Finance

This Career Cluster encompasses careers involved in

Planning, services for financial and investment planning, banking, insurance, and business financial management.(1)

Career Pathways

Each Career Cluster has distinct Career Pathways, which are like work sub-areas.

In addition, each Career Pathway has a sample Plan of Study that details the courses a student might take, both during and after high school, to work in that sub-area.

This Career Cluster has the following Career Pathways:

Securities and Investments

The securities and investments industry consists of brokerage firms, investment banks, and stock exchanges, all of which support the flow of funds from investors to companies and institutions. Related services include financial planning, asset management, hedge fund management, and custody services.

Note: This Sample Plan of Study is not an exact match.

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Business Finance

The business finance function in a company is to manage policy and strategy for (and the implementation of) capital structure, budgeting, acquisition and investment, financial modeling and planning, funding, dividends, and taxation.

Note: This Sample Plan of Study is not an exact match.

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Accounting

Accounting encompasses careers that record, classify, summarize, analyze, and communicate a business's financial information/business transactions for use in management decision-making. Accounting includes such activities as bookkeeping, systems design, analysis, and interpretation of accounting information.

Note: This Sample Plan of Study is not an exact match.

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Insurance

The insurance industry, which exists to protect individuals and businesses from financial losses, delivers services that transfer risk from an individual or business to an insurance company.

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Banking Services

Primarily concerned with accepting deposits, lending funds, and extending credit, banking services include cash management, short-term investments, mortgages and other loans, credit cards, and bill payment. Banking services are delivered via a number of different institutions, from commercial banks (the largest group) and other traditional means (savings and loans associations, credit unions, and local banks) to newer ventures through insurance companies, brokerage houses, and the internet.

Source(1): National Career Clusters™ site (original text and PDF's).