Ongoing Opportunities

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The Asset Management and the Financial Planning Divisions are equally important to GFM. The career paths in both divisions have been designed to parallel each other. In this way, an employee should see no long-term benefit of working in either the Asset Management or the Financial Planning Division. Therefore, new and potential employees should consider their professional interests as opposed to advancement potential when considering which division they might want to work within.

Accounts Specialist:

This is the entry level in our Asset Management Division. This candidate will have some college training and usually a four-year degree in business. Without a business degree, three to five years of clerical or administrative experience would be necessary. This person should have typing skills and an ability to work with Microsoft computer programs such as Excel, Word, Access, and Power Point.

The Accounts Specialist downloads data from various sources on a daily basis. That data is then filtered through our computer system in order to produce accurate reports for Client portfolios. The Accounts Specialist also places trades for the portfolios based upon the instructions given by the Portfolio Manager or other Asset Management staff. This position has some telephone contact when the Clients call into the office and might have some incidental contact when helping Clients fill out paperwork or when opening new accounts.

This position does not require any sales contacts or collection calls. The tasks are generally routine in their structure; however, attention to detail is extremely important. Good math skills are required. This Accounts Specialist would be invited to take the Paraplanner course through the College of Financial Planning within the first year or two of their employment. The salary range for this position is $25,000 to $35,000.

Senior Accounts Specialist:

This is the second level in our Asset Management Division. This candidate will usually have a four-year degree in business. The Senior Accounts Specialist has the same role and job description as the Accounts Specialist. The Senior Accounts Specialist is expected to handle more complicated issues and have more Client contact. The Senior Accounts Specialist is also given special projects where a bigger picture understanding of our firm is necessary.

This position does not require any sales contacts or collection calls. The tasks are generally routine in their structure; however, attention to detail is extremely important. Good math skills are required. This Senior Accounts Specialist is expected to have passed the Paraplanner course and may be working on the CFP designation. The salary range for this position is $30,000 to $45,000.

An Accounts Specialist may be promoted to Senior Accounts Specialist after at least two years of experience with GFM or four years of outside experience in a related field.

Portfolio Manager:

This is not a clerical position. This person is expected to identify problems and challenges, develop options and solutions, and implement those solutions. This person must be able to think on his or her own and enjoy the multi-level challenges of the investment world and then be able to communicate those decisions to a Client.

An individual with a four-year degree will fill the Portfolio Manager position. Advanced degrees are preferred: MBA, CPA, CFA. The Portfolio Manager would be expected to have or be enrolled in the CPF designation course work. We view ourselves as primarily a financial planning firm. All new Clients begin with some type of financial plan. Therefore, this position (and higher positions in the Asset Management Division) must have an understanding and working knowledge of financial planning.

The Portfolio Manager will have a minimum of five years of experience in the investment world. Our preference is that this experience will have been in a capacity working with Clients on a face-to-face basis. Some responsibility for past investment decisions and performance will be necessary.

The Portfolio Manager will be trained in the Asset Management operations and will have some responsibility over the Accounts Specialist and Senior Accounts Specialist. The Portfolio Manager will also assist with research on mutual funds, fixed income assets, and equity assets. The Portfolio Manager will sit in on the Investment Committee and will instrumental to the Committee’s decisions to change investments in the Clients’ portfolios. This person will also assist with developing our Client presentations for current and prospective Clients.

The Portfolio Manager will also be responsible for helping to maintain our reputation and good will in the community, and eventually meeting with new Clients.

The Portfolio Manager is expected to evolve and grow into the next position – which is Relationship Manager.

The compensation for this position is based upon salary with excellent employee benefits. There are no quotas for production, sales, or retention. The salary range is $40,000 to $60,000 depending upon experience.

Relationship Manager:

This person will possess all of the experience and knowledge of the Portfolio Manager. The Relationship Manager is expected to have or be working towards an advanced degree or designation; CFP, CFA, MBA, JD, CPA.

The Relationship Manager will have a minimum of five years of experience in the investment world. Our preference is that this experience will have been in a capacity working with Clients on a face-to-face basis. Some responsibility for past investment decisions and performance will be necessary.

The Relationship Manager will sit in on the Investment Committee and will instrumental to the Committee’s decisions to change investments in the Clients’ portfolios. This person will also assist with developing our Client presentations for current and prospective Clients.

The Relationship Manager’s primary responsibility is to maintain our relationships with current Clients by reviewing the portfolios on a scheduled basis, explaining our strategies, determining if Clients’ needs or objectives have changed and implementing any adjustments. This person will also meet with new prospects and referrals.

This person needs to have an outgoing and pleasant personality and a professional appearance. This person needs to be articulate and self-confident.

The Relationship Manager will also be responsible for assisting with new prospect meetings by developing presentations, helping to maintain our reputation and good will in the community, and meeting with new Clients.

The compensation for this position is based upon salary with excellent employee benefits. There are no quotas for production, sales, or retention. The salary range is $50,000 to $80,000 depending upon experience.

Financial Planning Division
All Financial Planning employees spend the first few weeks learning the Asset Management side of the business. Most Financial Planning Clients are also Asset Management Clients.

While we consider ourselves to be primarily a financial planning firm, it is imperative that all financial planning staff members understand the Asset Management operations. Even the entry-level positions in the Financial Planning Division will need to interact and work with the Asset Management programs.

The Director of our Financial Planning Division is Greg Galecki, CFP. Greg is also a shareholder in GFM.

Paraplanner:

This is the entry level in our Financial Planning Division. This candidate will have some college training and usually a four-year degree in business. Without a business degree, three to five years of Paraplanner experience would be necessary. This person should have typing skills and an ability to work with Microsoft computer programs such as Excel, Word, Access, and Power Point.

The Paraplanner gathers Client statements and documents in order to organize them into files and binders for both GFM and the Client. The Paraplanner also begins sorting through the Client’s statements and documents in order to input them into the computer programs that have been written by Greg Galecki.

The Paraplanner also sits in on the Client meetings and takes notes for the Case Writer or Relationship Manager. The Paraplanner is then expected to take those notes and put them into a letter for the Client. The Case Writer or Relationship Manager will edit the letter and add recommendations after the Paraplanner has presented a draft copy.

The Paraplanner has some telephone contact with the Clients when calling to follow up on minor issues (such as receiving statements, copies of tax returns, copies of wills, etc.).

The Paraplanner position does not require any sales contacts. The tasks assigned to the Paraplanner are standard in their concept but require some independent thinking in their application. The standard part of this equation might be the gathering of statements from a Client. However, in application, the Paraplanner would then have to determine whether a particular asset on a Client’s statement is a large-cap growth fund or a small-cap value fund. Of course, we provide many resources for the Paraplanner to make this determination.

Attention to detail is extremely important. Good math skills are required, along with an ability to develop big-picture thinking. The Paraplanner will be invited to take the Paraplanner course through the College of Financial Planning within the first year or two of their employment. The salary range for this position is $25,000 to $35,000.

Senior Paraplanner:

This is the second level in our Financial Planning Division. This candidate will usually have a four-year degree in business. The Senior Paraplanner has the same role and job description as the Paraplanner. The Senior Paraplanner is expected to handle more complicated issues and have more Client contact. The Senior Paraplanner is also given special projects where a bigger picture understanding of our firm is necessary.

This position does not require any sales contacts. The tasks are generally routine in their structure; however, attention to detail is extremely important. Good math skills are required. This Senior Paraplanner is expected to have passed the Paraplanner course and may be working on the CFP designation. The salary range for this position is $30,000 to $45,000.

A Paraplanner may be promoted to Senior Paraplanner after at least two years of experience with GFM or four years of outside experience in a related field.

Case Writer:

This is not a clerical position. This person is expected to identify problems and challenges, develop options and solutions, and implement those solutions. This person must be able to think on his or her own and enjoy the multi-level challenges of the financial world and then be able to communicate those decisions to a Client; usually in written form.

An individual with a four-year degree will fill the Case Writer position. Advanced degrees are preferred: MBA, CPA. The Case Writer is expected to have CFP designation. We view ourselves as primarily a financial planning firm. All new Clients begin with some type of financial plan. Therefore, this position (and higher positions in the Financial Planning Division) must have an understanding and working knowledge of financial planning.

The Case Writer will be trained in the Financial Planning operations and will have some responsibility over the Paraplanner and Senior Paraplanner. The Case Writer will also assist with research on tax and estate issues. This person will also assist with developing our Client presentations for current and prospective Clients.

The Case Writer will also be responsible for helping to maintain our reputation and good will in the community, and eventually meeting with new Clients.

The Case Writer is expected to evolve and grow into the next position – which is Relationship Manager.

The compensation for this position is based upon salary with excellent employee benefits. There are no quotas for production, sales, or retention. The salary range is $40,000 to $60,000 depending upon experience.

Relationship Manager:

This person will possess all of the experience and knowledge of the Case Writer. The Relationship Manager is expected to have or be working towards an advanced degree or designation; CFP, CFA, MBA, JD, CPA.

The Relationship Manager will have a minimum of five years of experience in the financial world. Our preference is that this experience will have been in a capacity working with Clients on a face-to-face basis. Some responsibility for past recommendations will be necessary.

The Relationship Manager will sit in on the Investment Committee and will instrumental to the Committee’s decisions to change investments in the Clients’ portfolios. This person will also assist with developing our Client presentations for current and prospective Clients.

The Relationship Manager’s primary responsibility is to maintain our relationships with current Clients by reviewing their Asset Management portfolios on a scheduled basis, explaining our strategies, determining if Clients’ needs or objectives have changed and implementing any adjustments. This person will also meet with new prospects and referrals.

This person needs to have an outgoing and pleasant personality and a professional appearance. This person needs to be articulate and self-confident.

The Relationship Manager will also be responsible for assisting with new prospect meetings by developing presentations, helping to maintain our reputation and good will in the community, and meeting with new Clients.

The compensation for this position is based upon salary with excellent employee benefits. There are no quotas for production, sales, or retention. The salary range is $50,000 to $80,000 depending upon experience.

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