Top Finance Certifications

Employers are looking for experts who have the knowledge, experience and chartered certifications in a specific industry. Financial certifications require a big investment, both in time and money. Here, you can review 6 Financial certificates

Chartered Financial Analyst? (CFA?) Certification

The CFA? designation is highly sought after by finance professionals around the world. It consists of three levels and takes an average of about 4 years to complete all 3 levels. It is widely regarded as one of the top finance certifications.

The main focus of this finance certification is on portfolio management and investment analysis. The main exam topics include ethical and professional standards, quantitative methods, economics, financial reporting and analysis, corporate finance, portfolio management, equity, fixed income, derivatives, and alternative investments.

The designation typically costs between $4,000 and $5,000, depending on whether or not you have to rewrite any exams and how early (or late) you register for your exams. The pass rate to obtain the full certification program (all 3 levels) is below 20%.

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Certification

Many finance professionals choose to have an accounting designation instead of a finance certification. CPA is the gold standard in the accounting world and also plays really well in a finance career path. The CPA curriculum consists of auditing and attestation, business environment and concepts, financial accounting and reporting, and regulation.

The total cost of a CPA certification (start to finish) is about $3,000 and is typically covered by the student’s employer. The pass rate per exam varies, but for a first attempt is about 50%.

Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA?) Designation

The CAIA? certification is focused on alternative investments and geared toward professionals in the asset management and hedge fund industries. The main topics covered in the CAIA? are ethics, hedge funds, private equity, real assets, structured products, asset allocation, and risk management. CAIA? is one of the top finance certifications.

The cost of the CAIA? finance certification is about $3,000 (in total) and the program consists of two levels. The pass rate is about 70%.

Certified Financial Planner (CFP?) Certification

Earning a CFP? designation can be a great path for anyone looking at a career in investment or wealth management. As the name implies, it’s focused on financial planning, which is the retail or high net worth segment of investment management. CFP? is one of the top finance certifications for anyone who wants to manage high net worth clients.

CFP? is one of the finance accreditations that represents great value, as it usually costs about $2,000 but can be higher or lower depending on how many course materials you purchase. The pass rate is about 67%.

Financial Risk Manager (FRM?) Certification

The FRM? certification is designed for professionals pursuing careers as risk officers, risk analysts, and other positions in risk management. The cost of the designation is about $1,500 and takes approximately a year to complete. The pass rate is approximately 50% for the FRM.

Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA)? Certification

A new and increasingly popular option for corporate finance professionals is to obtain a financial modeling certification from an institute such as CFI. Course topics range from how to build a financial model to advanced valuation techniques and sensitivity analysis, all using practical applications in Excel. The full Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst Program (FMVA)? at CFI is an affordable investment, starting at $497, and comes with over 24 courses and over 100 hours of video instruction. The pass rate is approximately 70% for the FMVA? test.