Guide to Chartered Financial Analyst Training

There are a number of professional designations available to investment professionals. There are also a number of reasons one may pursue a professional designation such as Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Besides the education a professional will get while going through the financial analysis courses, once achieved, this professional designation can carry a great deal of weight when dealing with prospective clients.

Whether you are interested in becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst, or whether you just want to know what type of financial analysis training your CFA has endured, this guide will help you learn:

1. What a chartered financial analyst is.

2. Information about the CFA exam.

3. What financial analysis courses are available.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find out what "Chartered Financial Analyst" means

If you have ever been in the market for a financial adviser, you may have noticed the acronym, "CFA," or "Chartered Financial Analyst," as part of the title on their cards. So, what is it?

I recommend: The CFA institute has information to tell you what a Charted Financial Analyst is and what the program entails. An investment professional that passed the chartered financial analyst exams should live up to a certain code of ethics. If you are interested in embarking in CFA training, a good place to start is the Financial Analyst Journal.

Discover what the Chartered Financial Analyst exam is all about

You have either decided to pursue the CFA training, or you are just wondering what you may be getting into once you complete your Chartered Financial Analyst training. You need to know where to look for information about the CFA training and exam.

I recommend: The CFA institute website lists the course of study for the exam. Analyst Forum has detailed forums for exam Level I, Level II and Level III. If you want to join or form a study group, you can do it here too.

Determine what financial analyst training courses are available

If you are planning to pursue Chartered Financial Analyst training, you may find that outside help for study purposes may be of great help.

I recommend: Kaplan is a well-known educational institution that offers financial analysis training for taking the Chartered Financial Analysis exam. Other institutions that offer financial analyst training for the CFP or offer Chartered Financial Analyst books for study purposes are Quinnipac University and Allen Resources.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• If you are interested in pursuing financial analysis training, but are concerned about the cost, many companies that employ Chartered Financial Analysts, like full-service investment firms like UBS Financial and Morgan Stanley, will pay for the costs of an individual to get their Chartered Financial Analyst title.

The official source of Chartered Financial Analyst Training is
the Chartered Financial Analyst Training page at Business.com