Financial Advisor
About the job
- A bachelor's degree is required.
- Entrepreneurial ambitions to be a business owner are required.
- A history of success in relationship-building or client-facing roles is required.
- Time-management skills are required.
- A desire for continuous learning and collaboration is required.
- Critical-thinking proficiency is required.
- Strong communication skills are required.
- Motivation and drive are required.
- Legal authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship is required.
- Grow the client base by making new connections, maintaining a referral network, and providing a strong client experience.
- Build personalized, holistic financial plans tailored to each client's needs.
- Manage clients' financial plans to help them achieve their goals.
- Grow client relationships and support clients through every stage of life.
- Obtain Life/Accident & Health certifications, Securities Industry Essentials (SIE), and Series 6, 7, and 63 licenses to become a financial advisor.
- Participate in continued training and development, including the curriculum designed to support the first three years in the business.
- Use training and advisor-network resources to learn client acquisition and the financial-advisory business.
About the company
Northwestern Mutual sells life, disability income and long-term care insurance together with investment advice and wealth management to American families and business owners. It is owned by its policyholders rather than shareholders and has paid them dividends for more than 150 consecutive years. Its financial representatives build a full financial plan for each client and then sell the policies, brokerage accounts and managed portfolios that carry it out. The company earns money from insurance premiums, advisory fees and returns on a large bond and mortgage portfolio. It was founded in 1857 in Janesville, Wisconsin, and moved two years later to Milwaukee, where it is based.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Founded
1857
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- The business is earning more: 2025 revenue rose 8.2% to $41.2 billion and operating gain topped $10 billion.
- It is moving upmarket: Family Office Services, launched September 2026, serves $50 million-plus households with 40+ specialists.
- Advisor careers are easy to start: it reported a record 3,400+ financial representative recruits in February 2026.
What critics are saying
- Advisor recruits are not employees: its financial representatives work as independent contractors, a status courts have upheld.
- Its workplace faces a federal DEI probe: a judge ordered diversity data handed to the EEOC in July 2026.
- Profits ride on markets: the company credited 2025 record results mainly to extraordinary investment performance.
What makes Northwestern Mutual unique
- Northwestern Mutual sells more individual life and disability income insurance directly than any US rival.
- Its balance sheet is rated top-tier: 2026 marks 35 straight years with the highest grades from all four agencies.
- It doubles as a major brokerage: it has ranked among the top 10 independent broker-dealers for over a decade.
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Benefits
Growing your Career
Compensation & Time Off
Insurance plans
Health Savings Account
Wellness programs & resources
401(k) plan and cash balance contributions
Company News
More than 80% of Americans aged 57 and older want to receive long-term care at home if needed, but most families haven't planned financially for it, according to Northwestern Mutual's 2026 Planning & Progress Study. The research surveyed 4,375 US adults. Sixty-one per cent of Americans expect to need long-term care eventually, yet 54% haven't prepared financially. The situation affects younger generations too: 67% of Gen Z and 66% of millennials anticipate providing care for loved ones, but 60% haven't planned for associated costs. Current caregivers already feel the strain. Among the 39% providing or having provided care, 69% took financial actions like reducing spending or tapping savings. Some worked longer hours or took on debt. Northwestern Mutual's analysis suggests that if current cost trends continue, annual expenses for eight-hour daily home care could exceed $500,000 by 2058.
Northwestern Mutual's Foundation has reached $75 million in total donations to advance childhood cancer treatments and cures since 2012. The company announced a new $100,000 investment for Children's Wisconsin MACC Fund Center in Milwaukee, with more hospitals to be named in 2027. The funding will support families facing financial challenges and expand professional development for hospital staff. It also includes the inaugural Northwestern Mutual Childhood Cancer Healthcare Hero Award, presented to nurse Katy Tomlinson. During September's Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Northwestern Mutual is donating $100 to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for each new financial plan delivered, up to $2 million. The company's partnership with the Milwaukee Brewers has raised over half a million dollars for childhood cancer research. Since 2012, the Foundation has funded more than 860,000 hours of research and supported over 370 students through scholarships.
Northwestern Mutual's chief executive officer Tim Gerend has been named the seventh highest-rated CEO in America by Glassdoor. The recognition is based entirely on anonymous feedback from employees and financial advisors who rated their approval of how Gerend leads the company. Gerend became chairman, president and CEO in 2025. Under his leadership, Northwestern Mutual recently announced record business performance, including new highs for revenue, surplus position and annual dividends paid to policyowners. The company serves more than five million clients and holds $2.5 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force. It manages more than $450 billion in client assets through its retail investments business, ranking among the top five independent broker-dealers in the US.
Financial pressures are forcing many young Americans to postpone or abandon major life milestones, according to Northwestern Mutual's 2026 Planning & Progress Study. Nearly three in four Gen Z adults and more than half of Millennials have delayed at least one significant milestone due to financial challenges. The impact is particularly acute for homeownership and family planning. Thirty-one per cent of Gen Z respondents have postponed buying a house, whilst 24% have delayed having children. Among those who have become parents, over 70% spend as much or more on their children monthly as they do on housing. Artificial intelligence is adding to concerns, with 46% of Gen Z and 32% of Millennials pessimistic about its impact on their careers. Despite these challenges, younger generations are responding proactively. Gen Z and Millennials started saving for retirement at ages 22 and 28 respectively, years earlier than previous generations, and seek professional financial guidance at higher rates.
Northwestern Mutual's 2026 Planning & Progress Study reveals that 60% of Americans consider poor money habits a dealbreaker in new relationships. Excessive gambling and risk-taking rank as the top financial red flag, followed by hiding purchases and high credit card debt. Among Gen Z couples, 41% report money arguments are seriously straining their relationships. Financial compatibility has emerged as more important than emotional chemistry, physical attraction, or shared interests for maintaining successful long-term relationships. Single Americans seeking partners who earn money expect an average income of $139,000 annually, with women's expectations ($172,000) significantly exceeding men's ($101,000). Nearly three-quarters of Americans believe couples should discuss finances well before marriage or cohabitation, though 19% of married couples delayed these conversations until after major milestones. The survey included 4,375 US adults, conducted online between 5–21 January 2026.