A financial assistant work in a number of fields, including accounting, banking, auditing, and investment. Regardless of the specific field, a financial assistant must have a solid background in accounting, bookkeeping and taxation; they typically assist clients with project forecasts, budgets, cost analysis, and inventory calculations.Financial assistants most often work in a traditional office setting during regular business hours. They are often busy, meeting with several clients a day. In these meetings they discuss topics such as budgets, forecasts, cost-benefit analyses, trend analysis, and forecasts; they may also produce financial statements. They give advice to their clients about projects, including whether it may be profitable and what the variable/fixed costs will be. They might also help to lead clients away from or prevent bankruptcy, downsizing, or closure.A bachelor's degree in finance or accounting is typical, and the financial assistant might also possess other qualifications (such as a Certified Public Accountant, or CPA, license). The work they do is mainly mental and requires excellent attention to detail. They must be familiar with computers and fluent with programs such as Microsoft Excel, Access, and Intuit Quickbooks.