Who gets more respect: CFA, CFP, or CPA?

and sex :wink:

CPA rules in Canada. In networking events when I said, I’m pursuing CPA their response was much better than when I said CFA because they literally didn’t know what the **** is that?

Yeah, CPA in Canada is a good thing. There is much more demand for CPAs then CFAs. The reason for this is simple - CPA can do work, CFA can explain that they may be able to do work. It’s practical vs theoretical.

CPA is hard just like the CFA but if you are in accounting, CPA gets you more ‘status’ and if you are in financial and research then CFA gets you more status.

For menial accounting jobs? Yes, I imagine that would be true. For more prestigious finance jobs? CFA wins, hands down, although having a CPA is a definite plus. I will (hopefully) have both certifiacations after passing L3 this June.

More people are familiar with coach than Hermes, doesn’t make coach more prestigous than Hermes…

CPA > CFA > CFP

CMT

FBI > CFA > CPA > CFP

NB: FBI = Female Body Inspector

Ha-ha… That’s crazy but true.

Completely agree with the first bit. Everyone says he wishes to do CFA. Very very few end up actually doing it, and (many) fewer still end up getting the Charter.

The one who swipes his card in the elevator to get to his penthouse level on 15 CPW building gets more respect Not much respect but at least, “**** that dude must be loaded.” kind of respect.

…on an other note, what about the CMA?

You get respect based on your reputation at work, not your designation. Designations don’t mean much if you’re not a rockstar at your job.

This.

First you get the money then you get the power then you get respect (it’s the key to life)

First you get the job, then you get the khakis, then you get the chicks.

I have no idea what CPA is and no intention to do it after CFA.

To those who think everyone knows CPA but not many know CFA. this is ********.

Haha - CPA is much more recognized that the CFA charter is. By probably 5 times over.It’s the largest body of accountants in the world, if you haven’t heard of it then you must not work in finance.

Respect Level

X>Y>CFP

where as among the Accounting crew X=CPA and Y=CFA

and in among the Analyst crew X=CFA and Y=CPA.

But they are roughly equal. IMO, CFA says “I am a generalist, I can see things holistically”. W/a CPA you are very very specialized.

Clearly, you are from Canada. You should not generalize too much into your local experience. Of course CPA-body is larger because simply there are more accountants needed worldwide. I also want to hint at the fact that Canada, as in so many things, tries to be special" by chosing alternative lingo". What is a Finacial Analyst in Canada will be called an Accountant in pretty much every other country in the world - hence the confusion of standards maybe. The tasks of a CPA and the one of a CFA are incompatible to a large degree. I know that, my fiancee is one (i.e. a CPA). CFA-exams are much more “quantitative” which drives Accountants crazy because anything beyond addition/subtraction seems to exceed their mathematical capabilities. Proof by anecdotal evidence: Ran sth like a little prep-class in Montreal and Ottawa this year for L1. Explaining an Accountancy major the idea of cont. compounding, basics of model building or the ideas of statistical testing takes forever - and made me a rich man. I also want to add that Canada is maybe the only country where there is active discrimination against the CFA designation and -program (except maybe in Toronto). Employers clearly prefer candidates being on the CIM-track (the Canada baby-equivalent [if I can use this world with a straight face] to the CFA) than on the CFA-track. Proof by anecdotal evidence: MD & PSP hired Analysts lately - Finance undergrads from uP w/CSC-course. Higher qualified applicants (CFA-charterholders w/Masters and years of experience) were not taken. How is that even possible? Which reasonablel employer would ever do that? This holds more so the “bigger” the employer is (Scotia Capital e.g.). So lads, don’t be confused by Canucks trying to be special by messing up the lingo and being ignorant about “Financial Analysis”=/= Accounting"