Investment Manager Definition Job Description Salary

Investment Manager Definition

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Key Takeaways

An investment manager is someone who manages the money of individuals or establishments using different strategies, and they do so with the intention of generating a return on investment (ROI).Their roles involve monitoring the performance of the assets they overlook, determining when to buy and sell securities such as stocks and bonds.They will also work closely with the client to assess their financial goals, making sure their goals align with the strategy they have in place for financial success.To choose a career in investment management, you will need at least a bachelor’s degree, and most employers will require additional certifications or relevant work experience.

Job Description of an Investment Manager

An investment manager’s job description revolves around managing others’ wealth and investments to help grow their money. Client’s range from individuals, businesses, government organizations, financial bodies, insurance firms, etc.The investment managers usually enter into an agreement with the investors before undertaking investment activities on behalf of the clients.Their primary role will involve ensuring the safety of investors’ funds, earning maximum returns, and giving them timely advice to keep up with the market trends.They will review different investment techniques, implementing strategies that will best serve the client. Typically this will consist of building an investment package or portfolio based on the client’s financial goals and risk toleranceRisk ToleranceRisk tolerance is the investors’ potential and willingness to bear the uncertainties associated with their investment portfolios. It is influenced by multiple individual constraints like the investor’s age, income, investment objective, responsibilities and financial condition.read more. They will make investments for the client in securities like
Stocks
Bonds
And Real Estate
This includes monitoring the daily fluctuations in asset value, determining when buying and selling are necessary. They will make recommendations to the client based on what they think is best for their financial success.An important role they play includes analyzing securities and making recommendations. In the process, they focus on making investments on the client’s behalf in the assets they believe to be the best investment as per their financial goals.Their role will also require the oversight of a team of financial analysts. Another responsibility could be similar to that of a financial planner. In this case, the manager will provide advice and answer questions about various financial topics, including:
Taxes
Retirement
Cash flow
Risk Management
Estate Planning

Career Path

There are several ways an individual can become an investment manager. Below is an example commonly found in the industry today.

Stocks
Bonds
And Real Estate
Taxes
Retirement
Cash flow
Risk Management
Estate Planning

Junior Analyst

They usually start by conducting security analysis with stocks and bonds as a junior analyst. The junior analyst can be an entry-level position that will usually require you to have at least a bachelor’s degree. During your time as a junior analyst, you will work under senior management analyzing securities to determine their financial position.

As a junior analyst, you will research and review different company financial reports to determine their financial performance. They will then sometimes work with a team creating spreadsheets and other illustrations to promote their findings.

Junior analysts will then make recommendations based on their findings and the data they have interpreted.

Senior Analyst

After years of developing your skillset and learning what it takes to succeed in the field, you may get promoted to senior analyst. Often candidates will decide to go back to school and further their education to advance their career.

As a senior analyst, you will be more focused on a specific industry or sector that you will spend most of your time analyzing. They will spend most of their time developing research reports and updating existing ones as new details emerge.

Senior analysts can also work with junior analysts to develop their skills and help guide them.

Investment Manager

After several years of outperformance as a senior analyst, you may be promoted to this position. Here you will oversee the investments, buying and selling securities when the data your team gives you indicates it’s time to do so.

You will monitor the performance of investments, adjusting them based on your client’s wants and needs.

Senior Investment Manager

If you have a good track record as an investment manager, you could be promoted to this position. The duties and responsibilities will mostly be the same as previously, but you would be overseeing a more considerable amount of money.

Investment Manager Salary

The salary will be based on a few different factors; these include:

SkillEducationEmployerExperienceCertificationAnd location

Research from salary.com shows the average salary for an investment manager is $132,029. The salary pay range will typically fall between $90,000 and $152,000 under normal circumstances. They will sometimes get paid based on a percentage of the assets they are managing or charge by the hour.

They can sometimes earn additional compensation when their portfolios are outperforming, depending on how the pay structure is set up. High-performers can make +170,000 in annual wages.

According to the U.S Bureau Of Labor Statistics, financial managers are in high demand, and jobs are expected to grow by 15 percent by 2029. This is much higher than the average job growth rate of 4 percent.

Qualifications

To become an investment manager, you will need to possess at least a bachelor’s degree in a related study such as finance, economics, business, or accounting. On top of that, many employers will look for applicants who have a master’s degree and especially a master’s in business administration (MBA).

To qualify, you must also have expert level knowledge of investment concepts and strategies like

Risk ManagementEquity AnalysisAsset AllocationAsset AllocationAsset Allocation is the process of investing your money in various asset classes such as debt, equity, mutual funds, and real estate, depending on your return expectations and risk tolerance. This makes it easier to achieve your long-term financial goals.read morePortfolio StrategyData Analysis

Even though it isn’t required, candidates can also consider obtaining the Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) designation from the Association of Government Accountants (AGA). The working professionals in the investment management industry may also be required to register with the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission, to manage certain assets.

Or, if you have been working in the field for at least three years, you can become a Certified Financial Planner and attain the certification that way. Different employers may require additional certifications to work for their particular company.

In most cases, employers will require at least 3 – 5 years of experience in a relevant field like accounting, financial analysisFinancial AnalysisFinancial analysis is an analysis of finance-related projects/activities, company’s financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, and notes to accounts) or financial ratios to evaluate the company’s results, performance, and trends, which is useful for making significant decisions such as investment, project planning and financing activities.read more, or security sales.