How To Become An Investment Accountant: Degree & Career Guide

Have you ever found yourself in a position to invest, for any reason, but you had no idea where to invest, or even where to begin looking for investment opportunities? Investing can be tricky because it is a risk to some extent, and with money being such a scarce and valuable resource, you never want to put yourself at risk for investment fraud.

Luckily, investment accountants are there to assist you in creating a varied investment portfolio which they pay close attention to in order to monitor performance.

To become an investment accountant, you would need to obtain your bachelor's degree, gain direct work experience, obtain a graduate qualification, Obtain your CPA, and obtain your state license. It is then that you would be able to fulfill the role of an investment accountant.

Read along to find out everything you need to know about this field of study and how to successfully fulfill the role of an investment accountant.

What Is An Investment Accountant?

When you choose to invest in stocks or bonds or any other financial entity, you will need someone to manage your investment portfolio. Essentially, this person will manage, track, and com=pile reports on investments and they will analyze the figures to present them to you in a way that you understand.

They monitor the performance of your investments, and they work with you in managing your investments to ensure the best returns on these investments.

When you decide to engage with an investment accountant, you will provide them with your financial information, you will share with them how much funds you have to invest, and you will tell them what your investment goals are.

With this information and their knowledge and expertise of stocks, bonds, and other investment streams, they will invest your money into one or several investment opportunities that they expect to best meet your financial goals.

They also work closely with you in determining the type of investments you are hoping to get involved with. They assist you in making informed decisions about investments and investment opportunities.

Through their expertise, and by closely monitoring the forecast of an investment or of the greater economy, they are able to provide you with detailed information pertaining to the performance of your investment.

With your permission, they will also alter, adjust, and reinvest your finances to ensure you achieve maximum growth on your investment.

While regular accountants work with all the financial records of a specific institution, investment accountant work specifically with asset management firms.

What Do Investment Accountants Do?

As an investment accountant, you will be required to closely monitor the investment portfolios of your clients. But this is not a duty that is carried out lightly. The investment portfolios for all clients will need to be monitored in relation to state requirements. This means making sure that all portfolios meet tax requirements and are done in a legislatively correct way.

Considering that any interference or involvement of external individuals or organizations can greatly impact investments, it is the duty of the investment accountant to make sure that all third-party involvement is closely monitored. This will ensure that the client's investments do not get compromised in any way.

Additionally, it is important to note that there is good debt and bad debt. Bad debts are things like credit cards and other forms of short-term loans that accumulate exorbitant interest fees. Good debt, on the other hand, which is also known as investment debt, is loans that you take to invest, and that will ultimately grow and lead to greater financial growth.

Investment accountants will monitor the investment debts of an individual or of an organization, and they manage these aspects to ensure the best return for their clients.

Over and above these duties, the main priority of an investment accountant is to provide sound investment advice for their clients to make sure that they yield the best financial results from their investments.

With the intricacies that are involved between investment and tax, investment accountants will take on the responsibility of completing and filing all tax returns and documentation that may pertain to a client's portfolio. They will create and complete tax reports on behalf of their clients.

Steps To Become An Investment Accountant

Step One: Obtain A Bachelor's Degree

Once you have decided that investment accounting is the career you are hoping to follow, You would need to start by obtaining a bachelor's degree, either in accounting, finance, or any related field.

Step Two: Gain Hands-On Experience

Given that the role of an investment accountant is an extremely hands-on role, you will be required to garner the required experience before being in a space where you are fully qualified to fulfill the duties of an investment accountant.

You can gain this experience by obtaining an internship, or you can work toward gaining an entry-level role whereby you will work under the supervision of an experienced investment accountant, and you will gain insight into applying your acquired knowledge from your degree into practice.

Step Three: Become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

The next step on the path to becoming an investment accountant is taking the CPA exam. This will qualify you to become an investment accountant and through the rigorous exam process, your knowledge of accounting processes will be tested. Once you pass your CPA, you will then be certified and can assume a role as an investment accountant.

Step Four: Obtain Your License

Once you are a CPA, you can then apply for your state license so that you are able to practice as an investment accountant in your particular state. It is important to remember that for both your CPA and your licensure application, you need to know what the state requirements are. This will ensure that you meet all requirements before registering for your certification and your license.

Step Five: Consider A Higher Degree

While it is not deemed a necessity to obtain a higher degree, many candidates consider applying for a graduate degree program once they have completed all the necessary components for fulfilling their career.

A graduate degree program usually leads candidates to have greater opportunities for career growth and upward mobility.

How Much Does An Investment Accountant Earn?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), accountants and auditors earn a median annual salary of $77,250, and they can expect to earn a median hourly rate of $37.14.

What Skills Do You Need To Be An Investment Accountant?

In addition to having the necessary skills to be an investment accountant such as having a keen sense and understanding of numbers and the ability to execute financial reports, as well as having a deep knowledge of investment protocols and state laws, you would need to be able to effectively communicate with clients.

You need to have the ability to explain investment processes and policies to them effectively and assist them in making the best investment decisions.

FAQs

What Is The Job Outlook For Investment Accountants?

According to the BLS, there is an expected employment growth of 6% over the next decade.

What Degree Do You Need To Become An Investment Accountant?

At the very least, you would require a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or business administration. You can choose to further your education by pursuing a master's degree, but this is not always necessary.

How Long Does It Take To Become An Investment Accountant?

Considering the length of time, it takes to earn your bachelor's degree, your CPA, and apply for your license, it would take between six to eight years to become an investment accountant.

Conclusion

Investments are a fascinating aspect of finances, and if you find this as a source of fascination and if you want to help people grow their financial portfolio, perhaps this is the field for you. With a unique combination of understanding law, finances, and people, this career path is guaranteed to yield great future growth – as an investment accountant would say.