As a financial adviser, it is vital that you have your finger on the pulse with regards to industry news and market trends. By the very nature of your career, you are the person that people turn to when they are in need of advice, guidance, and news about where their money should be invested. There are lots of resources online that can help to give an overall picture of what a career as a financial adviser looks like. Today, we want to focus on how you can expand your knowledge base.
Keeping up with the News
It might seem like an obvious point to raise in the first instance, but by simply having a read on the pulse of the news, you can hugely improve your ability to give advice. There are two different areas where you can focus here to build knowledge and ensure your skills are set in the current context of the global economy. You can take your news from finance-based resources like Bloomberg and the FT Adviser, and you can also follow more general curated news a well. Build this into your daily routine to recognise trends and opportunities that might benefit your clients.
Sharing Insight with Colleagues
One of the best sources of information you can make use of is through your colleagues and peers. There are some great online social networks that are geared towards financial advisers. If you haven’t used any of these before, we strongly advise that you sign up and make use of them. The collective pool of knowledge available through these sites is unparalleled, and while they can’t predict the future, the experience of what to do when something unexpected happens is highly valuable.
Utilising Online Knowledge
Like the online social networks we discussed above, resources for financial advisers are highly valuable and abundant. Knowing where to look in the first instance can be tricky, but it is important that you have the right knowledge at your disposal to build a broader scope for your own experience. With this in mind, we’d recommend making use of the knowledge library available from Pru Adviser. There is a great selection of articles, blogs, and news items you can use to increase your depth of knowledge and improve as a financial adviser.
Speak to your Clients
The final point we want to make in today’s article is that some of the most valuable work you can do to expand your knowledge is to have an open dialogue with the people who make up your client roster. While you have been hired to be the expert to these people, it’s important to remember that their own needs and priorities will guide a lot of your decision making. In other financial adviser articles, you will see that you are the one who is required to be the expert. However, it is your clients that you’re working on behalf of, and you should be making decisions in their best interests.
We hope this article has been useful in demonstrating the value of building your knowledge as a financial adviser. The more you educate yourself, the better you’ll be at your job in the long term.
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