High Demand
According to a recent Occupational Outlook Quarterly, the financial planning industry is expected to grow 35 to 40 percent. In a challenging business climate, people need advice on tax and estate planning, retirement planning, and investing, and financial planners will reap the rewards. As the economy grows more volatile and the number of complex planning decisions increases for consumers, financial planners will have more and more clients lining up for their services.

Low Stress
High demand also means low stress for the financial planner. Clients are increasingly nervous about the state of the economy-and their finances-and grateful for the guidance an educated planner can provide. Financial planners are commanding higher salaries than ever before-the average income is $185,000-as the demand for their services swells. And that means less stress and more work enjoyment for the financial planner.

Be Your Own Boss
The financial planner can be his or her own boss. Many financial planners work independently within small firms, where they set their own schedules, provide planning solutions, manage clients' assets, and consult directly with their clients. Still other financial planners run their own practices.

Be Your Own Boss No Matter Where You Work
Most financial planners are employed by small, high-end firms with only 2-15 people serving an affluent and influential clientele. A growing number of large firms employ financial planners, including:

• Banks Brokerage Firms Mutual Fund Companies Insurance Companies Accounting and Law Firms Credit Unions Colleges and Universities Government Agencies Credit Counseling Organizations
• Corporations

Big Potential
The National Endowment for Financial Education, in a 2000 survey reported that experienced, educated planners earn over $100,000 annually. The average income reported by the Association for Investment Management and Research reports their planners earn $185,000 as quoted by Newsweek (Source: Newsweek, March 12, 2001). Financial planners can earn their incomes through fees, commissions, and salary. Financial planners can be paid:

• by the client - for their consulting and plan development work charging by the hour or flat fees and/or by the financial institutions - through commissions on financial products sold to clients and/or
• by the organization/ employer - through a salary from banks, credit unions, and other related financial organizations.

In all cases, the planner with training and experience has a higher range of potential income

Autonomy
Most financial planners maintain a steady client base and consult by appointment only. Therefore, financial planners tend to set their own hours, work at their own pace, and consult in their office or travel to meet the clients where they live and work. Many planners even choose to open their own private practice. Being able to choose when, where, and how you work was an outstanding reason why the 2001 Jobs Rated Almanac chose financial planning as the number one profession in America.

Low Stress
When comparing criteria such as environment, employment outlook, income, and stress, financial planners enjoy a low stress profession relative to other industries and specialties. The nature of financial planning work is long-term and relationship oriented. By taking this approach planners transcend the day-to-day bumps of financial markets and the pressure of meeting regular sales quotas. By serving the needs of their clients strategically and ethically, financial planners endure and prosper.

More Money = More Need for Advice
Financially speaking, it's a confusing world out there. Increasing numbers of people have more money and less knowledge about what to do with it. The number of educated, skilled financial planners will need to grow in response.

More Money = Good News for Financial Planners
As the economy, personal income, and inherited wealth grow, more funds are becoming available for investment. An increasing number of baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) are turning 50, which means that there are more people worrying about-and needing advice on-their retirement plans. Most people are likely to turn to financial planners for this type of assistance. As many companies reduce pension benefits and switch to defined-contribution plans, shifting the investment responsibility from the company to the individual, decisions become more meaningful and more complex. With a growing number of investment alternatives, investors will need to seek the advice of financial planners.