Financial Paraplanner

Overview:

We are seeking a highly skilled and dedicated Financial Planning Paraplanner to join the team at Trail Financial Planning (AKA Trail FP). The paraplanner will manage the central hub of a client’s planning - the Annual Renewal Meetings, also known as the ARM. Our ideal person will also act as the “Director of pro-activity,” supporting clients and advisors as they prepare for, engage in, and reflect on an inspiring financial planning experience

Responsibilities:

• Schedule meetings with individual clients
• Prepare internal meeting notes and draft versions of client-facing notes
• Update the financial planning software and analyze client information
• Participate in meetings as a note-taker
• Prepare internal meeting notes and draft versions of client-facing notes
• Manage advisor and client follow-up work and activities
• Manage the flow of meeting preparation for all clients of Trail FP
• The position is a dedicated support position to the clients and advisors of Trail Financial Planning.

Compensation:

• $50,000 - $60,000/year depending on experience (W2 position)
• Time: 40 hours/week
• Benefits:
• Flexible time off 
• 3-4 weeks per year paid time off
• Health Care comp: $300/month to each full-time employee of Trail FP
• Retirement Plan: 401k plan with employer matching (100% of 1st 3% of employee contributions, 50% of the next 2%)
• All benefits begin after 6-months of employment

Schedule:

• Working hours are during the regular work week (M-F, 8-5). There may be some work (client meetings) that extend past 5:00 PM. Attendance at those meetings will be encouraged, but not mandatory.

Location:

• The work will be an in-person role in Bellingham, WA. Some work may be done remotely based on conversations with your supervisor.

Time off:

• The Trail FP calendar is flexible. Time off is scheduled and agreed upon ahead of time.

• Experience in a financial advisory/paraplanning role is preferred

• Experience in a professional setting (whether physical or virtual) is preferred
• Bachelor’s degree (any major) is required
• Candidate Skills and Competencies
• Financial Literacy. General familiarity with personal finance concepts.
• Analytical Skills. Ability to interpret and analyze financial documents such as a paycheck, an investment account statement, or an insurance policy.
• Software Experience. Some familiarity with financial planning software is preferred. We use Right Capital as our primary planning software
• Communication skills: A desire to use your strong verbal and written communication skills
• Record-keeping: An appreciation for the importance of tracking all thinking.
• Systems: An appreciation for good systems to manage a complex set of tasks. The ideal candidate would have experience in designing or refining such systems.
• Attitude and Values
• Humility: You are willing to ask for assistance.
• Team-work: You appreciate working with others towards a common goal. We like the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
• Non-judgmental: Trail FP believes in people. People all have their own stories and motivations. We seek to first understand people, and assume the best intentions. We expect all members of the Trail FP team to interact with others in such a fashion.

Trail Financial Planning LLC (TrailFP) is a fee-only financial planning/investment management firm. We believe that money should support great living and great lives, and not the other way around. Our service is called “Financial Life Planning.” We specialize in working with those from the helping professions such as therapists, teachers, firefighters, and medical professionals.

John Chesbrough CFP® and Elizabeth Snyder CFP® co-founded Trail FP in 2017. John and Liz are lead planners. Kim Miller, our Client Services Associate, joined our team in 2021. Our firm currently serves about 90 individuals and families. Our clients are primarily located in Bellingham, WA, although we serve clients around the world.

For more information about Trail FP or to apply for this position, please visit our website at www.trailfp.com.