Wealth Management Vice Presidents

High School

Recommended high school classes include business, economics, computer science, English, speech, mathematics, statistics, accounting, history, social studies, and foreign language.

Postsecondary Education

A bachelor’s degree in finance, mathematics, accounting, economics, business, entrepreneurism, financial engineering, or quantitative finance is the minimum educational requirement to enter the field, but many firms require their vice presidents to have master’s degrees in business, finance, or related areas. Some vice presidents have law degrees. 

Other Education or Training

Many professional associations provide continuing education (CE) classes, workshops, webinars, and seminars to help members and non-members keep their skills up to date and qualify for certification and re-certification. For example, the American Bankers Association offers workshops, seminars, and webinars on accounting, compliance, cybersecurity, legal, and risk management issues. It also provides educational opportunities related to trust/wealth management. Past classes included Basic Administrative Duties of a Trustee, Introduction to Trust Products and Services, and Asset Allocation and Portfolio Management.

Other opportunities are provided by the Association of International Wealth Management, Investment Management Consultants Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education, Association for Financial Professionals, Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, CFA Institute, and the Institute for Private Investors.

Many wealth management firms provide ongoing training opportunities to help their employees keep their financial skills up to date and develop their soft skills.

Certification

The Investments & Wealth Institute offers the Essentials of Investment Consulting Certificate Program. According to the association’s Web site, the online program “covers fundamental concepts and applications, including portfolio construction, investment types, manager selection, performance measurement, investment policies, and math for managing money for portfolio growth.” The program consists of two online courses (Investment Consulting Process and Math for Investment Consultants). Each course includes five modules, such as Investment Policy Statements, Portfolio Construction & Risk Management Strategies, Time Value of Money and Rates of Return, and Fixed Income-Duration and Yield.