Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

Chartered financial analysts are one of the valued personnel in any organisation. The reason being, their analytical and insightful opinions are important for investing funds in the right area to gain maximum profit.

Every business entity goes through rough and smooth periods. The organisations that are best prepared to face any situation are the ones that regularly analyse its investments vis-à-vis its productivity and maintain an equal balance.

The financial analyst thus plays a very vital role in monitoring the market conditions and recommending suitable solutions and options to the management.

A CFA certification course is designed to equip you with all the basic accounting standards, various business practices, economic policies and conditions etc.,

The CFA programs covers the day-to-day work involved in financial investments with  a global perspective.

What would you do in this profession?
As a CFA, you will be performing the following functions:-
 

	analysing financial data from varied sources
	researching performance of companies
	designing company’s financial model
	generating and comparing financial reports and data within the company and competitor companies
	exploring and recommending new investment opportunities
	analysing risks and advising measures to minimise losses
	working on the share-holding pattern of the company
	updating the management on political, economical and policy changes

Career prospects
The demand for a financial analyst (CFA) is on the rise.

A financial analyst plays an important role in maintaining the equilibrium in the money invested by an organisation to its actual production.

Hence, even when the market is down, a CFA, who collects and analyse actual market data, is in a better position to advise on investing company’s capital.

India, which has been least affected by the global recession, has become the global hub for investment in new projects. Hence, the future will witness a surge in demand for qualified financial analysts.

As a financial analyst you would basically find jobs in:-
 

	investment firms and banks
	stock broking firms
	commercial firms
	insurance firms
	government regulatory departments
	academic institutes / research organisations
	consulting

What skills should you posses?
The basic skills every aspiring CFA should develop / possess are:-
 

	good numerical ability
	analytical mind to interpret facts and figures
	good research skills
	attention to detail, as any misses might prove costly
	ability to interact and express clearly
	an interest in current affair
	ability to take initiative and work in teams

Eligibility, Entrance Exams and Institutes
The minimum qualification to pursue a financial analyst course is graduation (preferably in Commerce with Maths).

for the International CFA course details, years of study, exam pattern, eligibility, training etc.,- conducted by CFA Institute, USA visit - http://www.cfainstitute.org/

(the CFA Institute, USA is not affiliated to ICFAI, India)

Advice
As a financial analyst, you would be required to analyse, interpret and calculate complex numerical data from various sources. Hence a solid foundation of maths and accounting during college years will help you handle such complex data.