Financial Associate

Job Description

Job Description

At Financial Architects, Inc. (FAI) and FAI Advisors, Inc., we are dedicated to our mission of *Helping People Live a Life of Freedom* by *Simplifying the Complexity of Money Decisions.* Our culture is grounded in these core values:

• Strive for Improvement Every Day
• Think Beyond Limits
• Serve Others First

We are looking for an experienced Financial Associate who is eager to grow their planning expertise, contribute to client success, and develop along a professional path toward becoming a future Lead Advisor. Similar industry roles are Financial Assistant.

Position Overview:

The Financial Associate plays a vital role in delivering our Financial Architecture process. Working closely with Lead Advisors and Client Relationship Coordinators, this role helps ensure the successful design, implementation, and ongoing management of client financial plans. Sales and business prospecting are not required.  The focus is on technical planning support and collaborative execution alongside the advisory team.

This is an excellent opportunity for a developing professional who has a strong foundation in financial planning and is motivated to expand their skills, gain direct client exposure, and grow into increased responsibility.

Core Responsibilities:

• Lead the preparation, updating, and refinement of comprehensive financial plans, ensuring recommendations align with client goals and the firm’s Financial Architecture framework. 

• Independently prepare planning analyses and scenario modeling across investments, retirement, insurance, tax, and estate planning, identifying planning trade-offs and considerations for advisor review. 

• Support Lead Advisors in discovery, modeling, and strategy meetings by leading meeting preparation, client data validation, and creation of client-ready deliverables. 

• Present select portions of financial plans, investment reviews, or tax analyses in client meetings as experience and confidence develop. 

• Assist with investment-related analysis, including portfolio alignment reviews, rebalancing support, and coordination of cash flow sourcing across accounts. 

• Collaborate closely with Lead Advisors and Client Relationship Coordinators to deliver seamless client service, maintaining accurate and current records in CRM and planning systems. 

• Pursue ongoing professional development, including CFP® coursework or advanced licensing, and contribute to continuous improvement of planning processes and client service delivery. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, business, economics, or equivalent experience.
• 2–5 years of financial planning or paraplanning experience, ideally in an RIA or fiduciary advisory environment.
• Working knowledge of portfolio management principles and tax-efficient investing concepts, including asset location, tax-loss harvesting, and coordination across account types.  Ideally licensed with Series 65.
• Knowledge of financial planning concepts including retirement, cash flow planning, insurance, investments, and tax basics.
• Ability to prepare clear, client-ready materials related to investment and tax planning, with increasing independence over time. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage planning responsibilities with minimal oversight, exercising sound judgment while knowing when to escalate or collaborate. 
• Comfort working within a structured planning process while contributing insights and recommendations that improve plan quality and client outcomes. 
• Desire to continue developing technical expertise and advisory judgment through mentorship, feedback, and progressively more complex planning cases. 
• Progress toward the CFP® designation or similar certifications strongly preferred (CFP® candidates encouraged).
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools and planning software (RightCapital, eMoney, Nitrogen, or equivalent).
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple tasks.
• Effective communicator - Able to explain concepts clearly to clients and team members.

Opportunity for Growth:

• Gradually increase direct participation in client meetings, including presenting portions of financial plans, investment reviews, and tax analyses as experience and confidence grow. 

• Develop professional judgment by integrating cash flow, investment, and tax considerations to support long-term client decision-making and relationships. 

• Earn expanded ownership of planning work over time, including greater responsibility for plan preparation, analysis, and coordination across the advisory team. 

• Grow into a trusted planning partner for Lead Advisors, contributing proactively to meeting preparation, client discussions, and ongoing plan refinement.