Private Banking Courses - What learners should expect

Courses in private banking provide an inside look into what it takes to operate successfully in this field. Private banking in an in-demand and highly dynamic area of finance, with demanding expectations for professionals working in the field. Private banking training courses address these high standards with curricula that focus on the latest news, regulations, techniques, tools and predictions for the market.

Courses for the private banking sector will generally cover several topics, which are fundamental to the field. Due to the fact that private bankers work extensively with private persons and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), regulatory fluency and practical expertise is required in investment and banking services. These include estate planning, tax advisory services, and managing investment portfolios. As a result, private banking courses lead to a wide and varied range of skills.

It is worth nothing that private bankers are sometimes referred to as wealth, investment or relationship managers, which is mirrored in the titles of some professional training courses on offer. While some argue that these are synonyms, others maintain that the growing complexity of the industry has resulted in the relationship side of the role (focusing on sales and customer service) becoming distinct from the investment side, which focuses on the more technical responsibilities related to managing different asset classes on behalf of the client.

The private banking course list

While some private banking courses aim to comprehensively cover all aspects of private banking, another option is for private bankers to enrol on multiple different courses across the areas related to their role.

These include, but are not limited to, the following:

Accounting courses. These aim at equipping learners with basic to advanced knowledge in accounting, including skills in interpreting income statements and comprehending cash flow statements. These are particularly useful for the routine back office functions that some private bankers are expected to fulfil, particularly at the beginning of their careers.

Financial markets courses. These specialised courses focus on the dynamics of financial markets as well as the products that are sold or traded on these markets. This knowledge is crucial for private bankers, whose clients have considerable funds to invest in such products.

Investment courses. Also known as Asset Finance courses, these courses vary greatly in and cover everything from real estate planning to bonds and equities. The skills gained are crucial in determining the best asset(s) for one to focus on in the changing markets.

Relationship management courses. Within private banking, strong client relationships are essential. These courses focus on soft rather than technical skills, but are absolutely vital to private bankers who are eager to establish long-term relationships with clients. The topics covered in these programmes include communication, customer service, sales, dealing with difficult or demanding people and establishing the client's needs. Techniques within these areas are vital for anyone dealing with the relationship side of private banking, and will thus be highly sought-after by the banking institutions that offer such services.

Job opportunities for private banking course graduates

Ranging from Wealth Managers to Private Financial Planners, Trust Managers, Investment Planners and plain old Private Bankers, professionals who take private banking courses gain access to a wealth of opportunity. Certified private bankers are typically employed by large private banks or private banking subsidiaries/divisions of large bank holding companies. Once experienced in the sector, many return to learning institutions as instructors or consultants. Professionals with private banking experience can also transfer their skills to investment banks, consumer banks and accounting firms.

In an age where specialised skills are one of the highest criteria for employment across different economic sectors, professionals with expertise and experience in private banking can aspire to a unique and lucrative career working with the world's growing number of HNWIs.

Not sure where to start?