20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You start before markets open by checking overnight news and opening prices in Microsoft Excel and your trading platform. You update daily price sheets, prepare the day’s trade and settlement schedule, and flag any pending transfers or dividend distributions.
During market hours you monitor stock prices, answer client and trader calls in Microsoft Outlook or by phone, verify transactions, and record activities. After close you run end-of-day reports in Excel, file records to Microsoft SharePoint, and prepare the next day’s transaction reports.
Expect heavy use of Microsoft Excel for price lists, verification checks, and daily or weekly transaction reports. You’ll also use Microsoft Outlook for client and coworker communication and Microsoft Word for formal letters and compliance documents.
Microsoft SharePoint will store and version records and Microsoft Access may hold client and security databases. All systems are used to record and document security activities and maintain records of financial transactions.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for this occupation, about 35,940 people are employed, the median pay is $65,750 per year, the lowest 10% earn $50,260, and the top 10% earn $102,010.
Entry-level jobs often start closer to the lower range; experience with settlements, compliance, and Excel can move you toward the median and above.
You verify ownership and transaction details, compute transfer taxes and brokerage fees, and ensure trades clear and settle on schedule. That includes matching trade tickets, checking confirmations, and fixing mismatches with brokers or custodians.
You also maintain compliance records in SharePoint or Access and prepare regular reports for supervisors so the firm meets regulatory record-keeping and reporting rules.
AI can speed routine tasks: summarizing market news, extracting transaction details from emails, or automating repetitive Excel formulas. But you must verify every output against source systems and your firm’s compliance rules.
Never use AI to generate final client communications or to change records without human review. Treat AI suggestions like a first draft, and document any changes in Outlook, Word, or SharePoint so auditors can trace decisions.
A trader or broker actively places buy/sell orders and makes trading decisions for clients or the firm. A trading assistant supports those people: you monitor prices, verify transactions, handle settlements, and manage records.
Your role focuses on operations — clearing, recording, computing fees, and customer service — rather than deciding what to buy or sell. Think operations and compliance, not investment strategy.
Learn strong Excel skills: VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, and basic macros to build and audit price sheets and transaction reports. Practice basic database queries in Microsoft Access and document handling in Word and SharePoint.
Also develop clear phone and email communication, accuracy in math for computing fees and taxes, and a basic understanding of settlement cycles and dividends. Those skills match the daily tasks employers list.