Investment advisor: Training, further training, course, overview of schools

Anyone who meets the following requirements at the start of the examination can become a financial advisor:

• Completion of vocational education and training (VET) with Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (VET), high school diploma or equivalent qualification
• At least 3 years of professional experience in banking or finance

or

• Federal Diploma of Higher Education, Federal Diploma, Diploma from a College of Higher Education, Diploma from a University of Applied Sciences (at least Bachelor) or equivalent qualification
• At least 2 years of professional experience in banking or finance

or

• University degree (Bachelor's, Master's or doctorate) or equivalent qualification
• At least 1 year of professional experience in banking or finance

After training as a financial advisor, you will carry out the following activities:

• Provision of asset management and investment advisory services
• Transacting business with financial instruments
• Place orders
• Monitor the execution of orders
• Advise private investors on investment decisions
• Define investors' investment needs, objectives and restrictions
• Inform customers about individual contract details including costs
• Execute asset management orders
• Define and implement an investment strategy based on client needs and in accordance with your institution's guidelines
• Monitor portfolio development

The investment advisor training program teaches you:

• Establishing contact and building relationships with customers
• identify the needs and investment restrictions of clients
• Execution of asset management orders
• Execution of asset management mandates with power of attorney
• Advising clients on investment decisions
• Execution of transactions with financial instruments
• Monitoring client portfolios
• Regularly informing customers about developments

There are the following possible continuing education, further training for wealth advisors:

• Courses at technical and vocational colleges and at the Swiss Training Center for Investment Professionals AZEK
• Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education (AFPE) as an expert in financial market operations with a federal diploma, certified finance and investment expert, etc.
• College of Higher Education as a bank economist CHE
• University of Applied Sciences as Business Economist UAS (BSc)

As a rule, training as a financial advisor is part-time. The training lasts approximately six months. Find out more from the providers.

As an independent financial advisor, you should have the following knowledge:

• Financial instruments: Fixed-interest investments, shares, derivatives, etc.
• Collective investments: investment funds, structured products, etc.
• Investment advice: client analysis (risk capacity, risk appetite, investment horizon),
• Asset allocation, asset accumulation
• Duties of conduct in accordance with the Financial Services Act

There are the following requirements for training as a financial advisor:

• analytical skills
• networked thinking and acting
• customer-oriented behavior
• Flair for numbers
• Good knowledge of business administration

An independent investment advisor or independent investment advice offers you the following advantages:

• Structure and transparency in day-to-day work.
• Neutrality and objectivity in personal advice.
• Lower costs and better returns for the customer.
• The customer always retains control over his assets.

After completing the wealth advisor course and obtaining the Federal Diploma of Higher Education, you can work for a bank that is active in wealth management (private banking), for an independent wealth management company or for a trust company. Other companies specializing in asset management and investment advice are also possible employers. Thanks to their operational skills, wealth advisors are able to supervise the activities of a front office team, prepare employees for their tasks, organize the team's work processes, implement workflows and monitor the tasks carried out by the team members.