I know most of you are looking into corporate finance/financial analyst (well that’s my assumption based upon reading older posts), but does anyone also have their Certified Financial Planner? I passed the CFP last July and am actually more confident about the CFA than I was the CFP when I was studying. Josh
I received my CFP® in Sept. of 2006. I am now considering the CFA to improve my career options! What type of work do you do? I work for a large insurance company in the midwest. Sean
joshm34 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I know most of you are looking into corporate > finance/financial analyst (well that’s my > assumption based upon reading older posts), but > does anyone also have their Certified Financial > Planner? I passed the CFP last July and am > actually more confident about the CFA than I was > the CFP when I was studying. > > > Josh More confident after taking the CFA exams, or just looking at the CFA material?
sok454- That is the reason why I am getting the CFA also. I work at a fee only financial planning/asset management office. I’ve always been more interested in investments vs. all the rest of the crap you had to learn for the CFP. philip.platt- More confident looking at the CFA material. Studying for the CFP was no easy task, and using that experience I think will help me manage my time better. A lot of the basic investment info I hard to learn for the CFP is the core of the CFA Level 1 too. So a lot of it is review.
joshm34 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > sok454- That is the reason why I am getting the > CFA also. I work at a fee only financial > planning/asset management office. I’ve always been > more interested in investments vs. all the rest of > the crap you had to learn for the CFP. > > philip.platt- More confident looking at the CFA > material. Studying for the CFP was no easy task, > and using that experience I think will help me > manage my time better. A lot of the basic > investment info I hard to learn for the CFP is the > core of the CFA Level 1 too. So a lot of it is > review. Theres a difference between “review” and “familiar.” You may be familiar with a chunk of the material in the CFA textbooks, but by all means… it will not be review from the CFP. Just wait and see my friend. Do NOT by any means, underestimate this exam. Theres a reason why the CFP pass rate is something like 60% and CFA level 1 is like 30%. Be AFraid…(I capped AF to welcome you to the boards, this is the best move youll make)
I agree with EMRA. I have my CFP, but I certainly wouldn’t sleep on level I. I honestly don’t think the exam was that much tougher than the CFP, but don’t take it lightly. When you get to level II you I can assure you that no comparisons will be made with the CFP. : )
Don’t worry, in no way did I want my post to come across as if I would just going to sleep through the exam. I understand how tough it is. All I meant was that I’m glad a lot of the CFP material is on the CFA. It’s nice to have things you’ve already studied for cross over to a new designation.
I also work for a fee only financial planning/asset management firm. Just to give some background, my boss, our CIO, and I are the only ones in the office actively pursuing the CFA charter. He’s taking Lvl 2 this summer and I’ll be taking Lvl 1. We had a guy in the office who received his CFP not long ago and decided to go the CFA route last year as well. I remember him talking about material overlap and how he already knew sections of the books cold. I don’t think he realized the true depth of most of the subject matter and utterly bombed Lvl 1. He wouldn’t even tell us his scoring breakdown. The CFP and CFA are both very useful in their given areas. My boss put it fairly well one day: The CFP is a mile wide and an inch deep whereas the CFA is an inch wide and a mile deep.
Chuckrox8- I’ve heard that analogy too. I’m glad I’m a lot more interested in the CFA material than I was the CFP material. Learning taxes and estate planning is one of the worst things to be studying on a sunny Saturday afternoon in June.
There is only 882 people in the U.S. who have both the CFA & CFP according to a study done by the University of Arkansas (2005). That’s a very small group.
i think the number is up around 2000 now. i got my CFP and agree that much of the material is overlap in Level 1. However, even though i was fresh off the CFP , i still put in over 250 study hours and passed level one. In my opinion, CFA is like three CFP final exams. In fact, its almost the same material. CFP is 5 or 6 subjects, each about a textbook long and each level of the CFA is also about 5 textbooks worth of material. I work in Wealth Management and we have plenty of CFPs, but only one CFP/CFA guy. He happens to have one of the sweetest jobs and it is pretty much because of his CFA.
I did my CFP about a year ago, and before than an MBA in 2005. I can say this for sure those exams are NO MATCH for CFA…CFA is miles ahead in terms of level of difficulty than either an MBA or a CFP…I did my MBA from Uni of Strathclyde, Glasgow (UK)… More importantly, CFA requires a great deal of intelligence compared to other two especially CFP…In CFP, you just need to cram things up…
Thanks for the heads up guys, any insights on the CFP I should know about? I am taking it in June 2010.
if possible. take the Ken Zahn live review course. he is the best CFP preparer in the industry IMHO. He teaches the exam and how to think like the CFP Board versus the material in the exam. The CFP can be much more subjective in nature (i.e. What action should the client take first? Umbrella Policy, Will, or Savings?) so you need to learn how the CFP Board wants you to answer the questions versus what your intuition may say.
SkipE99 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > i think the number is up around 2000 now. i got my > CFP and agree that much of the material is overlap > in Level 1. However, even though i was fresh off > the CFP , i still put in over 250 study hours and > passed level one. In my opinion, CFA is like > three CFP final exams. In fact, its almost the > same material. CFP is 5 or 6 subjects, each about > a textbook long and each level of the CFA is also > about 5 textbooks worth of material. I work in > Wealth Management and we have plenty of CFPs, but > only one CFP/CFA guy. He happens to have one of > the sweetest jobs and it is pretty much because of > his CFA. I met a woman the other week who started her own PWM shop and is a CFA, CFP, CPA. Crazy. There can’t be too many people holding the trifecta.
no! i wouldn’t imagine there are very many of those. thats a lot of test taking that lady did. I am working towards the CFA, CFP, MD combo so I can sell the “Come in for your medical and financial checkup all at once” angle.
Skip, maybe you can tell us what your clients find more uncomfortable, a prostate exam or looking at their 401k.