The financial services curriculum provides training in all aspects of the financial planning process. This includes specialized training in credit, insurance, investments, retirement planning, employee benefits, and estate and income tax planning.

Providing personal financial services requires a competence and style similar to that of other professional consulting businesses. The advisor must be familiar with relevant strategies and products and must be able to evaluate each client’s situation and unique requirements to recommend a suitable course of action. Financial products include insurance, loans, stocks and mutual funds, bonds and other interest-earning investments, real estate and retirement plans. The financial services professional must be aware of the advantages and shortcomings of the various financial products that a client may consider. Personal financial planning applies to all income levels; not just the wealthy.

The goal of this program is to provide graduates with all the tools and skills necessary to be successful in the undertaking of a career in the financial services field of their choosing. All the technical knowledge required to begin a career in financial services is provided and its application in real world situations is practiced extensively. The curriculum covers all of the knowledge base tested on the Certified Financial Planner examination. Students will be expected to demonstrate their acquired knowledge and abilities as they progress in the program and during the capstone Financial Services and Cases Practices course.

The current business environment requires all prospective employees to have good communication skills, both written and oral, and to be able to interact with co-workers and clients in a professional manner. Employers expect their workers to have strong computational skills, to be computer literate, and to be able to think critically. All students completing a financial services program at Stark State will be introduced to, and provided practice in, these basic competencies, which they are expected to master.