When people think of Financial services, they often think about banks, brokers and mortgage lenders. However, this broad sector includes a lot more than just these three areas and is comprised of many different jobs. It is essentially “everything that touches money,” and it impacts people in both big and small ways. It includes services for small businesses, large corporations, nonprofit organizations and even the government.

One of the most important aspects of this industry is that it helps ensure the free flow of capital and liquidity in the marketplace. When this happens, the economy expands and businesses are better able to manage risk. Consequently, the strength of this industry is critical to a country’s overall economic health.

Another aspect of this industry is that it provides protection for people and businesses against the risk of death or injury (e.g. life insurance, disability income insurance and homeowners or car insurance). This is a very valuable service because it gives peace of mind knowing that your loved ones will be taken care of in case something happens to you.

Investment banking is a separate division within this category that offers services to companies looking to raise money through stock offerings or mergers and acquisitions. These professionals help these businesses with due diligence, valuation and M&A counseling. This is an integral part of the financial services industry and can be very lucrative for those who choose to work in this area.

This part of the industry also offers consumer finance, which is a key driver of economic growth. It enables consumers to buy more expensive products or services by spreading the cost over time via credit cards, personal loans and mortgages. Consumers can also get debt resolution assistance from this segment, which is a type of consumer financial service that assists individuals in paying off their outstanding debt in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy.

Asset management is another very important aspect of this industry, and it deals with managing pension assets, insurance assets and hedge funds. Professionals who offer these services often deal with a wide range of clients and are expected to provide highly specialized and tailored solutions.

These services are offered to both businesses and individuals, and they include investment due diligence, valuation, M&A consulting, real estate advisory and risk management consulting. Several different types of firms, from small domestic consulting companies to huge multinational financial services firms, offer these services.

This is a very broad and diverse industry, and it’s no wonder that it offers a number of different career paths for talented individuals. It’s a sector that can be very demanding and requires a high level of skill, but it’s also a great way for people to help the economy grow and succeed. And it’s a sector that offers a great deal of job satisfaction, with people in this field rating their jobs 9.6 and 10 on average in terms of happiness. Those who are considering a career in financial services should definitely take the time to explore all of the options that are available to them.