Planning Associate

ABOUT THE ROLE

Legacy Wealth Planning is a Northwestern Mutual wealth management firm built around a holistic financial planning philosophy. We are hiring a Senior Planning Associate to work directly alongside our Lead Planner – supporting the preparation and delivery of comprehensive financial plans across a growing, high-net-worth client base.

This is a substantive planning role that will manage complex planning cases, prepare investment-integrated financial plans, contribute to advisor-facing presentations, and play a meaningful role in the planning department's output and quality.

The right person brings technical depth, sound judgment, and a genuine commitment to getting financial plans right.

ABOUT LEGACY WEALTH PLANNING

Legacy Wealth Planning is a multi-partner Northwestern Mutual practice with five advisors serving clients across comprehensive financial planning, wealth management, and insurance. Our planning philosophy is holistic – insurance and investments work together in every plan we build, and our clients experience that integration at every touchpoint. We are a firm that is investing seriously in our people, our systems, and our operational structure as we scale toward the next phase of growth.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Financial Plan Preparation & Delivery

•     Independently prepare comprehensive financial plans across a range of client complexity levels: retirement, income planning, risk management, estate considerations, and investment strategy

•     Manage the full planning workflow from fact-finder through plan delivery using the firm's planning software (PX)

•     Integrate investment analysis and portfolio strategy into comprehensive financial plans, including understanding how asset allocation, risk tolerance, time horizon, and investment recommendations work within the broader planning context

•     Prepare case analysis and presentation materials in support of advisor client meetings, including plan summaries, recommendation rationale, and supporting illustrations

•     Review and refine plan components for accuracy, completeness, and consistency with the firm's planning standards

•     Communicate proactively with the Lead Planner on case status, timelines, and any issues requiring judgment calls

Investment-Integrated Planning

•     Demonstrate senior-level proficiency in the investment components of a comprehensive financial plan – asset allocation strategy, portfolio analysis, retirement income projections, and investment recommendation rationale

•     Build and present investment-focused plan components that reflect a deep understanding of the client's full financial picture

•     Understand how insurance and investment products interact within a holistic plan and communicate that integration clearly in plan documents and advisor presentations

•     Stay current on investment planning concepts, market considerations, and planning software capabilities relevant to the firm's client base

Advisor & Client Support

•     Participate in client planning meetings in a supporting capacity, contributing to discussions, answering planning questions, and building client-facing confidence over time

•     Maintain strong working relationships with advisors through reliable output, proactive communication, and consistent follow-through

•     Identify planning opportunities within existing client relationships and surface them to the Lead Planner or advisor

•     Support advisors in preparing for complex or high-priority client conversations with well-organized materials and clear analysis

Department Contribution

•     Contribute to planning process documentation and workflow improvement

•     Participate in department check-ins and contribute to quality standards across the planning team

•     Support the Lead Planner in mentoring and reviewing work of more junior team members as the department grows

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

•     Technical planning depth. You have 3–5 years of financial planning experience and can independently prepare a comprehensive plan across insurance, retirement, and investment components.

•     Senior-level investment planning proficiency. You understand how asset allocation, portfolio strategy, and investment recommendations integrate into a comprehensive financial plan.

•     Software proficiency. Experience with financial planning software is strongly preferred.

•     Independent judgment. You can manage a planning caseload with accuracy and follow-through and know when to surface a question.

•     Commitment to quality. You review your own work critically before it goes out.

•     Collaborative working style. You work well alongside a team and contribute to its success.

•     Clear communication. You write and speak with clarity in plan documents and in conversations with advisors and clients.

EXPERIENCE & BACKGROUND

•     3–5 years of financial planning experience in a wealth management, financial advisory, or planning-focused environment

•     Demonstrated proficiency in comprehensive financial plan preparation

•     Senior-level knowledge of investment planning concepts

•     Experience with building plans using financial planning software

•     Familiarity with Northwestern Mutual planning methodology and products is a strong plus

•     Experience supporting advisors in a client-facing capacity preferred

LICENSING & DESIGNATIONS

•     Life & Health license required – must be held or obtained within 30 days of start date

•     SIE, Series 7, and Series 63 required or to be actively pursued — firm will support

•     CFP in progress or attained strongly preferred — firm will support pursuit if not yet obtained

WHAT WE OFFER

•     $80,000 base salary, commensurate with experience

•     A structured career path with defined advancement criteria

•     CFP support – the firm is committed to supporting licensing and designation attainment as part of your advancement

•     A firm that takes planning seriously — holistic, integrated, and client-centered

•     A collaborative team environment with real investment in structure, systems, and people

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your resume to jennifer.hopek@nm.com

• Legacy Wealth Planning is an equal opportunity employer.