Finance Job Listings

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Investing Markets Historical Economics Boom & Bust Cycle Stocks Stock Quotes Interactive Charts Options Commodities Bonds Mutual Funds Futures Swaps Derivatives Hedge Funds Real Estate Precious Metals Forex Day Trading Stock Screener Present Value Valuing Bonds Common Stocks Net Present Value Options Trading Valuing Options Banking System Money Credit Management Credit Score Loans Compound Interest Credit Cards Mortgages Insurance Regulation Securities Law Credit Issuance Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Uniform Commercial Code Small Business Law Accounting Law Financial Crime Activity Reporting FACTA

Online Tests – Free Practice!

This section offers practice business management tests in a variety of topics. Each of the following multiple-choice tests has 10 questions to work on. No sign-up required, just straight to the test.

Management Tests

Business Management – Test 1
Business Management – Test 2
Business Management – Test 3

Finance – Test 1
Finance – Test 2

Corporations
Debt Financing
Valuation
Project Analysis
Cost of Capital

Investments

Stock Trading
Behavioral Finance
Options – Test 1
Options – Test 2

Financial Ratios
Bond valuation
Present Value

Financial Analysis
Risk and Return
Portfolio Theory

Current Job Openings in Finance

As the economy improves, many firms are beginning to hire, such as at the global investment banks, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank. Another place to find an investment banking job is at asset management companies and private equity firms. Seek out summer internships through your school, to gain critical experience and recommendations prior to graduation. Successfully landing a job will depend on implementing a financial job search strategy. There are too many candidates competing against you to think you can just send out resumes. Companies are in need of strategic candidates that can fill a particular job position. In order to give a hiring manager a positive impression, learn in-depth financial information about their firm before seeking a formal job interview.

Set up an introductory meeting to ask a handful of questions about the firm’s history, and current business opportunities. A hand written thank-you note is virtually required. Stay in touch with your interviewer. They are watching for those candidates who are trying harder than others, and you are purposefully trying to differentiate yourself. A good impression in the early stages, along with a follow-up, can give you a solid edge in the financial job search process. Do not underestimate the power of your school’s alumni network. Financial hiring managers are using targeted job sites because the generic job boards produce too many unqualified applicants. Although the large job boards like Monster.com may have millions of jobs available, your interest is in a very small subset of those open positions. Since it’s going to take a lot of your time, and effort, to land a job in finance, new college graduates should concentrate on interviewing for positions in line with their long-term goals.


There are several credentials that finance professionals must possess to begin working. If you are planning to break into finance as a broker, you’ll need a Series 7 license, as well as a Series 63 license. These will allow you to sell stocks, bonds, and other securities in those states that your firm is registered in. For those that wish to work as equity traders, this field requires a Series 55 license.

Finance Courses Online

Finance and Capital Markets

Compound Interest, Debt

Personal Finance

Entrepreneurship

Accounting

Accounting, Financial Statements

Basics of Taxation

Stocks and Bonds

Investing, Insurance, and Retirement

Mortgage Financing

Price Inflation

Money, and the Banking System

Options, Swaps, Futures, and Derivatives

 
Office Software Packages

Quick Start Excel for Beginners
Free
by Jennifer Bailey, Experienced off-line and on-line tutor
6.6K students 362 active students (41 Reviews)


Intro to Microsoft Excel 2013
Free
by Simon Sez IT, Software training to help you succeed
5.6K students 280 active students (17 Reviews)


Learn and Record Excel Macros
Free
by Nurture Tech Academy, Microsoft Office Specialist
4.4K students 164 active students (13 Reviews)

Accounting Courses Online

Financial Accounting

Managerial Accounting

Financial Markets

Economic and Financial Crises

Investing Basics – Motley Fool

Financial Statements

IRS – federal income tax tables and forms

Sister States Tax Directory – state tax forms, publications and information

US Tax Code Online – complete text of the US Tax Code

Yahoo! Tax Center – tax explanations, tips on reducing taxes, and tax forms

Starting Your Own Business

MIT Entrepreneurs case studies of successful start-up companies by MIT alumni.

How to Write a Business Plan

The Art of Negotiation

Launch a Successful Startup Company

Zero-Cost Marketing Strategies

Online Marketing

Financial Management Courses Online

Sample Resumes – write an effective resume, and prepare for an interview

Series-7.com – stockbroker training and exam resources

CNN Money – business news

Bloomberg – financial market coverage

MBA Programs – world-wide directory of MBA programs

Reuters.com – financial news

SEC – Securities and Exchange

Data Libraries – beyond Google: invisible and comprehensive data resources

Stock Market Game – real-time trading simulation

Wall Street Executive Library – business reference

Liquidity Ratios: Acid Test

Liquidity ratios are used to help assess whether a business has sufficient cash or equivalent current assets to be able to pay its debts as they fall due within the year. A business that finds that it does not have the cash to settle its debts becomes insolvent. The formula for the acid test ratio is Current Assets minus Inventory, divided by Liabilities. The reason is that not all assets can liquidated into cash at fair market value. Notably, raw materials and large inventories of product must first be sold, and then cash collected from debtor accounts.

The Acid Test Ratio, sometimes also called the Quick Ratio, adjusts the Current Ratio to eliminate those current assets that are not already in cash form. An acid test ratio of over 1.0 is good news; the business is well-placed to be able to pay its debts even if it cannot turn inventories into cash. Care has to be taken when interpreting the acid test ratio. The value of inventory that a business needs to hold will vary considerably. For example, you wouldn’t expect a law firm to carry inventory, but a major supermarket carries a large dollar value of inventory at any given time.

Investing Basics

Many analytic jobs involve developing views, writing reports, and disseminating them to the public or clients. ‘Quants,’ on the other hand, work behind the scenes, developing mathematical models to assist analysts in their predictions. Computer programmers and math majors may find a rewarding career in finance. A quant can earn tremendous sums of money, if a talented individual is able to build software or mathematical models that outperform the market on a regular basis. These jobs consist of looking for patterns in data, watching for market trends based on underlying economic or psychological factors, then forecasting market movements.

Along more traditional lines, NASDAQ offers a wealth of securities’ investing tutorials, and live streams of data from it’s online network of websites, headquartered at Nasdaq.com. At a minimum, browse their stock screener and financial analysis pages. Below, find links directly to Nasdaq pages, offering updated interactive charts, volume trading, summary quotes, and IPO disclosures.

Stocks Options Commodities Bonds Forex Mutual Funds Broker Comparison Investing Tools

Stock Quotes Summary Quotes Basic Charts Interactive Charts Most Active Unusual Volume 52 Week High/Low Upgrades

Company News Stock Reports Financials Revenue EPS Analyst Research Stock Screener IPO Summary

Credit Card Interest, Credit Scores

Student credit cards are easy to obtain via an online application, but monthly payments can be difficult to manage. As with most credit cards, the interest rates may be high, and there may be an annual fee to pay. Beyond this, however, be aware that the credit card company can raise your interest rates if you are late on even one payment. Student credit cards should be used as a last resort if you need to buy a computer for school, and have a steady job, or other regular income to pay off the credit card in full within a few months. You can get a free credit report online, or check your credit score at one of the ‘Big 3’ Credit Bureaus, Transunion, Experian, or Equifax.

Build your credit with a secured credit card for students. There are no application fees or activation fees, and the credit line varies, from $300-$4,900. Your maximum credit line is based on your income as well as the amount of your security deposit. Given that you make the minimum payment monthly, your credit history and credit card account information will be shared with all three major credit bureaus. After 12 months, your security deposit may be returned if your payment history has been excellent. Apply now for a secured credit card from Bank of America, or an American Express credit card.

You can improve your credit score dramatically by securing credit cards, and then simply not using your credit line. Your credit score is a ratio of your total available credit to the amount of debt that you carry. For example, if you get more credit cards, and don’t use the credit, your available credit has increased, but your debt load has remained constant. Banks and credit unions naturally offer the easiest credit to the borrowers who need it least, and have strict employment and earnings requirements. You may also be asked to list your assets, or seek a co-signer, if you don’t have sufficient income to qualify for a credit card on your own.

When applying for a credit card like the Wells Fargo Platinum Visa credit card, note that many cards promote no annual fee for the first year, but then hit you with a high annual fee in following years. You can also incur fees by taking out a cash advance, which is usually charged back at a higher interest rate, if not paid in full within the same billing period. You are told that you can get cash back on certain purchases, but no-one mentions that the interest charges over time may be higher in fact, than your savings. In addition, there are hidden transaction fees, and charges for using your credit card overseas. Using your credit card to buy things you don’t really need, or to get cash advances, is just not smart financial planning. There are better ways to get the extra money that you need.

Financial Job Descriptions

The firm that hires you may sponsor fees for required licenses, but exams are difficult and will require preparation. Analysts are required to pass the Series 16 supervisory analyst exam, which permits distribution of analytical reports. Further, analysts may take the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam.

Hedge funds are well-known for taking on greater risk, focusing on very high returns. Hedge funds have few restrictions on how they can invest, so your job security rests squarely on your ability to earn above-market returns. In order to prove yourself in this highly-competitive field, expect very long hours, and high stress. Large firms manage a variety of asset classes, while boutique firms focus on a particular market niche, such as small-cap stocks or high-yield bonds. While hedge funds and money managers buy and sell securities, private equity firms purchase entire corporations, seeking to either resell the companies outright, or take them public. Your job duties may include analyzing potential purchases, negotiating deals, raising financing, or working directly on portfolio profitability.

Real estate firms attempt to either develop new real estate projects or purchase existing projects. Finance jobs at a real estate company include working as a financing specialist, analyst or deal manager. Institutional investment managers invest money for a pension fund, sovereign wealth fund, or an insurance company, in an effort to generate returns over time. Your role may be that of an investment analyst, portfolio manager or currency trader.

Banks are at the heart of the finance industry, financing trade or infrastructure deals, and managing the money of wealthy people. The range of careers in banking is enormous, and often includes beginning as a teller, or accountancy, then working up into branch management or corporate positions. Work is available in specialist areas such as insurance, lending, foreign currency, investment management, trade finance, and financial control. Investment banks give strategic advice to corporations, provide corporate financing, and trade in stocks, bonds, and other securities, often using automated, high-speed trading software. One of the primary functions of investment banks is raising capital. This function falls upon the underwriting department. Bankers in the underwriting department specialize either in debt underwriting or equity. Private equity jobs can be found within an investment bank but most are found at specialist firms. Some of the largest private equity firms include Blackstone, KKR and TPG.

 

Finance Program Rankings – Undergraduate

Beyond preparing you for graduate programs in business, studying finance can open doors for you in the fields of investment banking, securities analysis, and business start-ups.

1. Stanford University – Stanford, CA  2. University of Chicago – Chicago, IL  3. University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, PA  4. New York University (NYU) – New York, NY  5. Princeton University – Princeton, NJ  6. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, MI  7. Duke University – Durham, NC  8. University of Texas Austin – Austin, TX  9. Northwestern University – Evanston, IL 10. Boston College – Chestnut Hill, MA 11. Carnegie Mellon University – Pittsburgh, PA 12. Michigan State University – East Lansing, MI 13. Penn State University – State College, PA 14. Purdue University – West Lafayette, IN 15. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – Champaign, IL 16. University of North Carolina (UNC) – Chapel Hill, NC 17. University of Southern California (USC) – Los Angeles, CA 18. University of Wisconsin – Madison, WI 19. Georgetown University – Washington, DC 20. University of Oregon – Eugene, OR 21. Indiana University – Bloomington, IN 22. Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore, MD 23. Rutgers University – Camden, NJ 24. University of California San Diego (UCSD) – La Jolla, CA 25. University of Florida – Gainesville, FL 26. University of Maryland – College Park, MD 27. University of Virginia – Charlottesville, VA 28. Brigham Young University – Provo, UT 29. City University of New York (CUNY) – New York, NY 30. Iowa State University – Ames, IA     Source: US News, Forbes, and Bloomberg