As more people take a keener interest in how they invest their money, demand is growing in Japan for financial planners and people qualified to advise individuals on their assets and investments.
"With people growing older and with uncertainty about pension funds, there is increasing demand for the advice of experts," said Makiko Ishiwatari, a spokeswoman at LPL Japan Securities K.K., the Japanese branch of LPL Financial Services, a U.S. independent brokerage house.
To cater to rising demand for customized services, more brokers are encouraging sales staff to become qualified as financial planners and to advise customers on how to diversify their assets in a wide range of investment trusts, stocks and bonds.