Career guide · Updated October 23, 2026
How to get a financial planning internship
Planning firms hire interns who are good with people and careful with details. Internship hours can count toward the experience needed for the CFP.
1. Know when financial planning internships recruit
- Freshman–sophomore yearFind out whether your program is CFP Board-registered; if it is, your degree covers the CFP coursework.
- Junior fallWealth management and advisory firms recruit summer interns.
- Twice a yearCFP Board’s virtual career fair lists jobs and internships with planning firms.
- Before you graduatePass the SIE — it needs no employer sponsor — and consider the Series 65.
Typical timing — employers set their own dates, so check each one.
2. Build the skills employers check
- Communication with clients
- Excel
- Tax, retirement and insurance basics
- Attention to detail
- Planning software such as eMoney or MoneyGuide
- Discretion with confidential information
3. Take certifications in the right order
None is required, but each shows a skill. Start at the top: the first ones need no background.
- Finance and capital markets — Khan Academy. Free · about 20 hours
- Excel training paths — Microsoft Learn. Free · about 8 hours
- Investment Foundations Certificate — CFA Institute. Paid · about 50 hours
- VITA tax volunteer certification — IRS. Free · about 20 hours
- FPQP — Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional — College for Financial Planning (Kaplan). Paid
The Finder shows the whole path for financial planning, three ways: fastest and free, balanced, and a stretch toward the most demanding credentials. See also every financial planning certification.
4. Aim at the right roles
- Financial planning or paraplanning intern — Gathers client data and helps build financial plans in planning software.
- Client service intern — Prepares meeting materials, opens accounts and handles paperwork.
- Wealth management intern — Supports advisors with portfolio research and client reviews.
- Insurance and retirement planning intern — Helps compare insurance, retirement and estate options for clients.
5. Use the words recruiters look for
Put the ones that are true for you on your resume, in your own sentences.
financial planningclient servicewealth managementretirement planningSIEparaplanningCRMportfolio reviewExcelcompliance
How to write a business internship resume
6. Practice the interview
- Behavioral interview questions, which every business interview asks
Tips for financial planning internships
- Check whether your program is CFP Board-registered; if it is, your degree covers the CFP coursework.
- Pass the SIE, which needs no employer sponsor, before recruiting.
- Practice explaining a financial idea, such as compound interest or a Roth IRA, in plain words.
Find financial planning internships near you →
More on this major: financial planning internships, with recent listings and the questions students ask.