It has been said a million times that the stock market is not for the faint of heart. Some specialists say that it is made for those individuals who are adrenalin-junkies and seeks for pleasure amidst the commotion and lightning fast action and where huge amounts of money can be made or lost in a blink of an eye. Unfortunately, as mellow-dramatic as it sounds, it is true. That is why a having a sufficient stock broker training program is a must and is direly needed before anybody can get into the crazed and unstable world of the Stock Market.
This article will give you a sneak peak on how the world works in this industry and shed light on the question: exactly how hard does it take to be a stock broker?
Educational Requirements
They say if you ever decide to become a stock broker, you should come prepared for all the nifty surprises and a lot of confusion in the field. A stock broker training certificate is not enough in order to make you a broker. In the entire brokerage field, this is got to be the most demanding when it comes to educational attainment requirements.
Most brokerage firms require an aspirant to be at least a bachelor’s degree holder in finance or economics. A Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in finance can significantly increase your chances of being hired but it is still not an assurance at all. An ongoing and continuous series of trainings, seminars and exams are a must in order to thrive in this field of work. Some of the exams include:
· General Securities Registered Representative Examination (GSRRE Series 7 Exam)
· Uniform Securities Agents State Law Examination (USASL Series 63 Exam)
· Uniform Investment Advisor Law Exam (UIALE Series 65 Exam)
And even if you aced all these requirements and exams, you still need to work as a non-licensed assistant to gather enough industry experience before you are going to be tossed into the “real deal”. An internship program on this field prior to graduation is most likely to be very significant experience and will be considered by the companies for the fact that you already have the basic experience required for this.
Confused why there is such intricate demand for scholastic requirements in order to be considered a stock broker? Perhaps a glimpse of what they do will give you a better understanding.
Scope of Work for Stock Brokers
Simply put, a stock broker will have the power to play around with other people’s money based on trust that they know what they are doing. Brokers are in charge of stock or bond purchases, annuity as well as share purchases of individuals or corporations actively involved in the stock market business.
Although there are certain levels on the extent of what these brokers can do, the most trusted ones and the ones with the biggest risk of them all, the full-service brokers, have the authority to buy or sell stocks, as they deem necessary. It is like giving them the power to make use of whatever the company has, and putting the business at stake on the broker’s hand. This entails great responsibility and experience for the broker, yet it is also the most highly paid job in the industry; the larger your responsibility as a broker is, the higher the compensation.
Some other functions of a stock broker is not only to facilitate trading for investors, but also provide timely advises on their investments primarily on the basis of what the latest updates and trends of the stocks are. As brokers, it is a must to gather and be updated on the current events that will most likely cause a shift on the buy and sell trading prices. This will keep them in step and be able to foresee the possible increase or decrease of stock values.
A lesser amount of responsibility yet equally the same amount of risk is being carried upon by discount brokers. They dwell more in the process of facilitating orders and trade but are not allowed to give advices and recommendations to the owner.
There are also those “execution only” brokers who just wait for the clients to make a decision on either to buy or sell a certain property. They are merely the client’s arm on the trading floor and are not given the authority to make decisions. This is probably the safest job that your stock broker training can get you.
Advantages of hiring a stock broker
Stock brokers bring to the table a lot of experience and expertise with regards to the trades. He has possession of insider tips from the trading floor that even a seasoned investor does not have. He may also have information about the most recent changes and developments in the trading world that has not yet reached the investor. These intangibles can make or break an investor and could spell the difference between winning and losing.
Those who dare not to hire stock brokers will enjoy more financial freedom minus the charges being paid to the brokers. An investor also requires lesser start up money to open his own trading account since brokerage firms put up a minimum amount of starting value before going into the trade. These are all valid advantages but then again the risk of making the wrong and unguided decision will always be there.
Although the stock market promises a good amount of profit in a short span of time, the risk of losing everything will always be there. This is where proper stock broker training will be beneficial. It is always better to come equipped with the necessary tools of the trade before plunging into the action. Remember that you are risking some other people’s money and they have put their trust on your hand to give them financial gains as opposed to losses. It may never be easy, but to those who love challenges, this could be the best of it.