{"id":2390,"date":"2023-01-23T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-23T17:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/?p=2390"},"modified":"2024-07-23T13:14:17","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T17:14:17","slug":"chartered-financial-analyst","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/careers\/chartered-financial-analyst","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A chartered financial analyst (CFA) is a certification offered by the CFA Institute and a title for those who have earned this certification. Getting a CFA charter requires several exams and can be a difficult process. However, the CFA designation is highly respected in the investing and corporate finance<\/a> world, making it a lucrative career goal<\/a> for many young professionals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Do CFAs Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A chartered financial analyst, or CFA, has received a CFA certification from the CFA Institute. In general, a financial analyst<\/a> makes decisions on how to spend money to maximize profits, be it through stock market investments or mergers and acquisitions (M&A)<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CFA Institute reports over 200,000 CFAs<\/a> worldwide working in 160 different markets, and this charter is highly sought after by finance professionals and the companies they work for.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The CFA charter is instant credibility within the industry,” says Rick Nott, CFA and senior wealth adviser at LourdMurray. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This certification shows the holder has a deep understanding of economics<\/a>, investment management<\/a>, financial analysis, and the ethics surrounding investing. Additionally, the charter provides a foundation of quantitative skills, financial knowledge, and analytical thinking<\/a>. As such, the day-to-day of a CFA’s job will differ depending on the type of finance career they have. For example, while a research analyst may focus on examining data to aid investment decisions, other roles may be more client-focused. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I spend most of my day talking to people about their personal, financial, and business problems,” says Nott about his work in wealth management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t

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NY Jobs CEO Council Financial Analyst<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Analyze a company's financials and learn what it's like working as a financial analyst in this free job simulation. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Where Do CFAs Work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The CFA exams cover a broad range of topics, preparing charterholders to work in virtually any area of financial services<\/a>. Some CFAs may work for large investment banking companies<\/a> focusing on raising capital and selling securities (like stocks<\/a> or bonds). Others move into management accounting and handle budgeting and financial planning for clients and businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typical Roles for CFA Charterholders <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Some job titles a CFA holder may have include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n