Roles, Regulation and Progression in European Financial Advisory

Financial advisory across Europe operates under the EU's MiFID II framework, which sets common suitability and knowledge standards, though actual licensing and day-to-day practice remain shaped by national regulators such as the AMF in France, BaFin in Germany or the Central Bank of Ireland. Advisors typically work within banks, independent firms or insurance-linked practices, building long-term client relationships around investing, retirement and estate planning. Pay is heavily weighted toward client book size and tenure rather than base salary alone, with strong multilingual and relationship skills valued across the continent's cross-border client base.