Today every company tries to hire the best financial advisor. It is a very important position indeed because this person tells the organization how exactly it needs to spend money and how it can maximize its profits. Therefore, the companies don’t just hire anyone for this role, they are looking for the most capable individuals. This is the reason why you should consider getting a credential in the business sector. There are so many of them that you can find, but in this blog post, we are only going to talk about the top financial certifications in 2020 so that you know where to start.
1. Certified Management Accountant
As the name suggests, the CMA badge is aimed at the management accounting experts. These individuals normally work in the corporate sector and use their skills to make strategic business decisions. This certificate is administered by the IMA and the exam that you need to pass is divided into two parts and covers 12 competencies. If you want to earn this credential, you also need to make sure that you have a bit of experience beforehand.
2. Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor
The CMFC credential is next on the list. To become a certified professional, the candidates need to take a year-long training course and then pass the prerequisite exam that is administered by the College for Financial Planning. The holders of this badge can prove to be very helpful, especially when they are trying to invest in mutual funds.
3. Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst
This certification is designed for those professionals who are in charge of managing alternative investments, including real assets or hedge funds. This certificate is run by the CAIA Association and requires that you deal with two exam levels. If you want to expand your skill set, you should consider going for this badge.
4. Chartered Life Underwriter
Another certificate that we have in this list is known as Chartered Life Underwriter, and it is designed for the insurance agents. Those individuals who get CLU show that they have a deep understanding of many areas, such as risk management, life insurance, and estate planning. One of the best things about this credential is that there are no competitive exams. However, the candidates should take 5 required courses with three additional ones, all of which are administered by the American College of Financial Services. You should also have three years of full-time business experience.
5. Financial Risk Manager
This is undoubtedly one of the best financial certifications that you can find right now. It is designed for the risk management specialists who are normally working in the organizations as the risk analysts. They can also deal with the private clients who require a piece of investment advice. If you want to earn the FRM certificate, you need to pass the two-part exam.
6. Chartered Investment Counselor
Chartered Investment Counselor is perfect for the specialists working in portfolio management and investment counseling. If you want to obtain the CIC certification, you need to be a member of the Investment Adviser Association and also have at least five years of experience in the field.
7. Chartered Financial Analyst
CFA or Chartered Financial Analyst is a certification for those specialists who are skilled in investment analysis and management. The CFA Institute oversees this credential. In this program, the applicants need to pass three exams. Becoming a certified professional is considered a dream job for many individuals, so if you are one of these people, you should really think about going for the CFA badge.
8. Chartered Financial Consultant
When you talk about the best financial certifications in the world, you cannot forget about Chartered Financial Consultant or ChFC. This credential was created as an alternative for CFP. A ChFC is someone who can help you with financial planning for domestic problems or even for small businesses. This designation program is governed by the American College of Financial Services and requires that you take 8 courses.
9. Certified Financial Planner
Those applicants who have earned the CFP certificate have a deep understanding of various topics in the financial field. If you want to become a certified financial planner, you will need to complete the relevant course within 12-18 months, and in addition to this, you will also have to pass one exam with two 3-hour sections with a 40-minute break in between them. The CFP Board administers the test and the pass mark for it is about 67%.
10. Certified Public Accountant
The Certified Public Accountant credential is designed for the financial analysts, tax preparers, and accountants. It is widely recognized in the industry, and this is just one of the many advantages that it offers. This certification falls under the jurisdiction of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To obtain it, you should pass one exam with four 4-hour sections within an 18-month period.
11. Certified Fund Specialist
A certified fund specialist is an individual who is considered an expert in mutual funds. These professionals are mainly tasked with helping the clients decide where to invest their money. The Institute of Business and Finance provides the training for the prerequisite exam, so you need to visit its official website to request the info about the certification program.
12. Chartered Market Technician
Lastly, we have the Chartered Market Technician certificate. If you can earn this badge, this means that you have knowledge in the certain areas, such as risk management, market research, system design, and testing. The CMT credential has three levels and you need to start with the first one to be able to go for the others.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, you should really try to get at least one of these top financial certifications if you want to grow your career. Obtaining one won’t be easy but it will help you learn a lot of things, which you can use in your career. All the credentials mentioned above belong to different levels and are aimed at different people, so make sure that you are making the decision wisely.
