AVP - Associate Advisor

About the job 

About Litman Gregory and iM Global Partner 

Founded in 1987 and based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Litman Gregory offers its services to individuals, families, and endowment and foundation organizations. Now a part of iM Global Partner, a worldwide asset management network, Litman Gregory Wealth Management benefits from a global network of professionals in 16 locations worldwide. Our relationships are built on trust, respect, and integrity and our research services are driven by strong asset allocation and manager selection expertise.   

Excellence and quality are core to our values, and our team of people is focused on client-centered service and collaborative connections.  We believe that ‘Performance is born out of people’ and that is clearly the case for our team of hard-working, motivated employees. We are growing fast, and as we grow, so will you. We believe that our company provides an important opportunity for people to expand their skill set and make their mark.  

We have very high standards for our work and our investments are for the long term. This philosophy is reflected in our hiring process. We work hard to find the right fit and as a result we have a team of high performing, motivated and creative individuals. 

The role 

We are seeking a team-oriented Associate Advisor to join our Wealth Management business. Your chief responsibilities will be to support the day-to-day client service, wealth management, financial and goal planning, and marketing activities of our Advisors within Litman Gregory Wealth Management. Working as part of a cohesive, client-focused team, the successful candidate builds strong relationships with clients, colleagues, and affiliates to deliver exceptional, customized service that matches each client’s financial situation and goals with Litman Gregory’s full range of wealth management services. Litman Gregory provides comprehensive wealth management to high-net-worth individuals, families, endowments, foundations, and retirement plans. 

Essential Duties 

• Prepare client and prospective-client materials including letters, reports, requests for proposal (RFP)s, presentations, spreadsheets, etc.  
• Prepare financial projections, including communicating with clients and other financial professionals to collect necessary financial information 
• Prepare summaries, charts, graphs, tables or other visual aids that support client understanding 
• Prepare preliminary financial planning recommendations and review product solutions for advisor review and use in client meetings 
• Support preparation work for client investment recommendations 
• Prepare trades to align with proposed portfolio strategy decisions for advisor review and approval 
• Research, analyze, and summarize suggestions for prospects and clients’ accounts and asset types  
• Research client-specific issues (e.g. tax planning issues such as Roth-IRA conversions, charitable gifts of appreciated property, portfolio allocation questions, etc.) 
• Support client and prospective-client meeting scheduling, preparation, and follow-up 
• Review and update client information as needed for client review meetings, including recording client meeting notes and suitability notes in CRM 
• Assist with preparation and maintenance of meeting agendas, recording of follow-up to-do items, and following through on agreed next steps 
• Attend client and prospective-client meetings as appropriate  
• Communicate with clients, in support of the assigned advisor, on financial planning, wealth management, and investment concepts and strategies 
• Communicate with other professionals, such as clients’ tax advisors, estate planners, insurance agents, in support of the assigned advisor, to help coordinate a collaborative wealth management process for the client 
• Facilitate client-specific tasks with Advisors, Client Services, Operations, and Compliance 

Over time the Associate Advisor is expected to develop expert knowledge in: 

• The application of investment concepts, such as asset allocation, and diversification 
• All forms of equity and bond investments, such as mutual funds and separate accounts, as well as forms of alternative investments, such as private vehicles and hedge funds  
• Financial planning, tax planning, insurance planning, and estate planning techniques 
• Electronic systems and transaction procedures, such as accessing portfolio accounting, custodian account information and requests, portfolio software, trading platform, etc. 
• Registered investment advisor (RIA) compliance and regulatory issues 
• Communicating the basics of strategic planning ideas and suggestions for wealth planning and investment management to clients with a varied levels of knowledge and a variety of communication styles 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree preferred 
• Minimum of 2 years of related professional experience 
• CFP® or CFA® preferred 
• Knowledge of wealth management industry and financial planning relevant software preferred 
• Familiarity of financial planning issues and concepts including those for accumulators, in retirement, experiencing liquidity events, taxable estates, generating cash flow, etc. preferred 
• Familiarity with various aspects of portfolio management including asset allocation, manager due diligence, traditional and non-traditional asset classes, passive vs. active investing, sustainable (ESG) investing, etc. preferred 

Location 

This role may be based out of our Larkspur, CA or Walnut Creek, CA offices 

Litman Gregory and iM Global Partner are equal opportunity employers. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Litman Gregory and iM Global Partner encourage applications from people of all races, religions, national origins, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and ages, as well as veterans and individuals with disabilities. 

If you are ready to join a team focused on excellence and ready to reap the rewards that come with it, then we invite you to apply with your resume and a short cover letter to recruiter@lgam.com