Financial services encompass a broad range of jobs and career paths. The industry is large and diverse, with thousands of employers, including many community-based nonprofits that offer counseling or money management advice. However, many financial services companies are for-profit ventures. Therefore, you should consider carefully what a job in this sector will do for your career plans and your personal finances before making a commitment to work in this industry.
Some of the biggest names in financial services are investment banks and hedge funds, but there’s also a lot of other jobs within this sector. From small community banks to credit card issuers, there are lots of different ways to get involved in the industry.
While the financial services industry includes many different sectors, there are some key concepts that all employees should understand. Financial services providers help channel cash from savers to borrowers and investors, and redistribute risk. For example, banks pool depositors’ money and share the risk of lending it to borrowers so they’re not crippled by bad loans.
They can also offer advice on investing, and provide debt resolution or other consumer services. In addition, they operate the infrastructure of financial markets and payment systems. Examples include stock and derivative exchanges, clearing houses, and real-time gross settlement systems. Financial services providers are regulated to ensure that they treat consumers fairly and provide clear documents, and they must report suspicious activity to prevent financial crimes such as fraud and money laundering.