Position Title: Financial Planning Specialist

Step into an instrumental role as a Financial Planning Specialist with The Bergamot Group, a financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial. The office is located in Blythewood, SC.

The Financial Planning Specialist will primarily assist the financial advisors in the financial planning, investment management, and client service workflow. This position will consistently follow high standards of business and professional ethics and legal and regulatory requirements when dealing with others and/or performing work activities.

This role provides client relationship support through managing, gathering and analyzing client data, helping prepare preliminary financial plans and other client deliverables, working with clients to resolve issues and other practice management tasks as needed.

As a Financial Planning Specialist, you will be instrumental in creating and delivering a unique client experience that defines and differentiates the practice. The Financial Planning Specialist will assist financial advisors in working with clients to help them achieve their financial goals.

Responsibilities and time allocation may change over time to meet the needs of the practice and can include other duties as assigned by the advisors.

Position functions:

• Oversee the financial planning and client service process in accordance to practice preferences while providing superior support to both the financial advisors and the client.
• Owner of the financial planning process
• Prepare client agendas and meeting materials in alignment with practice preferences for all client meetings
• Review and update client information as needed
• Responsible for completing insurance proposals and re-projections
• Owner of meeting follow up process and business processing action items
• Oversee future assets, business opportunities, and new prospective client pipeline
• Owner of required minimum distributions process
• Responsible for follow-up with home office on business or compliance related issues
• Answer questions and provide readily available information to clients, if requested and as allowable, as it relates to servicing their accounts and financial planning data
• Responsible for documenting client contact/calls
• Manage and resolve client service problems
• Conduct trade completion and transaction requests as directed by financial advisor and associate financial advisor
• Attend and participate in client meetings, if necessary
• Maintain files and records in accordance with the records retention policy
• Track/hold clients accountable to agreed upon actions
• Develop appropriate product deliverables
• Manage wholesaler relationships
• Work with home office to ensure accurate account setup and resolve issues
• Maintain files and records in accordance with the records retention policy
• Executes client trades and money movement transactions
• Owns compliance system management for advisory accounts
• Leads team huddles while utilizing practice CRM dashboards

Key traits of a successful Financial Planning Specialist:

• Direct attention to detail and organization
• Effective communication with clients and other advisors/staff
• Effective and efficient time management
• High level of interpersonal skills
• Polite and clear phone manner
• Ability to adhere to rules and regulations as stated and required by advisor and Ameriprise
• Ability to support and provide guidance for compliance
• Willingness to take initiative
• Aptitude to identify practice systems that need improved efficiency
• Highly capable problem solver
• Positive attitude and sincere willingness to constantly learn and grow
• Functions well in a collaborative team environment
• Required experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Preferred experience with Salesforce, NaviPlan, and Thomson One

Education and other designations:

• 2 years of similar experience preferred
• Already have or be able to study for and pass exams for federal and state licenses and registrations for securities, including the SIE, Series 7, Series 66, and State life, accident, and health insurance licenses

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $70,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Paid time off

Weekly schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work setting:

• In-person
• Office

License/Certification:

• Series 7 (Required)
• Series 66 (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Columbia, SC (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Columbia, SC: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person