In the past few years, I have been a management consultant advising firms on project-oriented investment decisions. For example, deciding whether to rent a technology, deciding whether to spend money to partner with another firm, deciding whether to extend product discounts to a customer group, deciding whether its more profitable to launch in New York vs. California etc. The analyses are partially based on industry knowledge and partially based on financial modeling (calculating NPV, ROI, estimating cost and optimal amount to invest, etc.). I don’t help them manage their funds and I don’t have any visibility into how they will raise their capital.
I thought the work experience must be related to securities or at least private equity. Am I wrong…? I think the phrase “investment decision-making process” is a bit vague. Does investing in a technology / project / partnership / customer count as investment for CFA purposes?
Evaluating or applying financial, economic, and/or statistical data as part of the investment decision-making process; supervising persons who conduct such activities; or teaching such activities.
For a position to qualify, at least 50% of your time should be spent directly involved in the investment decision-making process or producing a work product that informs or adds value to that process. Work must be full time and can be earned before, during, or after participation in the CFA Program. Managing your own investments or the investments of your family or friends (without compensation) does not qualify.
For each job description, you should describe your job duties and how they relate to investment decision making. Each description needs to:
Demonstrate how you conduct independent analysis that impacts investment decision-making for institutions or individual clients
Indicate how your duties produce a work product that informs or adds value to the investment decision-making process.
If you can demonstrate that you have performed independent analysis, which ended up producing a work product that adds value to investment decision-making process, then you’re fine. It doesn’t have to be securities or private equity necessarily.
once you pass, you will get your charter. Our CFO told me that quarter of his candidates are either CFA or CFA candidates and that in fact couple of our admins are CFA charterholders. So yeah you’re safe dood. After all why would CFA turn you down - $300 a year for next 30 years. One of the reasons why I do not have CFA in my email signature or business card…