What Does a Financial Assistant Do?

A financial assistant can perform a variety of jobs, often working under the direction of a financial professional. Assistants are there to handle the daily tasks that are time-consuming for the financial professional and to help their superiors be more productive. Where assistants work and who they work under will dictate what types of things they do. Here are a few examples of typical duties.

Helping With Finance and Data Input

Financial assistants collect data from market and business trends, along with data from expense and banking reports. They do this regularly so all account balances are up to date and so their advisers and accountants can watch daily spending, trends and profits. They are asked to pull this information at any time.

The assistant needs training to be knowledgeable with the software the company uses so all information is accurate. This takes concentration and attention to detail, especially when calculating account balances.

Creating Reports

The financial assistant may generate reports for customers, the assistant’s advisers, shareholders in the company and others. These could be weekly, monthly and annual reports that show the productivity, finances and other information about the company or about specific accounts that are needed at any time for review. These could range from single-page reports with totals to expense reports with pages of transactions.

Filing and Storing Financial Records

The financial assistant could be in charge of storing and filing all the financial records and information, either manually or digitally. All the data also may need to be backed up and saved regularly. They may also be in charge of other paperwork, along with sorting through company emails and mail.

Performing Regular Assistant Duties

There are a variety of assistant duties financial assistants may have to perform that are not directly related to finance. They may need to answer the telephones in the office, direct calls, listen to voice mail and take messages. Setting appointments, planning events and catering for the company, and stocking the break room are some other responsibilities they may have.

The assistant may have to perform tasks that are out of their normal office duties. For instance, if the assistant is in charge of shipping packages, signing for packages and getting clients or customers that come into the building something to drink, that assistant will have to help with these tasks so that his supervisor does not have to worry about them.

A financial assistant will often work the same hours as the financial professionals who supervise them during the work week. If you are interested in the field of finance and you are considering becoming an assistant, you may want to meet with more than one assistant to see what they do. This can help you determine if the position would be a good match for you.

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