A financial secretary provides support to the accounting department. In a smaller company or social group, such as a church, the financial secretary may serve as one half of the accounting department – along with a treasurer. In this position you are involved in every aspect of the company's financials, from incoming money to bill-paying and taxes. A successful financial secretary has knowledge of all aspects of corporate accounting. Because finances are the backbone of any company, the financial secretary must be well organized and keep meticulous records.
Financial Reports
The financial secretary develops reports for management that track all of the money that goes in and out of the company. She provides current balances for all accounts, including bank accounts. The secretary records all company transactions and provides detailed reports to management. Building these reports and updating them on a regular basis allows the financial secretary to note any past-due clients or payable accounts as well as any other issues that might cause financial problems for the company.
Receiving Payments
It is one of the financial secretary's primary duties to receive all payments due to the company in a timely manner. The secretary receives and documents payments received from clients. A second part of this is to prepare the funds for bank deposits, make sure that those deposits are received by the bank and record the amounts in the company's financial statements. If a client is late making a payment or is having financial issues, the secretary makes arrangements with the client to bring the account current.
Accounts Payable
No matter what business you're in, every company has bills that need to be categorized and paid on time. The financial secretary keeps track of these bills, develops an organizational system that illustrates the bills, amounts due and due date so that management can easily approve any necessary expenditures. It also falls to the financial secretary to make sure that checks are cut to pay bills and that those checks are sent out well in advance of the due date.
Correspondence
A financial secretary is still a secretary and as such is required to perform administrative tasks. Some of these tasks include preparing and mailing invoices, tax records and tax-deduction forms, if the company is a non-profit organization. At the end of the year the secretary may also be asked to prepare and mail employee tax forms. The financial secretary also returns phone calls and responds to email correspondence. She may also be required to address any client financial questions or concerns. Another necessary administrative task is to draft letters to vendors, customer and creditors.
