Careers Financial Analyst

What is a Financial Analyst? A career as a financial analyst is challenging, but can offer many rewards. The most successful financial analysts spend a great deal of their time doing research. This takes an incredible amount of discipline, but if you are the type of individual who thrives on the challenges in the fields of macro and microeconomic, then Financial Analyst might be a rewarding career for you. So what is a Financial Analyst? As already mentioned a financial analyst does a great deal of research. Research is the main step in their ability to recommend a course of action, such as whether to buy or sell a company's stock. Analysts are aware of current developments in their specialty fields and are adept at preparing financial models to predict future economic conditions for any number of variables.

The best courses you can take in preparation for a career as a Financial Analyst are business, economics, accounting and math. You might also consider courses in computer sciences, biology, physics and even engineering. Junior analysts who have these backgrounds are often hired by firms as soon as they graduate, while MBA graduates are often hired as senior analyst right out of business school. A bachelor's degree is essential for financial analysts and highly recommended for personal financial advisors, so course that lead to a degree in business administration, accounting, finance, or statistics are recommended In Addition, courses on bond valuation, risk management, and options pricing are very helpful.

As a Financial Analyst you will help guide businesses and individuals in their investment choices. This is where the research and analysis comes in. You use the results of you analysis to make investment suggestions to your company or clients.

A career as a Financial Analyst requires preparation and hard work, but the potential for financial rewards is excellent.

In 2002, the average annual salary for a financial analyst was $57,100. The salary of middle half ranged from $43,600 to $76,620 while the bottom 10th brought in less than $34,570 and the Top 10th earning in excess of $108,060. There are financial planners whose incomes reach well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.