Financial Solutions Advisor – Advisor Development Program (Centralized Segment)

Job Description

About the Job: Financial Solutions Advisor – Advisor Development Program (Centralized Segment)

Merrill Wealth Management is a preeminent global provider of comprehensive wealth management and investment products and services, serving individuals, companies, and institutions. As one of the largest businesses of its kind, Merrill specializes in goals-based wealth management, offering expert advice and guidance for crucial life goals such as retirement, education, and legacy planning.

Our Financial Advisors and Wealth Management Client Associates are dedicated to helping clients pursue their envisioned lives through personalized relationships and a commitment to their needs. We prioritize trust through transparency, equipping our advisory teams with access to Merrill’s robust investment insights complemented by the banking convenience of Bank of America.

Merrill fosters an in-office culture with specific attendance requirements, balanced with an appropriate level of flexibility tailored to role-specific considerations. We empower our teammates to bring their whole selves to work, valuing diversity in thought, business, and among our employees and clients. Our Wealth Management team thrives on an array of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, ideas, and experiences, cultivating a work community that is culture-driven, resilient, results-focused, and highly effective.

Your Journey as a Financial Solutions Advisor

As a Financial Solutions Advisor within the centralized segment of the Advisor Development Program, your career journey begins with comprehensive support to obtain your required Securities Industry licenses. You will receive dedicated and personalized classes for your Securities Industry Essentials (SIE), Series 7, and Series 66 Exams.

Upon successful licensure, you will be meticulously taught the foundational skills essential for an advisor. This includes mastering the art of acquiring, building, and managing client relationships, understanding complex financial pictures, and guiding clients with tailored advice and solutions to help them achieve their best financial lives, all while humanizing financial interactions. Following this foundational training, you will officially join the centralized team as a Financial Solutions Advisor.

The Centralized Financial Solutions Advisor Role

Financial Solutions Advisors (FSA) in the centralized segment are phone-based licensed advisors (requiring Series 7 and Series 66). In this role, you will provide clients with holistic financial advice and guidance by identifying broader product and service solutions that encompass their investment, savings, and liability management needs. FSAs demonstrate profound knowledge of investments and financial markets, applying key principles appropriate to each individual client’s investment profile. Additionally, you will strategically align Merrill and Bank of America products and services where appropriate.

We are committed to equipping you with everything necessary as you progress through the stages of development and advance towards a Merrill Financial Advisor role. During this developmental stage, you will receive essential training and guidance through a defined path to become the financial advisor you aspire to be. You will engage with both affluent and high net worth clients, identifying their needs, developing strong relationships, reviewing investment goals, and preparing investment recommendations that align with the objectives of both existing and prospective clients.

Once you have honed your skills and demonstrated success as an FSA, you will typically progress into the next stage of training and development as a Merrill Financial Solutions Advisor (MFSA). This progression within the Advisor Development Program offers a clear and structured path to a fulfilling career within Merrill Wealth Management.

The Academy will be your unwavering support system, offering dedicated programs, tools, and resources throughout every stage of your career journey.

Key Support and Development

• Build a successful career at Bank of America through world-class training and onboarding programs designed for success.
• Receive training and one-on-one coaching from Academy managers who are deeply invested in your success.
• Grow your business knowledge by employing a defined consultative approach with clients to systematically identify needs and appropriate solutions.
• Earn your Security Industry Essentials (SIE), Series 7, and Series 66 licenses (Series 63 & 65 accepted in lieu of 66) through structured lessons and dedicated study time. You must obtain your SIE within 60 days of being hired and your Series 7 & 66 within 120 days – these are critical requirements for the role.
• Build your professional network. Starting at a financial center, you’ll interact with banking customers, small business owners, and higher net worth clients, leveraging our relationships with one out of two households in the U.S. to help grow your business.
• Provide end-to-end comprehensive advice, deliver client reviews/presentations with confidence, and recommend strategies to help clients achieve their financial goals and life priorities.
• Collaborate with core banking and investment partners, connecting clients to the full spectrum of solutions provided through Bank of America and Merrill to meet virtually all of their financial needs.

Benefits and Opportunities in the Advisor Development Program

As an Advisor Development Program Financial Solutions Advisor in the centralized segment, you can look forward to:

• Unlimited potential for financial growth.
• A strong referral base from across the business through our relationship with one in every two households.
• Managing a portfolio of clients by providing exceptional client care with industry-leading products, services, and education.
• Robust marketing support to reach wider audiences with greater appeal.
• Ongoing professional development to deepen your skills and optimize your practice as the industry evolves and changes.
• Opportunities to connect with experts including small business consultants, mortgage lenders, and investment advisors.

Our Culture

We are a culture that:

• Believes in responsible growth and has a proven dedication to supporting the communities we serve.
• Provides continuous training and developmental opportunities to help people achieve their goals, whatever their background or experience.
• Believes diversity makes us stronger, enabling us to reflect, connect to, and meet the diverse needs of our clients and customers around the world.
• Is committed to advancing our tools, technology, and ways of working, always prioritizing our clients to meet their evolving needs.

Required Qualifications:

• Displays confidence working in a sales role.
• Builds strong client relationships through effective communication and collaboration.
• Displays a proactive mindset and effective time management.
• Demonstrates a results-driven mindset and prioritizes client interests.
• Identifies appropriate client solutions through application of learnings and new information.
• Applies relevant regulatory due diligence in daily activities and creating long-term client strategies.

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and/or a minimum of one year of financial services industry or sales experience.
• Learns and adapts to new technology or applications.
• Executes multiple tasks simultaneously.

Important Regulatory Information:

This position is subject to SAFE Act registration requirements. Pursuant to the SAFE Act requirements, all employees engaged in residential loan mortgage originations must register with the federal registry system and remain in good standing. Since this position requires SAFE Act registration, employees are required to register and to submit to the required SAFE Act background check and registration process. Failure to obtain and/or maintain SAFE Act registration may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Shift: 1st shift (United States of America)

Hours Per Week: 40