CFA Program® - What is the Chartered Financial Analyst Course?

The CFA^® designation sets the standard in exam based qualifications for the global financial industry and is recognised by employers as a badge of distinction by which to measure serious investment professionals.

The CFA^® Program is enjoying dramatic growth worldwide, which the CFA Institute attributes to the relevance of the syllabus and high standards of professionalism that it demands. In short, it is becoming the accepted benchmark for technical excellence in the financial markets.

The CFA^® designation is now entering its fifth decade having been established in 1962. The CFA Institute network boasts:

• More than 93,000 members in 133 countries.
• 79,000 CFA charter holders.
• 135 member societies in 56 countries.

The benefits of becoming a CFA^® Charterholder

Having the CFA^® designation after your name underlines the fact that you have desirable characteristics of competence, integrity and passion, valued by all investment firms.

• Portable reputation – the charter remains a mark of quality, whether you change company or move country.
• Global relevance – an international standard for measuring competence and integrity - principles that are common to any market.
• Career-enhancing – demonstrates your commitment to knowledge and high ethical standard to employers and clients
• Credible – praised and supported by the clients, employers and regulators; the investment community at large

The CFA^® designation is desirable for career progression in a bull market but also greater job security in bearish markets.

The CFA^®designation also carries with it some distinct advantages over an MBA:

• Unlike MBA programme the CFA^® content and exam are standardised around the world.
• The CFA^® Program can cost one tenth of an MBA and allows you to carry on working whilst studying, unlike an MBA.
• The 2005 CFA Institute and Russell Reynolds Associates’ Survey indicated CFA^® charterholders out earned their MBA counterparts by 18%.

For further information please view the CFA Institute’s website: http://www.cfainstitute.org

CFA Institute does not endorse, promote, or warrant the accuracy or quality of the products or services offered by Kaplan Financial. CFA Institute, CFA^® and Chartered Financial Analyst^® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.