Welcome to the World of StockBroking!

A stock broker’s job is to advise individuals or corporations on the best investment opportunities for that specific client. They’re the mediator (i.e. broker) between the stock exchange and the rest of the public. They help you invest in stocks, bonds, options, futures, etfs, mutual funds and other financial products like variable annuities and life insurance.

They can go by many different names that include financial adviser, retail broker, institutional broker, securities sales agents, registered representatives or securities and commodities sales agents. Some of these names refer to a niche within the stock broker career that an individual could pursue. For instance, a retail broker buys and sells securities for individuals while an institutional broker performs the same function for large institutions.

A career as a stock broker can be rewarding if you know how to take care of your clients and adequately research the market. In fact, according to a Wall Street Journal article, the profession is gaining momentum with experienced brokers generally taking home 35 to 45 percent of commissions and fees they generate in a year. On average, their annual earnings are equal to about half a million dollars. Of course, the amount of money you can earn is all dependant on how hard you work.

First Step to Becoming a Stock Broker — Getting Educated

First things first, when you make the decision to be a stock broker, it’s important to get the right education. In the past, a college education wasn’t necessary to becoming a stock broker, but nowadays, in order to stand-out for employers, it’s crucial to getting into that cap and gown. Earning a degree in finance, business, economics or accounting are all possibilities when pursuing a career as a stock broker. However, if you want a better chance at landing a good job with a higher beginning salary straight out of school, obtaining an MBA will put you in the front of the pack when applying for jobs.

Here are the top finances colleges in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report:

1. University of Pennsylvania
2. New York University
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
4. University of Michigan — Ann Arbor
5. University of California — Berkeley

If you’re a non-traditional student or simply want to earn a degree online, here are a few online schools to look at:

• University of Phoenix
• ASU Online
• ITT Technical Institute
• Devry University

The Day in the Life of a Broker — Video Interviews with both London and New York Stock Brokers

Learning How to Invest Literature — Books from Amazon