1. What is a Consultant at Voya Financial?

As a Wealth Management Consultant at Voya Financial, you serve as a critical bridge between complex financial products and the clients who rely on them to secure their financial futures. This role goes beyond standard advisory work; it requires a deep understanding of retirement planning, investment strategies, and holistic wealth management. You will be instrumental in driving Voya’s mission to help Americans plan, invest, and protect their savings, directly impacting the financial well-being of individuals and families.

Your work will involve closely collaborating with internal teams, financial advisors, and external partners to deliver tailored wealth management solutions. You will navigate a highly regulated, dynamic market environment, ensuring that Voya Financial remains a trusted leader in the industry. By analyzing market trends and client portfolios, you will help design strategies that mitigate risk and optimize returns, making your strategic influence vital to the company's growth.

Expect a role that demands both high-level financial acumen and exceptional interpersonal skills. You will not only analyze data and structure financial plans but also present these complex concepts in a way that builds trust and drives action. If you thrive in an environment that blends analytical rigor with client-facing strategy, the Consultant role at Voya Financial offers a unique platform to shape the future of wealth management.

2. Common Interview Questions

The following questions represent the types of inquiries you will face during your interviews at Voya Financial. While you should not memorize answers, you should use these to practice your delivery and ensure you have strong, structured stories ready for each category.

Financial Knowledge & Market Acumen

These questions test your technical understanding of wealth management and your ability to apply macroeconomic concepts to individual client scenarios.

• Walk me through your philosophy on asset allocation for a client five years away from retirement.
• How do you evaluate the performance of a mutual fund before recommending it to a client?
• Explain the difference between a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA, and how you determine which is best for a client.
• How are current inflation trends impacting your recommendations for fixed-income investments?
• What is your approach to managing sequence-of-returns risk for a newly retired client?

Client Scenarios & Problem Solving

Interviewers use these questions to see how you handle real-world consulting challenges, manage expectations, and communicate effectively.

• Tell me about a time you had to correct a significant mistake made on a client's account. How did you handle it?
• A client wants to liquidate their entire portfolio during a market downturn. How do you advise them?
• Describe a time when you had to explain a highly complex financial concept to a client who was completely overwhelmed.
• How do you handle a situation where a client's financial goals are entirely unrealistic given their current assets?
• Tell me about a time you successfully retained a client who was considering leaving for a competitor.

Behavioral & Leadership

These questions focus on your cultural alignment with Voya Financial, your work ethic, and your ability to collaborate with internal teams.

• Tell me about a time you had to push back on a colleague or manager regarding a compliance or ethical concern.
• Describe your process for staying organized and prioritizing tasks when managing a large book of clients.
• Give me an example of a time you had to learn a new financial product or software system quickly.
• Tell me about a time you collaborated with a different department to solve a problem for a client.
• Why are you specifically interested in joining the wealth management team at Voya Financial?

3. Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparing for the Consultant interview at Voya Financial requires a balanced approach. Interviewers will look for a blend of technical financial knowledge, client management skills, and alignment with the company's core values. You should structure your preparation around the following key evaluation criteria.

Financial Acumen & Product Knowledge – This evaluates your understanding of wealth management principles, asset allocation, and retirement planning. Interviewers want to see that you can navigate complex financial landscapes and understand the types of products Voya Financial offers. You can demonstrate strength here by staying updated on current market conditions and articulating how macroeconomic factors impact individual portfolios.

Client Relationship Management – As a Wealth Management Consultant, your ability to build trust is paramount. This criterion assesses how you handle difficult client conversations, manage expectations, and communicate complex financial concepts clearly. Showcasing empathy, active listening, and a history of long-term client retention will set you apart.

Problem-Solving & Strategic Thinking – You will frequently encounter ambiguous client scenarios that require customized solutions. Interviewers evaluate your ability to assess a client's financial health, identify gaps, and propose actionable, compliant strategies. Strong candidates use structured frameworks to break down case studies or hypothetical client dilemmas during the interview.

Culture Fit & Integrity – Voya Financial places a massive emphasis on ethics, compliance, and doing the right thing for the client. This evaluates your professional integrity and how you collaborate with internal teams. You can highlight this by sharing examples of times you prioritized ethical considerations or worked cross-functionally to achieve a shared goal.

4. Interview Process Overview

The interview process for a Consultant at Voya Financial is designed to be thorough but highly collaborative. You will typically start with a behavioral and experience-based screening with a recruiter, which focuses heavily on your background, required licenses, and high-level culture fit. From there, you will move into a deeper conversation with the hiring manager, where the focus shifts to your specific wealth management experience, past performance metrics, and understanding of the financial services landscape.

As you progress to the final stages, expect a comprehensive panel interview that often includes a case study or a role-play scenario. During this phase, you will interact with senior leaders and peer consultants, presenting a financial strategy or navigating a simulated client conversation. Voya Financial values candidates who can defend their recommendations with data while maintaining a composed, client-friendly demeanor. The company's interviewing philosophy heavily emphasizes real-world application, so expect the scenarios to mirror actual challenges you would face on the job.

This visual timeline outlines the typical progression from the initial recruiter screen through the final panel and case presentations. You should use this to pace your preparation, focusing heavily on behavioral stories early on, and shifting toward technical financial planning and presentation skills for the final rounds. Keep in mind that specific stages may vary slightly depending on the exact team or regional office you are interviewing with.

5. Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

To succeed in your interviews, you need to understand exactly how Voya Financial evaluates its candidates across different dimensions of the Wealth Management Consultant role. Your interviewers will probe deeply into your technical expertise, your approach to client service, and your business development acumen.

Wealth Management & Financial Planning

This area tests your core competency as a financial professional. Interviewers need to know that you possess the technical depth to advise on complex portfolios, retirement income strategies, and tax-efficient investing. Strong performance here means moving beyond generic advice and demonstrating a nuanced understanding of how different financial vehicles interact within a holistic plan.

Be ready to go over:

• Asset Allocation Strategy – How you determine the right mix of equities, fixed income, and alternative investments based on client risk tolerance and time horizon.
• Retirement Planning – Expertise in 401(k)s, IRAs, annuities, and withdrawal strategies, which are core to Voya's business.
• Regulatory Compliance – Understanding the fiduciary standard, FINRA regulations, and how to maintain strict compliance in all client recommendations.
• Advanced concepts (less common) –
  • Estate planning basics and wealth transfer strategies.
  • Tax-loss harvesting and highly customized tax mitigation strategies.
  • Integration of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investments into traditional portfolios.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through how you would restructure a portfolio for a client transitioning from the wealth accumulation phase to the wealth distribution phase."
• "How do you explain the impact of rising interest rates on a fixed-income portfolio to a client with low financial literacy?"
• "A client wants to heavily overweight their portfolio in a highly volatile sector. How do you advise them while managing the relationship?"

Client Relationship & Stakeholder Management

Your success as a Consultant heavily relies on your ability to manage people—both external clients and internal partners. This area is evaluated through behavioral questions and situational role-plays. A strong candidate demonstrates exceptional active listening, patience, and the ability to de-escalate tense situations while maintaining the client's trust in Voya Financial.

Be ready to go over:

• De-escalation and Conflict Resolution – Handling clients who are upset about market downturns or service issues.
• Translating Complexity – Breaking down intricate financial jargon into actionable, easy-to-understand advice.
• Cross-functional Collaboration – Working with back-office operations, compliance officers, and product specialists to deliver seamless client experiences.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time you had to deliver bad news to a high-net-worth client regarding their portfolio's performance."
• "Describe a situation where you had to collaborate with an internal compliance team to get a complex client request approved."
• "How do you build trust with a new client who is highly skeptical of financial advisors?"

Sales Acumen & Business Development

While this is a consulting role, driving business growth and expanding the adoption of Voya Financial products is a key expectation. Interviewers will assess your ability to identify opportunities, position solutions effectively, and grow a book of business. Strong performance requires showing that you are proactive, resilient, and strategic in your outreach.

Be ready to go over:

• Needs Analysis – How you uncover hidden client needs during a discovery meeting.
• Product Positioning – Aligning Voya’s specific offerings with the gaps identified in a client’s financial plan.
• Pipeline Management – How you organize your time, track leads, and ensure consistent follow-up to close business.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through your process for preparing for a first-time discovery meeting with a prospective client."
• "Tell me about a time you successfully cross-sold a new financial product to an existing client. How did you identify the need?"
• "How do you prioritize your outreach when managing a large pipeline of prospective and current clients?"

6. Key Responsibilities

As a Wealth Management Consultant at Voya Financial, your day-to-day work will be a dynamic mix of client interaction, analytical research, and strategic planning. You will be responsible for conducting comprehensive financial reviews, assessing client goals, and designing customized wealth management strategies. This requires spending a significant portion of your week in direct consultation with clients—both virtually and in person—ensuring their portfolios remain aligned with their evolving life circumstances.

Beyond client meetings, you will collaborate closely with internal product specialists and compliance teams. If a client requires a complex annuity structure or a specialized retirement vehicle, you will act as the quarterback, bringing in the right internal experts to finalize the proposal. You will also be responsible for continuously monitoring market trends, adjusting financial models, and ensuring that all client documentation meets strict regulatory standards.

Additionally, this role involves a strong element of practice management and business development. You will actively manage a pipeline of prospective clients, host educational seminars on retirement readiness, and leverage Voya’s marketing resources to expand your reach. Your ability to balance deep analytical work with proactive relationship-building is what will make you successful in this position.

7. Role Requirements & Qualifications

To be competitive for the Consultant role at Voya Financial, you must demonstrate a strong foundation in financial services, backed by the appropriate credentials and a track record of client success.

• Must-have skills & qualifications:

  • Active FINRA Series 7 and Series 66 (or 63/65) licenses.
  • 3 to 5+ years of direct experience in wealth management, financial advising, or financial consulting.
  • Deep understanding of retirement planning, asset allocation, and investment vehicles.
  • Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with a proven ability to present complex data to non-technical audiences.
  • Strong adherence to compliance, ethics, and fiduciary responsibilities.

• Nice-to-have skills & qualifications:

  • CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designation or progress toward obtaining it.
  • Experience specifically with employer-sponsored retirement plans (401k, 403b) and employee benefits.
  • Proficiency with financial planning software (e.g., eMoney, MoneyGuidePro) and CRM systems like Salesforce.
  • A pre-existing network or established book of business in the Boston, MA market.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to have my FINRA licenses active before applying? Yes, for the Wealth Management Consultant role, having active Series 7 and Series 66 (or equivalent) licenses is almost always a hard requirement. If your licenses have lapsed, you should make that clear immediately, though it may put you at a competitive disadvantage.

Q: How technical are the financial questions during the interview? You should expect a moderate to high level of technical rigor. While you won't be asked to build complex financial models from scratch during the interview, you will be expected to fluently discuss asset allocation, tax implications, and retirement strategies without hesitation.

Q: What is the working culture and work-life balance like at Voya Financial? Voya Financial is widely recognized in the industry for fostering a highly supportive culture with excellent work-life balance. While the Consultant role requires dedication and responsiveness to client needs, the company heavily promotes flexibility, well-being, and a collaborative team environment over a high-pressure, cutthroat sales culture.

Q: How long does the interview process typically take? The process usually takes between three to five weeks from the initial recruiter screen to the final offer. Scheduling the final panel interview can sometimes cause slight delays, as it requires coordinating multiple senior stakeholders.

Q: Is this role fully remote, hybrid, or in-office? For the Boston, MA location, you should expect a hybrid working model. Voya Financial values in-person collaboration and client meetings, but generally offers the flexibility to work remotely for a portion of the week, depending on client schedules and team policies.

9. Other General Tips

• Master the STAR Method: When answering behavioral and client scenario questions, strictly use the Situation, Task, Action, Result format. Voya Financial interviewers look for structured thinkers who can clearly articulate the impact of their actions.
• Know Voya’s Core Business: Voya is a powerhouse in retirement readiness and employee benefits. Even if you are applying for a broader wealth management role, demonstrating knowledge of how corporate benefits tie into individual wealth planning will make you a standout candidate.

• Prepare Thoughtful Questions: At the end of your interviews, ask questions that show you are thinking strategically about the business. Ask about the team's growth goals, how they are integrating new financial technologies, or how recent regulatory changes are impacting their strategy.
• Showcase Empathy: Wealth management is ultimately a relationship business. Let your interpersonal skills shine through. Smile, maintain strong eye contact (even on video), and demonstrate that you are someone clients will feel comfortable trusting with their life savings.

10. Summary & Next Steps

Securing a Consultant role at Voya Financial is a fantastic opportunity to advance your career in wealth management within a highly respected, stable, and ethically driven organization. You will have the chance to make a tangible impact on the financial security of your clients while working alongside some of the best professionals in the industry. The role demands a rigorous blend of financial expertise, sales acumen, and unparalleled client service.

The compensation data above reflects the typical base salary range for this specific role in the Boston, MA market. Keep in mind that as a Wealth Management Consultant, your total compensation will likely include performance-based bonuses or variable compensation tied to client retention and business growth, making the overall package highly competitive.

To succeed, focus your preparation on mastering your narrative. Be ready to discuss your track record of client success, brush up on advanced retirement and investment strategies, and ensure you can articulate why Voya Financial is the right cultural fit for you. For more insights, mock questions, and interview preparation tools, continue exploring the resources available on Dataford. Approach your interviews with confidence, rely on your experience, and show the team exactly how you can add value from day one.