Senior Financial Planner
White Lighthouse Investment Management, Inc. (WLIM) is looking for a Financial Planner with at least 7 years of financial planning experience to join our fast-growing practice that specializes in cross-border financial planning and investment management. Our new Senior Financial Planner will work closely with the principal, other Financial Planners, and our back-office team to provide financial planning advice and ensure that our clients receive a high level of personalized service. All WLIM associates work remotely and are located either on the US East Coast or in Europe. CFP® certification is a must and solid US tax knowledge is expected. We will train internally on the international and cross-border elements that impact ~70% of our clients, mostly Americans in Switzerland.
Our new team member must be self-motivated, enthusiastic, detail-oriented, customer-centric, organized, adaptable, be proficient in technology, have a mindset for continuous learning, and be an effective communicator who can contribute to the team from day 1. They must also be able to solve problems, and both work well independently and be a team player working with colleagues internal and external to the firm. This position does not require any new business development, its focus is to provide excellent financial planning/clients services to existing clients and to regularly lead the onboarding of new clients.
Primary Responsibilities
Manage client relationships. (roughly 75-100 clients at full capacity) You will be fully accountable and responsible for leading and deepening these relationships; some will be with existing clients, and many will be new/future clients.
Identify and communicate clear financial planning analysis and recommendations for each unique client situation considering US and international elements. Expertise in cash flow, retirement planning analysis, and researching client questions.
Learn WLIM’s investment management approach which includes preparing a draft IPS (investment policy statement) and analysis of accounts. No direct investment management responsibility/experience is required though the planner must be able to answer client questions about their investment portfolio.
Participate in new IT system implementation for managing client relationships and analyzing client’s financial accounts.
Help develop the firm by interviewing new potential hires, help train and mentor colleagues with your expertise, contribute to team meetings, and help drive the company’s growth.
Retain current with all CFP® continuing education requirements.
Comply with all regulatory requirements, including licensing and registrations.
Comply with all firm policies and procedures.
Qualifications
A CFP® professional.
7+ years of analytically rigorous financial planning.
12-15+ years of total work experience.
3+ years managing high net worth client relationships.
Strong working knowledge of US tax implications of financial planning and investment management advice.
Proficiency with technology. Expertise in at least one of the 3 leading financial planning software, where you can test multiple scenarios, create custom reports, conduct insurance needs analyses, evaluate tax planning strategies, and more in a mainly Windows environment. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel is a plus, being able to move data around using pivot tables, lookup tables, and customized analysis that you can’t obtain from planning software.
Excellent time management and organizational skills, respecting client service standards. Responding accurately and efficiently is vital.
The ability to work effectively with minimal supervision and work well under pressure.
Very good at detailed work and “connecting” it to the bigger picture and seeing how your planning tasks at hand dovetail into the broader client situation.
Very comfortable saying “I don’t know” and “I need help”.
Consistently demonstrating our core values (Work Hard, Integrity, Trust and Educate)
Experience in an RIA (preferably fee-only & growth-oriented).
Familiarity with Schwab, and/or Pershing.
Track record of thriving in a small company “start-up” culture.
Strong analytical skills and experience in identifying complex issues; researching information and possibilities; and developing problem-solving solutions.
Familiarity with operations (reporting, client onboarding, compliance, and data management) of a Registered Investment Advisory firm helpful but not required.
Flexibility to work early mornings and evenings as needed with European-based clients and team members. Weekend/Holiday work may occasionally be required for quarterly closing and special projects.
Compensation and Benefits
Competitive Salary based on candidate’s experience.
401K Profit sharing plan after one year of service.
Health insurance.
Three weeks paid vacation or countries required minimum if based in Europe.
Working Location
For the right individual, we would support working from a home office with very minimal travel requirements. Senior staff are located near Boston and New York, as well as, in Switzerland. If a home office is not possible, we may support a shared office location close to the individual’s home.
About White Lighthouse Investment Management
White Lighthouse Investment Management is a Registered Investment Advisory firm with its head office in Bedford, MA, and a representative office in Lausanne, Switzerland. We primarily serve clients in Switzerland and throughout the United States and have clients in several other countries. With our two WLIM entities, we currently manage ~$700m and have ~350 clients. Our team specializes in cross-border financial planning and investment management. More information can be found at www.white-lighthouse.com.
Disclosures
This job description does not list all the duties of the position. You will be asked to perform other duties. You will be evaluated, in part, based upon your performance of the responsibilities listed in this job description. Management has the right to change this job description at any time. This job description is not a contract for employment, and either you or White Lighthouse may terminate employment at any time, for any reason.
References
For any candidate where we are considering making an offer, we will ask you to provide at least two references.
Contact
Please email your resume, a letter of motivation, and salary requirements to Kathy Quintero: kquintero@white-lighthouse.com.