Following is a partial list of

professional certification Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply ''certification'' or ''qualification'', is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task. Not all certifications ...

s in

financial services Financial services are service (economics), economic services tied to finance provided by financial institutions. Financial services encompass a broad range of tertiary sector of the economy, service sector activities, especially as concerns finan ...

, with an overview of the educational and continuing requirements for each; see and :Professional certification in finance for all articles. As the field of

finance Finance refers to monetary resources and to the study and Academic discipline, discipline of money, currency, assets and Liability (financial accounting), liabilities. As a subject of study, is a field of Business administration, Business Admin ...

has increased in complexity in recent years, the number of available designations has grown, and, correspondingly, some will have more recognition than others.Ernest N. Biktimirov (2012)
Global Alphabet Soup: Internationally Recognized Professional Designations in Finance
''Journal of Financial Education'' 38 (3/4), Fall/Winter 2012, 18-32The Rise of the Chief Risk Officer
''

Institutional Investor An institutional investor is an entity that pools money to purchase securities, real property, and other investment assets or originate loans. Institutional investors include commercial banks, central banks, credit unions, government-linked ...

'' (March 2017).. In the US, many state securities and insurance regulators do not allow financial professionals to use a designation — in particular a "senior" designation — unless it has been accredited by either the

American National Standards Institute The American National Standards Institute (ANSI ) is a private nonprofit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organiz ...

or the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.

Investments

Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement

The Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) is a

professional accreditation Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply ''certification'' or ''qualification'', is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task. Not all certifications ...

in the field of investment performance analysis. It includes investment performance measurement and attribution. It is offered by the CIPM Association, a body associated with the

CFA Institute The CFA Institute is a global, not-for-profit professional organization that provides investment professionals with finance education. The institute aims to promote standards in ethics, education, and professional excellence in the global investme ...

Certified International Investment Analyst

Certified International Investment Analyst (CIIA) is an internationally recognised advanced professional qualification for individuals working in the finance and investment industry. The CIIA maintains standards both at the national and international levels: ACIIA tests candidates at the local level (at their home country), and, having cleared those country specific exams, at the common international level. The topics are largely similar to the CFA; see below.

Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst

The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation is a financial certification for investment professionals conferred by the CAIA Association. The curriculum is designed to provide finance professionals with a broad base of knowledge in

alternative investments An alternative investment, also known as an alternative asset or alternative investment fund (AIF), is an investment in any asset class excluding capital stocks, bonds, and cash. The term is a relatively loose one and includes tangible a ...

. Candidates must complete two examinations in succession and pay an ongoing certification fee to retain rights to use the financial designation.

Chartered Financial Analyst

The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) is a post-graduate professional qualification offered internationally by the American-based

. The program covers a considerably wide range of topics relating to advanced

investment management Investment management (sometimes referred to more generally as financial asset management) is the professional asset management of various Security (finance), securities, including shareholdings, Bond (finance), bonds, and other assets, such as r ...

and security analysis - thus

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

financial reporting Financial statements (or financial reports) are formal records of the financial activities and position of a business, person, or other entity. Relevant financial information is presented in a structured manner and in a form which is easy to un ...

and analysis,

corporate finance Corporate finance is an area of finance that deals with the sources of funding, and the capital structure of businesses, the actions that managers take to increase the Value investing, value of the firm to the shareholders, and the tools and analy ...

and portfolio management - and provides a generalist knowledge of other areas of finance. The program consists of three examinations in succession, each about four and a half hours long. To attain the Charter, candidates require three years work experience; thereafter they must adhere to a code of ethics, and pay an ongoing certification fee to retain rights to use the designation.

Chartered Wealth Manager

For retail focused professionals, CISI - the UK based Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment - offers the Chartered Wealth Manager Qualification (CWM), comprising three sequential exams in financial markets, portfolio construction, and then applied

wealth management Wealth management (WM) or wealth management advisory (WMA) is an investment advisory service that provides financial management and wealth advisory services to a wide array of clients ranging from affluent to high-net-worth (HNW) and ultra-hi ...

. With further experience requirements met, the Chartered Wealth Manager title may be used additional to other CISI membership designations.

CISI Diploma

The CISI Diploma in Capital Markets, also offered by CISI, is a leading qualification for practitioners working in wholesale securities markets. It comprises sequential modules in (i) financial securities, (ii) financial markets, and then (iii) a role specific selection from fixed income, derivatives, or fund management. The three exams typically take between 18 months and two years to complete. Candidates become full Members and may use the post-nominal "MCSI". It was previously known as the "SII Diploma".

Development Finance Certified Professional

A Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) is a specialist in development finance theory and practice that has been professionally accredited by the Chartered Institute of Development Finance; the professional association which engages with academic institutions,

development finance institution Development finance institution (DFI), also known as a Development bank, is a financial institution that provides risk capital for economic development projects on a non-commercial basis. DFIs are often established and owned by governments or ...

s, and support agencies to support and maintain ethical conduct and professionalism in the development finance discipline globally. It is the highest professional qualification for development finance practitioners.

Financial planning

Certified Financial Planner

The Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation is a certification mark for

financial planner A financial planner or personal financial planner is a qualified financial advisor. Practicing in full service personal finance, they advise clients on investments, insurance, tax, retirement and estate planning. As a general rule, a financial p ...

s conferred by the CFP Board of Standards. To receive authorization to use the designation, the candidate must meet education, examination, experience and ethics requirements, and pay an ongoing certification fee. It is offered in the United States, and in 25 other countries through affiliated organizations.

Chartered Financial Consultant

The Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) is the "advanced financial planning" designation awarded by The American College of Financial Services. To secure the designation, applicants must have three years of full-time business experience within the preceding five years and must complete nine college-level courses; the award is also contingent on adherence to a set of ethical guidelines. The designation exempts one from sitting the

Series 65 Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination, also called the Series 65 exam, is a test taken by individuals in the United States who seek to become licensed investment adviser representatives. The exam covers topics necessary to provide investment ...

examination.

Chartered Financial Divorce Analyst

Chartered Financial Divorce Analyst (CFDA) refers to the Canadian designation for specialists facilitating objective

financial analysis Financial analysis (also known as financial statement analysis, accounting analysis, or analysis of finance) refers to an assessment of the viability, stability, and profitability of a business, sub-business, project or investment. It is per ...

for families & individuals going through

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...

marital separation Marital separation occurs when spouses in a marriage stop living together without getting divorced. Married couples may separate as an initial step in the divorce process or to gain perspective on the marriage and determine whether divorce is warr ...

legal separation Legal separation (sometimes judicial separation, separate maintenance, divorce ', or divorce from bed-and-board) is a legal process by which a married couple may formalize a separation while remaining legally married. A legal separation is gra ...

and life transitions. The regulating body is the Academy of Financial Divorce Specialists (AFDS). Members are required to have an existing financial designation and be in good standing to be eligible for the course. Once passing, members must maintain credentials and ongoing annual education, and application/work in field.

Chartered Financial Planner

The Chartered Financial Planner is a designation awarded by the UK based Chartered Insurance Institute. To attain "Chartered status" the candidate must sit 14 exams, and have five years relevant experience. Thereafter continued learning is required annually.

Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner

The Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner (FChFP) designation is a financial planning designation issued by the Asia Pacific Financial Services Association (APFinSA). Candidates must have 2 years of full-time experience, and then pass 6 exams. The designation was developed by the National Association of Malaysian Life Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAMLIFA) in 1996 and later on adopted by APFinSA (of which NAMLIFA is a member) in 2001 as the flagship designation for its 11 member associations.

Registered Financial Planner

Registered Financial Planner (RFP) refers to one of several separate designations in financial planning; there is currently no connection between these. *In Canada, the RFP designation is conferred by the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners. To become an RFP in Canada, candidates must pass exams, submit a sample comprehensive financial plan and meet education and experience requirements; IQPF awards the Financial Planner (F.Pl.) diploma in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. *In Malaysia, the Registered Financial Planner (RFP) designation is conferred by the Malaysian Financial Planning Council (MFPC). It is one of the recognised qualification by the Securities Commission and Bank Negara Malaysia for those wishing to apply for a financial planner or financial adviser licence. See Financial Planners in Malaysia. *In the United States, the RFP designation is offered by the Registered Financial Planners Institute. The designation requires 2 years relevant experience, and 120 hours of course-based study. *In

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

, the Society of Registered Financial Planners offers the HKRFP, valid in Hong Kong and China.

Technical analysis

Certified Financial Technician

The Certified Financial Technician (CFTe) is a designation in

technical analysis In finance, technical analysis is an analysis methodology for analysing and forecasting the direction of prices through the study of past market data, primarily price and volume. As a type of active management, it stands in contradiction to ...

offered by the International Federation of Technical Analysts (IFTA). It comprises two sequential examinations, usually completed over two years; to register candidates require a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

and three years' relevant experience. Once qualified, a CFTe may pursue the MFTA (Master of Financial Technical Analysis), requiring submission of a research thesis. Members are in 22 countries.

Chartered Market Technician

The Chartered Market Technician (CMT) is a designation in

offered by the CMT Association. The program comprises three examination levels, certifying that the individual is competent in the use of technical analysis, and knowledgeable re the underlying theory. To earn the designation, candidates must hold a degree, and have three years relevant experience.

Diploma in Technical Analysis

The STA Diploma in Technical Analysis is a designation in

Technical analysis In finance, technical analysis is an analysis methodology for analysing and forecasting the direction of prices through the study of past market data, primarily price and volume. As a type of active management, it stands in contradiction to ...

offered by the UK based Society of Technical Analysts (STA). It comprises two sequential examinations. The qualification is accredited by the International Federation of Technical Analysts and the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. Designants are also entitled to the above Certified Financial Technician (CFTe) designation and certain Chartered Wealth Management Qualification (CWM) exemptions.

Corporate finance

Corporate Finance Qualification

CISI, in conjunction with ICAEW, offers the two tiered Certificate, and then Diploma in

Corporate Finance Corporate finance is an area of finance that deals with the sources of funding, and the capital structure of businesses, the actions that managers take to increase the Value investing, value of the firm to the shareholders, and the tools and analy ...

. The qualification is "designed with a focus on the commercial, practical and technical skills" applicable in corporate finance. With three years appropriate experience, these lead to the ICAEW Corporate Finance (CF) designatory letters, and to full CISI Chartered Member status.

FP&A Professional

The Certified Corporate

FP&A Financial planning and analysis (FP&A), in accounting and business, refers to the various integrated financial planning, planning, financial analysis, analysis, and Financial_modeling#Accounting, modeling activities aimed decision support, at sup ...

Professional, or "FPAC", is a designation conferred by the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP), known for their CTP treasury qualification covered below. The FPAC syllabus is over two exams: the first 3-hour paper, covers underlying knowledge of financial planning and analysis; the second 4.5 hour paper, is a case-based test of applied

analytics Analytics is the systematic computational analysis of data or statistics. It is used for the discovery, interpretation, and communication of meaningful patterns in data, which also falls under and directly relates to the umbrella term, data sc ...

and business support. Certificants have three years experience and hold a relevant degree or other qualification; AFP thereafter specifies continuing education requirements.

International Certificate in Corporate Finance

The International Certificate in Corporate Finance (ICCF) is a professional designation for employees in corporate finance, covering

, valuation and

decision making In psychology, decision-making (also spelled decision making and decisionmaking) is regarded as the cognitive process resulting in the selection of a belief or a course of action among several possible alternative options. It could be either ra ...

. The program comprises three 6-week online courses, three major cases studies, and a 2-hour final exam. The program is delivered by First Finance Institute in partnership with the following four

business school A business school is a higher education institution or professional school that teaches courses leading to degrees in business administration or management. A business school may also be referred to as school of management, management school, s ...

HEC Paris HEC Paris () is a business school and ''grande école'' located in Jouy-en-Josas, a southwestern outer suburb of Paris, France. It offers Bachelor, MiM, MSc in International Finance, MBA, EMBA, executive education, professional developm ...

, Columbia, Wharton and IE Business School.

Risk management and quantitative finance

Certificate in Quantitative Finance

The Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF) is an online part-time

financial engineering Financial engineering is a multidisciplinary field involving financial theory, methods of engineering, tools of mathematics and the practice of programming. It has also been defined as the application of technical methods, especially from mathe ...

program; it was founded by

Paul Wilmott Paul Wilmott (born 8 November 1959) is an English people, English researcher, consultant and lecturer in quantitative finance.derivatives, IT, quantitative trading, insurance, model validation or risk management. The program's focus is on the practical implementation of techniques ("real-world quantitative finance"), it thus incorporates an element of questioning and analyzing models and methods; it assumes some background in mathematics and programming. See also under , , and .

Certified Risk Management Professional

The Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) is an

enterprise risk management Enterprise risk management (ERM) in business includes the methods and processes used by organizations to manage risks and seize opportunities related to the achievement of their objectives. ERM provides a framework for risk management, which typi ...

(ERM) focused credential offered by RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society. Candidates sit a two-hour competency based exam, and require a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

majoring in Risk Management together with a year's appropriate experience (or more with other qualifications); certificants are then required to uphold a Code of Ethics and meet

continuing education Continuing education is the education undertaken after initial education for either personal or professional reasons. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada. Recognized forms of post-secondary learning activities within the d ...

requirements in order to maintain the certification. (A similarly named certificate is offered by IRMSA in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

Certified Risk Professional

"Certified Risk Professional" is a graduate-level qualification offered by the Institute of Risk Management (IRM), allowing for the post nominal designation "CMIRM". It is achieved by completing a certificate and then diploma, together with three year's relevant experience. The ''International Certificate in Financial Services Risk Management'', International Certificate in Financial Services Risk Management
theirm.org Course Listing
at UK Finance Course Listing
at ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

''. comprises two modules, usually taken over 9 months; with four further modules, over three years, the certificant articulates to the ERM focused ''International Diploma in Risk Management'', thereby qualifying. (Several UK universities have MSc programmes aligned with these; students may gain exemption from specified modules.) At the certificate level IRM also offers the ''International Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management'', as well as others.

Chartered Enterprise Risk Actuary / Analyst

The CERA credential —

Chartered Enterprise Risk Actuary The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries is the professional body which represents and regulates actuaries in the United Kingdom. History The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries came into being on 1 August 2010 as a result of the merger of the Ins ...

through the

Institute and Faculty of Actuaries The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries is the professional body which represents and regulates Actuary, actuaries in the United Kingdom. History The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries came into being on 1 August 2010 as a result of the merger of ...

, and

Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst The Society of Actuaries (SOA) is a global Professional association, professional organization for actuary, actuaries. It was founded in 1949 as the merger of two major actuarial organizations in the United States: the Actuarial Society of Americ ...

through the

Society of Actuaries The Society of Actuaries (SOA) is a global professional organization for actuaries. It was founded in 1949 as the merger of two major actuarial organizations in the United States: the Actuarial Society of America and the American Institute of A ...

— provides risk professionals with "strong ERM knowledge that drives better business decisions applied in finance and insurance". Chartered Enterprise Risk Actuary
actuaries.org.uk Under both, certificants have completed various of the underlying actuarial qualifying exams, as well as further specified modules and training in risk management.

Financial Risk Manager

The Financial Risk Manager (FRM) is a professional certification in

risk management Risk management is the identification, evaluation, and prioritization of risks, followed by the minimization, monitoring, and control of the impact or probability of those risks occurring. Risks can come from various sources (i.e, Threat (sec ...

offered by the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), https://www.sec.gov/comments/s7-16-15/s71615-33.pdf The coverage - focusing on

market risk Market risk is the risk of losses in positions arising from movements in market variables like prices and volatility. There is no unique classification as each classification may refer to different aspects of market risk. Nevertheless, the m ...

credit risk Credit risk is the chance that a borrower does not repay a loan In finance, a loan is the tender of money by one party to another with an agreement to pay it back. The recipient, or borrower, incurs a debt and is usually required to pay ...

and

operational risk Operational risk is the risk of losses caused by flawed or failed processes, policies, systems or events that disrupt business operations. Employee errors, criminal activity such as fraud, and physical events are among the factors that can tri ...

, and including requisite quantitative and

material - is over two exams. Certificants are in more than 190 countries and territories worldwide,Official Candidate Guide, http://storage.pardot.com/39542/121486/FRM_2017_CandidateGuide_V8.2_AG.pdf and have taken an average of two years to earn their Certification. GARP Frequently-Asked-Questions -EXAM regulations-, http://www.garp.org/#!/frm/frequently-asked-questions

Professional Risk Manager

The Professional Risk Manager certification (PRM), offered by

PRMIA The Professional Risk Managers' International Association (PRMIA) is a non-profit, member-driven professional organization that focuses on the development and education of the risk management profession. Its membership provides a network of risk ...

, emphasizes practice-related skills and knowledge required within the risk management profession, and

financial risk management Financial risk management is the practice of protecting Value (economics), economic value in a business, firm by managing exposure to financial risk - principally credit risk and market risk, with more specific variants as listed aside - as well ...

more particularly; its coverage, structure and recognition are similar to the FRM. It additionally requires a commitment to

professional ethics Professional ethics encompass the personal and corporate standards of behavior expected of professionals. The word professionalism originally applied to vows of a religious order. By no later than the year 1675, the term had seen secular appli ...

, and 20 annual hours of continuing education.

Treasury management

Association of Corporate Treasurers

The Association of Corporate Treasurers offers training and various qualifications in cash- and treasury management. The Diploma in Treasury Management (3 papers over 12–18 months) allows for Associate Membership, with post-nominal letters AMCT, while the subsequent Advanced Diploma (of similar structure and duration, and requiring also a dissertation) grants full membership, MCT. The FCT fellowship is conferred following several years of experience.

Certified Treasury Professional

The Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) designation is a certification for treasurers, cash managers, treasury managers, and other treasury-related professionals administered by the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP). The CTP was formerly known as the Certified Cash Manager or CCM designation but was renamed due to treasury's increasing role in managing the entire balance sheet and implementing the strategic direction prescribed by Chief Financial Officers. The CTP certification is held by over 20,000 finance professionals and, in the US, is considered the leading certification in the treasury management profession.

References

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Professional certification in finance Following is a partial list of professional certifications in financial services, with an overview of the educational and continuing requirements for each; see and :Professional certification in finance for all articles. As the field of finance ...