most important things a person can have. There are many types of insurance that an American should really have, especially as they get older. Health insurance and life insurance for example are some of the most important kinds for older Americans.
In the United States, this ensures that people can get the medical care that they need without going bankrupt. Life insurance means that the person’s family can afford the cost of funeral services.
And a financial planner helps their clients find the insurance that they need. This helps their clients be ready for any emergencies or hardships.
7. Risk Management
Finally, every single investment or business venture a person makes in their life comes with some amount of risk. But the truth is that many people find it difficult to assess such risks.
What kind of risks are involved? How likely is it to be a problem?
Financial planners use many methods such as financial planning software from Elan2 to help answer these questions. This allows them to advise their clients on which investments they should make and which ones aren’t likely to go well.
For those financial planners who go ahead and invest their client’s money for them, this also helps them understand which investments are too risky.
Start Financial Planning Today
Studying these topics in school is a great way to get started on a career in financial planning. Each client will have different needs. This education ensures that you know how to deal with each situation as you come across them.
You’ll be helping people become secure in their financial futures. This helps people plan for retirement and any emergencies that might occur. And these people will be trusting you to help them grow their wealth.
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out our other articles about finance and education.