What are the various credentials for advisors?
Do you know the difference between a CFS® and a ChFC®? Do you want your advisor to be a CIC or CIMA? What does a CMT have to offer as opposed to a CLU®? Here are the nine most common financial professional designations to help you navigate the sea of professional designation acronyms.
| Designation | Issuing Organization | Qualifications in Brief | Area of Expertise |
| Chartered Market Technician (CMT) | Market Technicians Association (MTA) | - 3 Exams
- 3 years professional analytical or investment management experience
| Technical analysis |
Certified Public Accountant and Personal Financial Specialist (CPA and PFS) | The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) | - Hold unrevoked CPA certificate
- 2 years of teaching or experience (3,000 hours) in personal financial planning with 5 year period preceding application
- 75 hours of education and leading to final exam and then continuing education
| Financial planning including tax, estate, retirement and insurance and some niche areas like employee benefits and elder planning |
| Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) | The American College | - 3 years experience within 5 years of designation
- 24 credit hours
- Exam and then continuing education
| Legal aspects of life insurance and the and assisting clients in estate planning, including various wills and trust arrangements |
| Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) | Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA) | - 3 years experience within 5 years of designation
- 24 credit hours
- Exam and then continuing education
| Wealth management professionals that meet an international standard for personal certification (ISO/IEC 17024:2012) and accreditation by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) |
| Chartered Investment Counselor (CIC) | Investment Advisor Association (IAA) | - Be employed by an IAA firm
- 5 cumulative years work experience
- 50% or more time devoted to investment counseling and portfolio management
- Letter of reference from manager or above and 3 additional letters
- Hold Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Designation
| Portfolio management |
| Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) | The American College | - 3 years full time business experience within 5 years preceding designation
- 7 core and 2 elective courses of 27 credit hours
- Exam, continuing education
| Financial planning including insurance, income taxation, retirement planning, investments and estate planning |
| Certified Fund Specialist (CFS®) | Investor of Business & Finance (IBF) | - Bachelor’s Degree or 2,000 hours financial services work experience
- Self-study, 3 exams then a case study and continuing education
| Mutual funds, ETF (Exchange Traded Fund), REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) |
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) | CFA Institute | - Undergraduate degree or combination of college and work experience adding up to 4 years
- Self-study (250 hours of study for each of 3 levels)
- Three six-hour course exams
| Investment analysis and portfolio management |
Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) | Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. | - Bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an accredited school or university
- 3 years of full time personal financial planning or equivalent part-time experience (2,000 hours=1year)
- Must complete a CFP-board registered program or hold one of the following: CPA, ChFC®, CLU®, CFA®, Ph.D. in business economics, Doctor of Business Administration, Attorney’s license
- Final certification and continuing education
| Financial planning and competency in over 90 topics including stocks, bonds, taxes, insurance, retirement planning and estate planning |
