Making over $250k, is CFA worth it?

homie Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > pffft… you amatuers. > > I make a gazillion dollars a year. Lololol you have to love the insecurities when it comes to the salary of a man in finance!

I find this conversation strange. What ever happened to diminishing marginal value?

virginCFAhooker Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Since you have your CMT, maybe you’re aware of > technical scamalysis (TS)? > > Basically, they find small cap stocks that trade > only 40-60k shares per day. They buy & sell them > so that the price history draws all sorts of fancy > charts… teacup, socow, head & shoulders, etc. > Then the masses of mo-mo sheep & IBD’ers come in > and buy buy buy (or sell sell sell). They take > the opposite trade and usually do quite well. Where do you hear those IBDer story? I used to love to play those low floaters.

Dad!!! I told you to stop posting BS on analystforum. You’re so embarrassing.

June07_guy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Joey, how’s your 85K job doing for you? I gotta say it…but thats ownage in my book. lol. Not trying to offend anybody

Mez Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > June07_guy Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Joey, how’s your 85K job doing for you? > > > I gotta say it…but thats ownage in my book. > lol. > > Not trying to offend anybody I don’t think Joey put his “salary” on AF. He’s a professor/PM or something.

dancingqueen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Dad!!! I told you to stop posting BS on > analystforum. You’re so embarrassing. LOL

ionno Joey sounds like some kind of CFA charterholder Risk Manager, and maybe Quant research analyst, and probably high up in a small firm. So i doubt he’ll only be making 85k. JoeyDVivre Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Hmm… Well I know some people near and dear to me > who have gotten bonuses closer to 7 figures than 5 > by being a risk manager. from this, he gets bonus of close to 7 figures :P. am i even close Joey?

Mez Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > June07_guy Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Joey, how’s your 85K job doing for you? > > > I gotta say it…but thats ownage in my book. > lol. > > Not trying to offend anybody that’s about the furthest thing from ownage imaginable to anyone who has spent even a little bit of time on this board.

June07_guy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > By the way, I forgot to mention an MBA I had 15 > years ago. > > Joey, how’s your 85K job doing for you? I earn roughly this and my job is doing great for me and my family. Do you really think anyone gives a flying fvck what you make. Did your ego need a little massage there or what. FWIW (and I don’t even know why I’m wasting my time responding to you), JDV has helped many posters on this board over the years. I’d also make a strong bet that he makes at least 5x what I do, but we’ll never know because his ego is in check and he probably doesn’t feel the need to stroke it as you so obviously do. The reason so many come to his defense is he’s a well respected guy in here. He doesn’t need to spend his personal time providing constructive and insightful responses to questions on this board but he does it and it’s very much appreciated by many. So, instead of running your mouth, put your money where your mouth is and prove him wrong.

CFAMaven Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I make 1 milllion dollars…so June07, hows your > 250k job doing for you? Only a cheeky million!!! You remind me of Dr Evil when he tries to hold the world ransom. Don’t you mean one billion or something meaningful?

Please understand that the salary was mentioned because it is very relevant to the question being asked, otherwise, the question on whether a CFA is woth it, wouldn’t make a lot of sense. He started by deriding me for failing level 1, and so I had to point him the right way… He is not my ideal educator, but I respect him for his deep knowledge in the area, and for being very active on the board, and wish him speedy recovery from his handicapping attitude.

June07_guy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Please understand that the salary was mentioned > because it is very relevant to the question being > asked, otherwise, the question on whether a CFA is > woth it, wouldn’t make a lot of sense. He started > by deriding me for failing level 1, and so I had > to point him the right way… He is not my ideal > educator, but I respect him for his deep knowledge > in the area, and for being very active on the > board, and wish him speedy recovery from his > handicapping attitude. To be honest, I personally didn’t think anything of it. I feel sorry for anyone aged 48 trying to get by on $250k. I also feel sorry for people that have failed Level I. So I felt pity rather than any kind of resentment or derision.

It’s just because you are so sweet Etienne, but Joey had other thoughts in mind. He has hassled me before … may be because I have more degrees than he does, may be because my knlowedge and expertise span more than a single field, or because I make more than he does, I don’t know! But he gets irritated by me, that’s for sure. And I am sorry I did not mean to make him (or others on this board for that matter) feel a bit insecure about their achievements. If anything, everyone should feel motivated to work harder.

I douby many people on this board will feel insecure upon hearing you make $250k at age 48. You come off as very self-impressed in your posts, and I imagine that is what led to the harsh responses.

Mate, if you make 250k at 48, and it is subject to ridiculuously high US taxation (how much you take home net of all taxes, 130-140k?), it is not at all impressive. 2nd year analysts in my firm make more on a net of tax basis. That said, I wouldn’t be suprised with the responses you hear. And your words about making anyone insecure with how much you make… come on, really. 140k net of tax is near nothing, I doubt people here think about making such a low figure in the long run. CFA program, good experience and efforts may allow one to consistently earn several times more than this, even without being a true star. Just a question of time, knowledge and dedication.

If this will help in answering the original question on whether a CFA is worth it for someone making $250k+, then yes it is net, and by the way this is annual salary, not annual income. I have no doubt that some of you on this board will be making much more that in the future, so don’t hold it against me.

I don’t think your salary is an issue. You have two problems to consider. 1 - Your age: You’ll have a hard time getting an entry level job at 48, and you would not qualify for a senior position just because you have Ph.D in CS and 20 years experience in IT (the CFA is irrelevant in this situation) 2 - The fact that you failed level 1 is a bad sign overall. Failing at anything is a bad sign, but failing level 1 is a very bad sign. I know employers will not know you failed L1, but it just signals that you do not have what it takes to make the transition.

mo34, i’ve failed L1 too and passed L2 on the first try. It all depends on how seriosly you are taking the exam.

If I was 48 I’d think I would be thinking of retirement instead of how to break into finance. Its not like finance is all fun and games. Its a job like anything else. I would look to other aspects of life for fulfillment. You should be like those oldtimers in those Flomaz commercials. They’re having a fun time kayaking, riding their bikes, fishing, etc.