The financial services industry covers a wide range of businesses that provide services to individuals, business and governments. These businesses include credit unions, banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions.
The industry also encompasses community-based nonprofits that provide counseling services or money management advice.
While you may be thinking of bankers or hedge fund managers when you hear the word “finance,” the sector is much bigger than that, spanning every aspect of your life from making and saving money to investing in stocks and more.
It’s also a growing field that continues to evolve, thanks to new tools and technologies being introduced all the time. That’s why businesses in the industry often encourage employees to take on new tasks and pursue educational opportunities.
Some of these new responsibilities include providing customer service and handling complex transactions. Others involve promoting financial products like mortgages and investments, as well as managing funds for clients.
What’s more, the digital gig economy has also impacted the finance industry in new ways. Large technology companies are increasingly offering new forms of financial services, such as mobile banking, that traditional financial entities haven’t been able to offer previously.
These new services aren’t always regulated by the government, which can give the industry more freedom to operate and expand its reach. However, regulators often have the power to shut down financial institutions that fail to comply with regulations or are found to be engaging in unlawful practices.
Moreover, the industry can help people transition out of poverty and build a better economic future. But the world’s billions of poor remain trapped in a cycle of poverty that can be difficult to break.
A key role in preventing that cycle is ensuring that everyone, regardless of their income level or background, can access the financial services they need to achieve their goals. We focus on financial inclusion because we know that it’s the key to building more stable and prosperous economies.
We believe that promoting women’s economic inclusion and financial security are essential to reducing global poverty and helping people transition out of it. We are committed to working with partners across the spectrum of finance to improve the lives of women and their families.
Our work focuses on helping women in low-income countries and communities transition out of poverty by empowering them to become financially independent, and on identifying the normative barriers that limit their ability to do so. We address those challenges through legal, policy, and regulatory reforms and by supporting innovative services that enable poor women to be more economically empowered.
The financial services industry can be a challenging but rewarding place to start your career. It offers a huge variety of jobs and opportunities, and you’ll gain a set of skills that can be applied to a wide range of industries.
If you want to enter the finance industry, the key is to choose a career that aligns with your interests and skills. That means taking some time to learn what you want to do, and then finding a job that suits your specific needs.