What does an investment accountant do?
An investment accountant is a specialized accountant who works specifically with brokerages and asset management organizations. They usually belong to a larger financial team and help their organization manage client investment portfolios by providing investment-specific accounting services. Investment accountants often work in managerial or supervisory roles and may provide consulting services or financial advice to brokers and managers. Organizations rely on investment accountants to ensure that investments, taxes and reports are processed accurately and in compliance with relevant regulations.
Investment accountant skills and qualifications
A skilled investment accountant should possess skills and qualifications that meet the necessary requirements for the position at your organization, such as:
- Strong mathematical abilities and advanced logic to perform relevant statistical analysis and calculations
- Technology software skills to utilize accounting software to keep track of investments, taxes and other important data and reports
- Analytical and problem-solving skills to assess financial standing and activity and develop optimized financial strategies
- Written and verbal communication skills to share information and strategize financial opportunities with colleagues
- Organization and time management skills to process and monitor large volumes of data and documents on an ongoing basis
- Financial and regulatory knowledge to ensure that investments, taxes and other financial reports are in compliance with relevant regulations
- Attention to detail to ensure that brokers, asset managers and their clients can take advantage of the best investment opportunities
Investment accountant experience requirements
Many organizations prefer hiring investment accountants with experience, but experience levels may range widely for the right hire. Some investment accountants are hired in junior roles and then advance to more senior roles as they demonstrate and develop more advanced accounting skills and experience.
Investment accountant education and training requirements
Investment accountants generally need a bachelor’s degree, although some have an associate’s degree with equivalent experience and knowledge. Some organizations require investment accountants to possess a master’s degree in accounting or business administration.
Investment accountants must have the appropriate licensing, certifications or registrations to file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. They must be a licensed CPA, which requires passing an exam and completing 150 semester hours of college coursework. CPAs must also take ongoing education courses to maintain their license. Some may pursue additional certifications, such as a Personal Financial Specialist certification.
Investment accountant salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for an investment accountant is $56,089 per year. Investment accountant salaries may vary according to location, experience, organization, education and specialized certifications.
Investment accountant salary expectations
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Common salary:
67123.87 YEARLY -
Typical salaries range from
21000.00 -137000.00 YEARLY - Find more information on Indeed Salaries
*Indeed data –
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Investment accountant job description FAQs
What’s the difference between an investment accountant and a regular accountant?
Regular accountants are responsible for preparing and examining financial records and reports for businesses and individuals, as well as identifying financial opportunities. Investment accountants perform similar functions but specialize in an investing context. This means they deal only with investment-related financial records and reports and ensure the accuracy and compliance of investments and taxes.
What are investment accountant specializations?
Investment accountants sometimes work on a larger financial team and are responsible for a specialized subfield of investment accounting. Their job titles might include investment fund accountant, certified public accountant, finance and accounting manager or tax examiner and collector.
What are the main duties and responsibilities of an investment accountant?
Investment accountants are primarily responsible for supporting brokerage and asset management organizations to process client investments and help manage their portfolios. On a daily basis, an investment accountant monitors client investments, prepares tax reports, researches third-party activity and ensures the accuracy and compliance of all activities and reports.
What qualities make a good investment accountant?
A good investment accountant should be highly mathematical and logical. In addition to having the minimum education and experience, investment accountants should be organized, detail-oriented and analytical. They should also have advanced problem-solving and communication skills.
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