Analyse financial risk

Description

Identify and analyse risks that could impact an organisation or individual financially, such as credit and market risks, and propose solutions to cover against those risks.

Alternative labels

analyse economic risk
analyse business risk
analyse monetary risk

Skill type

skill/competence

Skill reusability level

cross-sector

Relationships with occupations

Essential skill

Analyse financial risk is an essential skill of the following occupations:

Foreign exchange trader: Foreign exchange traders buy and sell foreign currencies in order to secure a profit on fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. They undertake technical analysis of economic information (market liquidity and volatility ) to predict the future rates of currencies on the foreign exchange market. They trade on their own name or for their employers.
Credit analyst: Credit analysts investigate credit applications from customers and evaluate if the applications comply with regulations and guidelines of the financial loan-granting institution. On the basis of credit analyses they advise financial institutions whether customers are loan worthy. They perform tasks such as collecting data on the loan applicant, aquire additional information from other departments or institutions and indicating what sort of agreements the financial institution should reach with the credit applicant. Credit analysts also follow up on the development of the credit portfolio of clients.
Securities analyst: Securities analysts perform research activities to gather and analyse financial, legal and economic information. They interpret data on the price, stability and future investment trends in a certain economic area and make recommendations and forecasts to business clients.
Branch manager: Branch managers are responsible for the management of all the affairs related with a company in a specific geographic region or business branch. They receive indications from the headquarters, and depending on the structure of the company, they aim to implement the strategy of the company while adapting it to the market where the branch operates. They envision management of employees, communications, marketing efforts, and follow up to results and objectives.
Investment manager: Investment managers administer the portfolio of investments that a company has. They perform close follow up of the investments looking for the most profitable solutions represented in financial products or securities. They analyse behaviour in financial markets, interests rates, and the companies’ position in order to advise on risks and profitability for the client.
Mergers and acquisitions analyst: Mergers and acquisitions analysts oversee the execution of transactions for the purchase, sale, merger or takeover of companies. They negotiate and complete the deal on the client’s behalf, by working closely with lawyers and accountants. Mergers and acquisitions analysts conduct operational and legal risk assessments of a company, assess comparable companies in the market and help with the post-merger integration.
Financial auditor: Financial auditors collect and examine financial data for clients, organisations and companies. They ensure the financial data is properly maintained and free of material misstatements due to error or fraud, that it adds up, and functions legally and effectively. They review lending and credit policies or numbers in databases and documents, evaluate, consult and assist the source of the transaction if necessary. They use their review of the client’s financial governance as assurance to give testimony to the shareholders, stakeholders and board of directors of the organisation or company that all is up to par.
Insurance rating analyst: Insurance rating analysts analyse information related to insurance markets and their credit rating, prepare rating reports and invoices, compile financial data and present and explain credit rating opinions to stakeholders, clients and external parties. They work for insurance companies and calculate the insurance premium and rates for the company’s clients using both manual and automated methods.
Foreclosure specialist: Foreclosure specialists revise documentation related to properties that are under foreclosure. They assist clients whose property has been reclaimed by banks due to non-payment of their mortgage by assessing the owner’s possibilities for saving the property.
Corporate investment banker: Corporate investment bankers offer strategic advice on financial services to companies and other institutions. They ensure that legal regulations are being followed by their clients in their efforts of raising any capital. They provide technical expertise and information on mergers and acquisitions, bonds and shares, privatisations and reorganisation, raising capital and security underwriting, including equity and debt markets.
Middle office analyst:
Middle office analysts work in the treasury of a financial company, ensuring compliance with company policy and legal legislation, providing research and analysis on financial matters, measuring risk and supporting operations in the front office.
Commodity broker:
Commodity brokers act as intermediary between buyers and sellers of movable and immovable property such as raw materials, livestock or real estate. They negotiate prices and receive a commission from the transactions. They research market conditions for specific commodities in order to inform their clients. They make bid offers and calculate the cost of transactions.
Insurance collector: Insurance collectors collect payment for an overdue insurance bill. They specialise in all areas of insurance such as medical, life, car, travel, etc and recurrently contact individuals to offer payment assistance or to facilitate payment plans according to individual’s financial situation.
Credit manager: Credit managers oversee the application of credit policy in the bank. They decide the credit limits to be imposed, the reasonable levels of risk accepted and the conditions and terms of payment made to the customers. They control the collection of payments from their customers and manage the credit department of a bank.
Investment adviser: Investment advisers are professionals who offer transparent advice by recommending suitable solutions on financial matters to their clients. They advise on investing pension or free funds in securities such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds to customers. Investment advisers serve individuals, households, families and owners of small companies.
Corporate treasurer: Corporate treasurers determine and oversee the financial strategic policies of a company or organisation. They use cash management techniques like account organisation, cash flow monitoring, liquidity planning and control, risk management including currency and commodity risks and maintain close connection with banks and rating agencies.
Property insurance underwriter: Property insurance underwriters assess and determine the risk and coverage of a client’s property insurance. They analyse and review underwriting policies according to legal regulations.
Pawnbroker: Pawnbrokers offer loans to clients by securing them with personal objects or items. They assess the personal items given in exchange for the loan, they determine their value and amount of loan available and keep track of inventory assets.
Venture capitalist: Venture capitalists invest in young or small startup companies by providing private funding. They research potential markets and particular product opportunities to help business owners develop or expand a business. They provide business advice, technical expertise, and network contacts based on their experience and activities. They do not assume executive managerial positions within the company, but have a say in its strategic direction.
Insurance product manager: Insurance product managers set and direct the development of new insurance products, following the product lifecycle policy and the general insurance strategy. They also coordinate the marketing and sales activities related to the specific insurance products of the company. Insurance product managers inform their sales managers (or the sales department) about their newly developed insurance products.
Bank manager: Bank managers oversee the management of one or several bank activities. They set policies which promote safe banking operations, ensure the economic, social and commercial targets are met and that all the bank departments, activities and commercial policies are in compliance with legal requirements. They also manage employees and maintain an effective working relationship among the staff.
Financial risk analyst: Financial risk analysts correctly identify and review potential risk areas threatening the assets or capital of organisations. They specialise in either credit, market, operational or regulatory risk analysis. They use statistical analysis to evaluate risk, make recommendations to reduce and control risk and review documentation for legal compliance.
Insurance risk consultant: Insurance risk consultants prepare reports for insurance underwriters. For this purpose, they undertake surveys in order to determine the potential financial risk for personal products, properties or sites.
Medical practice manager: Medical practice managers manage the day-to-day operations of a medical practice. They oversee the staff and business side of the practice.
Loan officer: Loan officers assess and authorise the approval of loan applications for individuals and businesses. They ensure complete transactions between loan organisations, borrowers, and sellers. Loan officers are specialists in consumer, mortgage, or commercial lending.
Stock broker: Stock brokers act on behalf of their individual or institutional clients in order to buy and sell stocks and other securities. They are in close contact with their clients and ensure that what they buy or sell through the stock exchange market is according to their clients’ wishes. Stock brokers undertake analyst research to make recommendations to their clients and expand their client base through various methods.
Mortgage loan underwriter: Mortgage loan underwriters ensure compliance with underwriter guidelines. They participate in the implementation of new underwriting guidelines. They also review closed and denied loans.
Risk manager: Risk managers identify and assess potential threats and risks to a company, and give advice on how to deal with them. They create preventive plans to avoid and reduce risks, and put plans in place for when the company is threatened.
Credit risk analyst: Credit risk analysts manage individual credit risk and care for fraud prevention, business deal analysis, legal documents analysis and recommendations on the level of the risk.
Property acquisitions manager: Property acquisitions managers ensure land or property acquisitions transactions. They liaise with relevant stakeholders concerning financial aspects and risks arising from the acquisition of property. Property acquisitions managers ensure compliance with legal requirements for purchasing property and take care of all documentation and closure techniques needed.

Investment fund manager: Investment fund managers implement and monitor the investment strategy of a fund. They manage the fund’s portfolio trading activities and supervise the financial, securities, and investment analysts in charge to perform research on the investments and then make buying and selling recommendations. They make decisions on when to buy or sell the assets included in a portfolio. This manager works in a variety of settings such as banks, companies and stockbroking companies; working closely with the investment analyst. This occupation manages strategy and does not always work with relations between shareholders or investors.
Securities broker: Securities brokers create the connection between the investors and the available investment opportunities. They purchase and sell securities on their clients’ behalf, based on their expertise in the financial markets. They monitor the performance of their clients’ securities, assessing their stability or speculative tendencies. Securities brokers calculate the securities’ price and place orders.
Accounting analyst: Accounting analysts evaluate the financial statements of clients, usually companies, which include the income sheet, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and additional notes to other financial statements. They interpret and implement new accounting systems and accounting procedures and will analyse and determine if the proposed systems conform to accounting regulations and meet user information requirements.
Pension scheme manager: Pension scheme managers coordinate pension schemes in order to provide benefits in retirement to individuals or organisations. They ensure the daily deployment of the pension fund and define the strategic policy for developing new pension packages.
Dividend analyst: Dividend analysts calculate and allocate dividends and interest incomes of a company’s earnings to a category of its shareholders. They assess business systems and processes in order to identify user needs and to deliver appropriate solutions. They also undertake dividend forecasts on amounts and payment schedules and identify potential risks, based on their financial and market price expertise.
Patent engineer: Patent engineers advise companies on different aspects of intellectual property law. They analyse inventions, and research their economic potential. They check if  patent rights have already been given out for an invention and ensure that these rights have not been affected or violated.
Asset manager: Asset managers invest the money of a client into financial assets, through vehicles such as investment funds or management of individual clients’ portfolios. This includes the management of the financial assets, within a given investment policy and risk framework, the provision of information, the assessment and monitoring of risks.
Commodity trader: Commodity traders use negotiation techniques to sell and buy physical goods and raw materials such as gold, cattle, oil, cotton and wheat on the trading floor. They receive and implement purchasing and selling instructions and negotiate the terms of sale and delivery of commodities. Commodity traders do research about market conditions of specific commodities, their price trends and demand in order to inform their employers, they make bid offers and calculate the cost of transactions.
Insurance underwriter: Insurance underwriters assess business risks and liability policies and make decisions about commercial property. They inspect the conditions of businesses’ properties, analyse inspection policies, assist with real estate and rent issues, prepare loan contracts and handle commercial risks in order to align them with business practices. Insurance underwriters analyse various information from prospective customers in order to assess the likelihood that they will report a claim. They work to minimise risk for the insurance company and make sure that the insurance premium aligns with the associated risks. They can be specialists in life insurance, health insurance, reinsurance, commercial insurance, mortgage insurance.
Foreign exchange broker: Foreign exchange brokers buy and sell foreign currencies on behalf of their clients in order to secure a profit on fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. They undertake technical analysis of economic information such as market liquidity and volatility, to predict the future rates of currencies on the foreign exchange market.
Futures trader: Futures traders undertake daily trading activities in the futures trading market by buying and selling futures contracts. They speculate on the futures contracts’ direction, trying to make a profit by buying futures contracts they foresee to rise in price and sell contracts they foresee to fall in price.

Optional skill

Analyse financial risk is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this skill may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Insurance claims handler: Insurance claims handlers ensure that all insurance claims are handled accurately and that payment for valid claims is made to the policyholders. They use statistical data and reporting to calculate and adjust claims as needed, communicate with and guide policyholders and monitor the progress of a claim.
Actuarial consultant: Actuarial consultants analyse, manage and provide guidance on financial impact of risks. They can work in fields related to insurance, pension, investment, banking, healthcare etc. Actuarial consultants apply technical and statistical models and theories to give strategic, commercial, and financial advice.
Actuarial assistant: Actuarial assistants perform statistical data research in order to set premium rates and insurance policies. They review the possibility of accidents, injuries and property damage by using statistical formulas and models.
Credit adviser: Credit advisers offer guidance to customers related to credit services. They assess the customer’s financial situation and debt issues arisen from credit cards, medical bills and car loans in order to identify optimal credit solutions for customers and also provide debt elimination plans to adjust their finances if needed. They prepare qualitative credit analyses and decision-making material in respect of defined customers in conformity with the bank’s strategy on credit policy, ensure the credit quality and follow up on the performance of the credit portfolio. Credit advisers also have expertise in debt management and credit consolidation.
Financial planner: Financial planners assist people dealing with various personal financial issues. They are specialised in financial planning, such as retirement planning, investment planning, risk management and insurance planning, and tax planning. They advise a strategy tailored to the client’s needs. They ensure the accuracy of bank and other financial records while maintaining a customer-orientated approach and following ethical standards.
Financial manager: Financial managers handle all the matters in reference to the finance and investments of a company. They manage financial operations of companies such as the assets, liabilities, equity and cash flow aiming to maintain the financial health of the company and operative viability. Financial managers evaluate the strategic plans of the company in financial terms, maintain transparent financial operations for taxation and auditing bodies, and create the financial statements of the company at the end of the fiscal year.
Mortgage broker: Mortgage brokers handle mortgage loan applications from clients, collect loan documentation and search for new mortgage lending opportunities. They complete and close mortgage loan processes for their clients.
Credit union manager: Credit union managers oversee and manage member services, supervise staff and operations of credit unions. They inform staff about the latest credit union procedures and policies and prepare financial reports.
Securities trader: Securities traders purchase and sell securities such as stocks, bonds and shares on their own account or on their employers account based on their expertise in the financial markets. They monitor the performance of the securities traded, assessing their stability or speculative tendancies. Securities brokers calculate the securities price and place orders. They record and file all securities transactions and take care of their financial documents.
Investor relations manager: Investor relations managers disseminate the investment strategy of the company and monitor the reactions of the investment community towards it. They use marketing, financial, communications, and security law expertise to ensure transparent communication to the larger community. They respond to inquiries from shareholders and investors in relation to the company’s financial stability, stocks, or corporate policies.
Business manager: Business managers are responsible for setting the objectives of the business unit of a company, creating a plan for the operations, and facilitating the achievement of the objectives and implementation of the plan together with employees of the segment and stakeholders. They keep an overview of the business, understand detailed information of the business unit and support the department, and make decisions based on the information at hand.
Financial controller: Financial controllers handle all tasks related to the budgeting and accounting aspects of a company or organisation. They implement and ensure compliance with internal financial and accounting procedures, and prepare documentation for external audits. They collect information related to financial statements such as assets, liabilities, equity, and cash flow in order to assess the company’s financial position to prepare annual budgets and forecasts.
Pensions administrator: Pensions administrators perform administrative duties in the management of pension schemes, ensuring the correct calculation of client’s pension benefits, compliance with legal requirements, drafting reports and communicating relevant information to customers. They work either in the private or the public sector.
Personal trust officer: Personal trust officers monitor and administer personal trusts. They interpret trust and testamentary documentation accordingly, interact with financial advisors to define the investment goal for the achievement of trust objectives, coordinate the purchase and sale of securities with account executives and review clients’ accounts regularly.
Research and development manager: Research and development managers coordinate the efforts of scientists, academical researchers, product developers, and market researchers towards the creation of new products, the improvement of current ones or other research activities, including scientific research. They manage and plan research and development activities of an organisation, specify goals and budget requirements and manage the staff.
Cost analyst: Cost analysts prepare regular costs, budgeting analyses and reports in order to contribute to the overall cost planning and forecasting activities of a business. They review and reconcile key balance sheets and identify new opportunities to save costs.
Securities underwriter: Securities underwriters administer the distribution activities of new securities from a business company. They work in close connection with the issuing body of the securities in order to establish the price and buys and sells them to other investors. They receive underwriting fees from their issuing clients.
Financial analyst:
Financial analysts conduct economic research and elicit valuable analyses on financial matters such as profitability, liquidity, solvency, and asset management. They provide recommendations on financial matters for decision-making processes. Financial analysts work in both the public and the private sector.
Investment fund management assistant: Investment fund management assistants provide clients with financial planning advice on financial products and serve as the main contact point for new and old clients. They assist and perform preparatory work in the creation and administration of funds and help with the implementation of fund management decisions made by the portfolio or fund manager.
Insurance claims manager: Insurance claims managers lead the team of insurance claims officers to ensure they handle insurance claims properly and efficiently. They deal with more complex customer complains and assist with fraudulent cases. Insurance claims managers work with insurance brokers, agents, loss adjusters and customers.
Department manager: Department managers are responsible for the operations of a certain division or department of a company. They ensure objectives and goals are reached and manage employees.
Insurance fraud investigator: Insurance fraud investigators combat fraudulent activities by investigating the circumstances of certain suspicious claims, activities related to new customers, buying insurance products and premium calculations. Insurance fraud investigators refer potential fraud claims to insurance investigators who then undertake research and investigations to support or deny a claimant’s case.
Investment analyst: Investment analysts undertake research to make informed recommendations to fund managers. They research investments globally but depending on the nature and field of their employer they can specialise in fields like retail, infrastructure, energy, banking and financial services. They focus on financial and economical information such as the political and economic developments that can impact financial markets, the financial performance of the target companies and use the interpretation of data from different sources to understand how it affects investment decision making.
Banking products manager: Banking products managers study the market of banking products and adapt the existing ones to the characteristics of this evolution or create new products to suit clients needs. They monitor and evaluate the performance indicators of these products and suggest improvements. Banking products managers assist with the sales and marketing strategy of the bank.
Mutual fund broker: Mutual fund brokers handle and raise cash from shareholders in order to invest them in stocks, bonds and money-market securities. They engage with investors by making inquiries about the client’s mutual funds account status and transaction procedures. Mutual fund brokers make use of their expertise in investment theory, market experience, and research to pick the most approapriate investments for their fund portfolio. They ensure that the mutual fund’s operations are in compliance with legal requirements.
Corporate banking manager: Corporate banking managers offer advice on a broad range of financial goods and services such as securities services, credit services, cash management, insurance products, leasing, information on merges and acquisitions and capital markets activities, to institutions and organisations.
Relationship banking manager: Relationship banking managers retain and expand existing and prospective customer relationships. They use cross-selling techniques to advise and sell various banking and financial products and services to customers. They also manage the total relationship with customers and are responsible for optimising business results and customer satisfaction.
Loss adjuster: Loss adjusters treat and evaluate insurance claims by investigating the cases and determining liability and damage, in accordance with the policies of the insurance company. They interview the claimant and witnesses and write reports for the insurer where appropriate recommendations for the settlement are made. Loss adjusters’ tasks include making payments to the insured following his claim, consulting damage experts and providing information via telephone to the clients.
Human resources manager: Human resources managers plan, design and implement processes related to the human capital of companies. They develop programs for recruiting, interviewing, and selecting employees based on a previous assessment of the profile and skills required in the company. Moreover, they manage compensation and development programs for the company’s employees comprising trainings, skill assessment and yearly evaluations, promotion, expat programs, and general assurance of the well-being of the employees in the workplace.

 


 

References

  1. Analyse financial risk – ESCO

 

Last updated on September 20, 2022