Loan Officer
Comprehensive Sites
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Loan OfficersFrom this site of the U.S. Department of Labor, you can gather some basic information on what it’s like to be a loan officer and also details on wages and related occupations. Reading the work description might help you decide if being a financial analyst is right for you. Related occupations and sources of additional information on the industry are available from this site.
Princeton Review: Bank OfficerFind out what a day in the life a bank or loan officer might be like at this page, which provides a comprehensive overview to the career. You can also access information on what kinds of college majors could be right for you, or find out what to expect in terms of income after two, five, or 10 years of work in the field. Facts and figures about being a financial analyst include lists of what professionals read and some potential employers to consider.
Occupational Titles
Loan Officer
Bank Officer
Mortgage Loan Officer
Accredited Academic Programs
Princeton Review: Bank Officer, College MajorsIf you are interested in becoming a loan officer, check out the majors listed at this page, such as economics or finance. You can then click on your selection to be taken to a list of colleges in the U.S. that offer your major in the area you are looking to study in. Complete contact information on web sites for these colleges can be easily accessed to find out more about the academic program.
Salary Levels
PayScale: Loan Officer SalariesFree salary information is available at this page, which combines details on median salary for a loan officer, with information according to years of experience. The median salary by employer type is also displayed at the page, which has connections to further information on salary by city, by certification, industry, gender, degree, or major.
Professional Organizations
American Academy of Financial ManagementFuture financial leaders will find this site to have an assortment of online certification information, publications, and articles. You can learn about several designations, such as “Chartered Mortgage Analyst” or stay on top of the latest financial headlines.
American Bankers AssociationNews, online courses, and education about the banking industry are all provided at this site. A job bank is found here, as well as expert opinions and e-mail bulletins about the banking community.
Mortgage Bankers AssociationIn addition to mortgage banking news, you will find a variety of career-related information at this site. Mortgage myths and realities, research and forecasts of the industry, and a training center, known as “campus MBA” are found. This is the educational division of the organization and includes several focus areas, such as underwriting and commercial lending.
Job Opportunity Sources
American Bankers Association: Loan Officer Job SearchUse the links at this site, organized by state, to find a job that interests you. Each link returns about 100 jobs in your selected area that include investment managers, analysts, loan officers, mortgage officers, and related careers. Top issues, such as subprime lending; products for helping you do your job, such as financial statement analyzers; self-paced, instructor-led training modules; and diploma information and certification exams are all provided.
Wall Street Journal: Career JournalFind a job by keyword, state, or city at this site, after a free registration process. Your account will lead you to online resume management tools, the ability to create and store cover letters and resumes, and a personal job agent to keep track of your job search.
Licensing & Certification
ISeek: Certifications for Loan OfficersMore than 20 certifications related to a career as a loan officer are compiled at this page, including the certification names, their certifying organizations, and links to detailed information on what’s entailed to earn them. Find out how to earn a loan review certificate or become a certified lender or investment management analyst.
Publications
American BankerYou might want to take a look at this popular publication, intended for professionals in the banking industry. Interesting tools include a rate tracker, a free trial of the publication, a bank ranking system, and headline news.
CFA Institute: PublicationsA large variety of investment management research publications are available from this site, including journals, magazines, books, and other publications. You can browse this collection online by topic or access selected webcasts and publications that are very important in the financial industry. You can also look at free online samples of the Financial Analysts Journal, FA Digest, CFA Institute Conference Proceedings, and CFA Magazine.
International Financing ReviewThis publication provides international market intelligence and is widely read by loan officers and others in the industry of investment. Capital markets information includes talk about debt instruments, equities, bonds, and loans. It is the industry’s leading publication, so you’ll probably want to familiarize yourself with it and even try a free issue.
MoneyThe writers at CNN and Money magazine have created this online version to provide top news in the financial industry. Current issue highlights are found, as well as departments for business news, personal finance, real estate, tech, luxury, and fortune.
Wall Street JournalLeading business financial news is provided at the Wall Street Journal online edition, where you will find U.S. business news, as well as news from around the globe. Departments at the site include world news, news by industry, and highlights of the day. My Online Journal offers you the opportunity to customize the site to your personal interests, or find a host of market tools, a classifieds listings, and multimedia online extras.
Online Forums & Blogs
BlogUniverse: Financial BlogsFinancial news and planning are the focus of this collection of blogs, including close to 200 links. You can look at this list alphabetically or sort the discussions by popularity.
Broker OutpostThis loan officer forum is very active and includes topics and posts about mortgage brokers, lender reviews, and loan officer training. Roundtable discussions are offered if you sign up as a member.
Wall Street Journal BlogsThere are so many blogs to choose from at this page, including market news and analysis, real-time economics, headlines in different markets, and postings about the environment, wealth, and business technology. If you are interested in becoming a loan officer, you might find an interesting current or archived discussion.
WannaNetwork: Mortgage and Loan Officer ForumSince mortgage and loan officers need to find creative ways of drumming up business, sites, such as this networking one are useful, offer marketing tips, mortgage and referral leads, loan scenarios, and answers to your mortgage questions.
Career Videos
ISeek.com: Loan OfficerAt ISeek’s career overview you can find a video which describes the job of a loan officer. Learn about what loan officers learn to make lending decisions, the skills they need to determine the value of property and secure loans, and the methods they use to examine the markets for new loan business possibilities
YouTube: Loan OfficersBrought to you by CollegeRecruiter, this site gives you information on the mortgage industry and what you need to know to get into this business, specifically across a few different specialties. The skills needed, such as a good people sense, and a job description are provided.
