I wonder how other new and existing charterholders are using the marks, particularly those who have another qualification too such as FRM or MBA. My question is more re business card / email signatures (I know I’ll use CFA on a research report because it is more relevant). Similarly, other instances will be situation-specific and what one uses will be dependent on the relevancy. However, for cards etc and generally speaking, Which would you use? John Smith, CFA John Smith, MBA John Smith, MBA CFA In addition to the CFA charter, I personally hold an MBA degree too but have never used it after my name anywhere, including email sigs, business cards and even research reports. My firm doesn’t force it and I never felt the need. However, having put in so much work I just cannot simply not be using the CFA mark. However, now that I am a charterholder should I be using both the degree and the CFA Mark or should I just use the CFA Mark (John Smith , CFA) on my email sig and bus card and limit the MBA to my CV? I am trying to figure out what would be best. On the one hand, if I am showcasing CFA should I not also showcase MBA? On the other, two desigs after your name seem too much… could appear snooty and/or insecure. Any ideas? Would love to hear how others are handling this (issue?)
I also have an MBA and now that I have completed the L3 CFA, I will be using John Smith MBA, CFA Don’t worry about being snooty, you earned it.
Funny, thought about doing the same thing once I get my charter. Not to be a snob, but I also think you need to have gone to a good school. So when someone asks, where did you get your MBA you dont say, University of Phoenix, online.
I don’t think it’s snooty. Just follow the conventions of your industry. E.g., lawyers rarely do this sort of thing, the main exceptions being the utterly clueless who refer to themselves as “Esquire” and those who have earned some sort of specialty certification from their state bar (like “Certified Estate Planning Specialist”). I’ve never seen an academic with a business card like “John Smith, PhD” but they’ll state their status like “John Smith, Foundation Professor of Medieval Finance and Transgendered Structuralism.” PhD’s in industry seem always to have their degree listed, though, and doctors and accountants can’t sign a credit bar receipt without suffixing MD or CPA. Insurance agents, financial planners, and realtors are the worst, stringing a bunch of meaningless certifications along with a glossy headshot. Mainly you don’t want your card or email to be funny. I teach at a law school, and I would get laughed at if my email signature or business card read, “EC Hason, JD CFA,” regardless of the effort that went into those letters. Same if I worked at a good law firm. Different answer if I worked at a consultancy or financial services firm.
Perhaps this varies by country, but I think anyone who includes MBA after the name is extremely lame. It is often done by people who went to a lower tier school and also more common with people who don’t hold a CFA designation and therefore feel like they need something on the end of their name. Anyone who is doing business with you will check out your bio and see you have it. Plus, it seems that in investment management the CFA designation carries so much more weight anyway that it is sufficient on its own.
nerdattax Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Perhaps this varies by country, but I think anyone > who includes MBA after the name is extremely lame. > It is often done by people who went to a lower > tier school and also more common with people who > don’t hold a CFA designation and therefore feel > like they need something on the end of their name. > Anyone who is doing business with you will check > out your bio and see you have it. Plus, it seems > that in investment management the CFA designation > carries so much more weight anyway that it is > sufficient on its own. Some companies, such as mine, require to employees to list all post grad degrees and certifications. I don’t like having CFA, MBA after my name but I have no choice.
If your company does not require it, such as Shrute’s per above, then I find using “MBA” a tool move. Why not just put in the name of the school you went too as well? Seriously, in the words of my colleague, “Class it up.” Now I don’t have my MBA, and personally, I’d have no need to get it as I went to a top undergrad business program, but I’ve heard from many in our industry that attaining the charter is a far more difficult and grueling task. Also, think about how many top level folks have their MBA versus the CFA designation. Anyone can get an MBA, not so with the charter. If you’re in finance, CFA only is the way to go. You can only hurt yourself throwing the MBA on there.
I have the opposite at my firm, not allowed to even CPA or anything else after my name. I think MBA on business card is somewhat useless even if you went top MBA. CFA or CPA on the other hand just shows that you have more specific knowledge in certain area. So person who has your business card would find it usefull if let’s say he/she has accounting or portfolio management question. What value does MBA add to the business card? I mean you would not put BS or BA on it would you? In the end if somebody wants to know your credentials they would request your resume/bio, not a business card.
CFA=NOLIFE Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have the opposite at my firm, not allowed to > even CPA or anything else after my name. > > I think MBA on business card is somewhat useless > even if you went top MBA. CFA or CPA on the other > hand just shows that you have more specific > knowledge in certain area. So person who has your > business card would find it usefull if let’s say > he/she has accounting or portfolio management > question. What value does MBA add to the business > card? I mean you would not put BS or BA on it > would you? > > In the end if somebody wants to know your > credentials they would request your resume/bio, > not a business card. I was told it is for marketing reasons since I work for a PWM firm and that HNW individuals like seeing post-grad and certification credentials.
Shrute Farms Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > I was told it is for marketing reasons since I > work for a PWM firm and that HNW individuals like > seeing post-grad and certification credentials. You must be with a small shop. I’m in PWM in a large firm so no such imperatives. I can see if it’s a firm competitive thing that’s used for marketing purposes, but for an individual to just choose to show the “MBA,” that’s weak imho.
sterling76 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Shrute Farms Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > > > I was told it is for marketing reasons since I > > work for a PWM firm and that HNW individuals > like > > seeing post-grad and certification credentials. > > > You must be with a small shop. I’m in PWM in a > large firm so no such imperatives. I can see if > it’s a firm competitive thing that’s used for > marketing purposes, but for an individual to just > choose to show the “MBA,” that’s weak imho. I agree
In Canada, it seems to work differently here. They tend to like to see those credentials such as MBA, CFA, CGA etc… Some people even have B.S. So I guess what are the standards in the area you live. If I live in the US, I would not use MBA like my classmates. However, when I finish my CFA, I would also include my MBA. This is Canada and this is how it is done. I just have to adjust to my new home.
Definitely just use MBA. While you’re at it write it as “John Smith, MBA (University of Chicago)” even if you didn’t go there. Then call your I.T. department and request that your email be changed to john.smith.mba@toolshed.com. Don’t worry about including CFA on there, it just confuses people.
Sweep the Leg Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Definitely just use MBA. While you’re at it write > it as “John Smith, MBA (University of Chicago)” > even if you didn’t go there. Then call your I.T. > department and request that your email be changed > to john.smith.mba@toolshed.com. > > Don’t worry about including CFA on there, it just > confuses people. +1 In the U.S. adding the MBA is a pretty douchebag move…
I’ve yet to see anybody put “MBA” after their name. I’ve seen PHD, but never MBA! I have an MBA as well and will never put MBA on my b-card!
If you look on CFA website, the staff usually only put CFA there, even though many will have other professional qualifications. I someones see a ,CFA, PhD but thats as much as it gets. I’d put CFA, FIAA on mine. - thats Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia 
z3159712 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I’d put CFA, FIAA on mine. - thats Fellow of the > Institute of Actuaries of Australia And that translates into BALLER!!! 
Thanks for all the responses guys. Divided opinions as expected. Reading through the posts though I am unable to find a better argument for not using MBA alongside CFA than “it’s what douches do”. Some people said don’t worry about being snooty, you earned it. Others said use MBA but you need to have gone to a good school. Yet others have advised to follow the conventions of the industry/country. However, I do not agree that attaining the charter is a far more difficult and grueling task. The CFA curriculum is about learning a set of materials and passing three 6 hour exams. An MBA tests you in so many ways, right from exams to essays, presentations, reports, research skills, people management skills – the breadth of the MBA program is much more rounded that what CFA curriculum offers. I am not suggesting that CFA exams are easy but an MBA and CFA are way different to be compared i.e. which is tougher. Also, you cannot use one to replace the other. I agree that if you routinely work and deal with people who are all well qualified and successful, it is a bit lame to use CFA or MBA when everyone around you has those qualifications too. As the law school teacher who would get laughed at regardless of the effort that went into the letters. However, a lot depends on the country as well as industry. For e.g. Private Wealth Management – clients do seem to be reassured to know their Private Banker is well educated. Plus, some cultures are such where letters command respect, unlike the states where perhaps the attitude is more (and rightly so) of “MBA, so what?” – I do believe letters after your name do not prove your intelligence or superior abilities. In fact, formal education itself is no basis for success and no proof of intellectual capability. I am sure we can all think of examples where people with no formal education have been much more successful than MBAs from top business schools. However, if you keep with this debate it will just keep going. So, either you don’t use any letters after your name; don’t market yourself in anyway because you believe only douches do that, or you (with humility) decide to use the letters as a representation of having achieved something not as a representation of being superior. Which is an opinion (if you have it) I can accept. However, I find it hard to argue that you may use CFA but not MBA. Either you are just not the type to put letters after your name, in which case you put neither MBA nor CFA, or you may use all significant letters. If it is believed that MBA should not be used but CFA should be used. Why? One possible answer could be because CFA is standardized and everyone knows what you mean and there are no complications such as which school did you get it from. However, this is about people who have both CFA and MBA. For example, if you see John Smith, MBA CFA It tells you two things about John straightaway 1) JS has gone through the ‘grueling’ CFA curriculum and has been successful at that. So, there is a certain pride JS can feel and a certain respect the designation commands. You would also infer that JS is trained in a specific discipline, etc. 2) You also note that JS has an MBA too – now you might wonder whether he went to a good school or a crappy school, and you might think him a douche for putting it on business card, but the fact that he also has CFA confirms that he has a certain level of knowledge and capability (intelligence?) to go through a grueling CFA curriculum. This along with the fact that he must have (as part of the MBA program) also built on his people skills and been tested in a number of other ways too, will be generally clued up about social skills. Knowing these two things about JS could only be good for JS. You may continue to think that JS is a douche for using MBA on his card but that myth will dispel once you have met him and realize he is actually quite a down to earth and humble fellow. If you never meet him, well it doesn’t matter what you think. End of the day, you will know that JS is well-read and if you have any doubts about it being a phony MBA the fact that there is also CFA should dispel any concerns. I know a number of accountants who use ACA or ACCA along with MBA (lawyers too will use MBA, if they have one) – I guess it is reassuring to the clients to know a person in a position of trust is well qualified. The question is if you have BOTH an MBA and CFA would you use them both or not? And why? No disrespect guys but people who haven’t yet an MBA would not clearly understand the effort that goes into it and whilst I agree that an MBA can be gotten at any online Phoenix type uni – it doesn’t necessarily exclude people who have a decent MBA from using the letters as much as the CFA as an achievement. I did not ever use MBA after my name until now as; 1) I worked in London and, 2) worked with people who were well qualified too. However, now that I have moved to Dubai, I think the culture here warrants the usage of these letters. But in most cases I will probably use these designations depending on the situation and will rarely use both together as I still feel too many letters after your name are a bit too much and am uncomfortable with a list of designations longer than my name. But I wouldn’t mock anyone who wanted to use both MBA and CFA designations – they earned it. Would welcome any other opinions on, if you have an MBA and CFA both, why would you use CFA and not MBA? Answers other than ‘douche-bag’ please and let’s go easy on the sarcasm (particularly if you yourself do not hold an MBA).
So, being that you wrote a book, I cannot help myself: 1. Do whatever you want. 2. You have too much time on your hands. 3. MBA programs are a joke if you’ve come from a (the) top undergrad business school, especially when you have the opportunity to interact with and take classes with future and now current MBAs. The three letters CFA carry more weight ALONE than MBA. 4. I don’t care how John Smith acts when I meet him, the business card with the MBA screams insecurity to me. I would be looking out for douchebag behavior, but even without those signs, I will always consider John Smith a tool. In conclusion, go ahead and add MBA to your card. After your immense post (which I had no choice but to skim over), I’m sure the first impression people get when they see your card will be the right one.
Agree with sterling76 - the post was so long I was forced to skim it. Regardless, I have an MBA from a top school (as another member so aptly put it - “it sounds like University of Bhicago”) and hope to have a CFA soon (one level to go!). I still won’t be putting MBA after my name. Sure I earned it, but it’s just not what is customary here in the U.S. Given that, people who put it anyway will be perceived in a negative light (I completely agree with sterling76’s point 4 - it screams insecurity to me). With that said, I don’t agree with sterling’s third point - that MBAs are a joke. I have a lot of respect for sterling’s school and don’t disagree with the assertion that his undergrad may be equivalent to or better than most MBAs. However, for the same reasons buried in the incredibly long post, I don’t think that a CFA is necessarily “better”. They’re both very different and success in each requires different skills. Long story short, as sterling said, “Do whatever you want”. I will never put MBA after my name - it’s just not the “acceptable” thing to do, and, quite frankly, I don’t want my business card or other stationary to resuly in my being perceived as insecure or a douche…