@ babu ....
thnx for ur valuable advise .......i think ur right i shud concentrate on getting gud rank in CA first....
actually i saw the course structure of cfa and found it really gr8 .and i really want to pursue it..... additional knowledge never go waste it only adds.......so i will do it later along with job (as dats the only option i can see ).....and will be difficult again....

so my question is dat ......wat will u suggest to create a base for cfa by the time i do ca so dat i do not find it as burden with ca and cud do it with job as well.....(as it will be difficult dat time too)....
My calculation- 2 hours a week
2 * 4= 8 hours per month ......thn 8* 12 = 96 hours per year ....
96*4 = 384 hours total .....

(even if i give 1 hour a week thn .....192 hours.total ....)

tell me the best strategy to structure this 384 hours fruitfully.....

.@ KVG...again thnx ....but can u tell me ....is it advisable to pursue it along with CA or after ca and sum work exp. .....is it too heavy course ???....

regards
shikha
waiting for reply...

thanks harshi
but cfa is 18months course and i hv at the max 1yr if i don't tk a drop so i will hv to leave cfa in b/w if nxt yr i get addmission

hi angy..
c practically if v talk bouh cfa toh i wont say it is impossible 2 finish off in 18mnths..bt it is rilli rilli tough man..needs loadsa hardwork wid proper guidnce i mean particular classes 4 da subjects..!! n do u rilli hv dis much patience 2 go 4 MBA first n CFA aftr dat..i mean it'll take around 4yrs 4m nw..so its better if u start preparin 4 cfa along wid ya MBA prep..as u r nt a novice n u'll jus ve 2 pool in lil more efforts 4 MBA entrnce xms..!! rite..!!
A'ways ol d luck..!!
Cheers..
Harshi..

Hi everybody

i need sum advice.
i m a graduate in B.Com(Accounting & Finance) it is a vocational course passed in the yr 2006.
last yr i was preparin for MBA and gave 6 entrance exams but was not able to get into any good college.
as my desire is to make career in finance i had planned to do CFA after my MBA course.but now i m again preparin for entrance exam.
my question is will it b possible to do CFA after MBA with job which wud hv more responsiblity or else i do CFA with job and then do MBA. as i hv seen in the site of icfai that we can do CFA in 18 months, so is it practical to do CFA in such a short time.

waitin 4 ur valuable advice

Hi,

Regarding Forensic Accounting, best course in Certified Fraud Examiner certification from Association of Certfied Fraud Examiners, (ACFE) US. It is the best one in this field and widely recognised throughout the world particularly Big Four. You can pursue this course if you are serious about making career in advanced Fraud Investigation as it is a super speciality course and normally will be pursued by those who work in Audit field in big four.
I dont suggst you to go for Forensic Accounting course offered by ICFAI. It may be good course but if you need worldwide opportunities, then go for CFE from ACFE.

Regards,
KVG

HII...
IM IN B.COM HONOURS 3Y NOW.......I AM PLANNING TO DO CA....WILL BE GIVING CPT IN NOV-07......CAN U PLS TELL ME IF I DO CFA WITH CA TOGETHER THEN ...HOW MANY STUDY HOURS PER DAY WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO CRACK BOTH CFA AND CA IN FIRST ATTEMPT FOR AN AVERAGE STUDENT......(KEEPING IN MIND THE TRAINING TIME OF 5 HOURS DAILY)ALSO WHAT KIND OF JOB PROFILES ARE THERE FOR CA N CFA??????AND FUTURE CAREER PROSPECTS !!!!(ICAI HAS PERMITTED CA's TO DO ANY COURSE FRM ICFAI)....
PLSSS HELP MEEE ......
ALSO ANYONE KNOWS ABT THE WORTH OF FORENSIC ACCOUNTING COURSE BY ICFAI....ONE OF MY FRND WANT TO PURSUE IT WITH CA.....(THOUGH ITS NOT A RELEVANT THREAD TO ASK ABT IT BUT THOUGHT TO PUT IT IN ONE POST )

PLSS HELPP....BABU, TUMTUM....AND OTHER SENIORS.....

Hi Shikha, it will be extremely tough for you to clear CA and CFA together. CA and CFA are professional qualification and they need time. You need to drop the idea, practically speaking. Since you will be giving CPT later this year, stick to CA and the best thing will be to work hard in CA and get a good all india rank in CA PE or finals.

For CA career options are Accounts, Auditing and taxation. For CFA career options are Financial research, sales desk, portfolio management. There is actually shortage of finance professionals in the economy and it will be the likely scenario for years to come given India GDP growth rate of 9-10% p.a. Clear your CA and life will be real good for you working in Big 4 accounting firms or any other MNC.

I have no idea about forensci accounting course.

Let me know any other assistance which i can provide to you.

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Every 1
i want to know that Abt term examination, qus. paper'll hav only objective qus. or subjective or both?
if both which r of them r objective & which r subjective?
i'll highly thankful fr u
byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Hi,

I am very happy to say that i have completed Level 1 !! thanks to this forum which made to keep the momentum and have the interest in the course. Thanks to all.

Regards,
KVG

HII...
IM IN B.COM HONOURS 3Y NOW.......I AM PLANNING TO DO CA....WILL BE GIVING CPT IN NOV-07......CAN U PLS TELL ME IF I DO CFA WITH CA TOGETHER THEN ...HOW MANY STUDY HOURS PER DAY WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO CRACK BOTH CFA AND CA IN FIRST ATTEMPT FOR AN AVERAGE STUDENT......(KEEPING IN MIND THE TRAINING TIME OF 5 HOURS DAILY)ALSO WHAT KIND OF JOB PROFILES ARE THERE FOR CA N CFA??????AND FUTURE CAREER PROSPECTS !!!!(ICAI HAS PERMITTED CA's TO DO ANY COURSE FRM ICFAI)....
PLSSS HELP MEEE ......
ALSO ANYONE KNOWS ABT THE WORTH OF FORENSIC ACCOUNTING COURSE BY ICFAI....ONE OF MY FRND WANT TO PURSUE IT WITH CA.....(THOUGH ITS NOT A RELEVANT THREAD TO ASK ABT IT BUT THOUGHT TO PUT IT IN ONE POST )

PLSS HELPP....BABU, TUMTUM....AND OTHER SENIORS.....

yeah ketan u r rite bouh d diff in d course curriculm of d distnce learnin porg n reglr 1..bt abouh d amnt dat u ve 2 pool in 4 dist learnin is 50000 bucks only..babu is correct..!!

Ms finance campus offers you classroom coaching, placement facility, extracurriculum development too. Thats why it is a pricey course. The student studies 27 subjects in 2 years plus 2 months internship program.

The return on investment in ms finance campus is not that great. Except top 10%, most of the students get 3-3.5 lakh p.a package after spending 7 lakh. The same package you can get afte doing cfa/ms finance on your own and spending 50000 bucks.

But Babu, TumTum had said that it is around 5 - 6 lacs p.a. for MS(Finance) Distance. Also as far as I know, the highest package for MS(Finance) Regular was 4.5 lacs p.a. last year.

Also there is a lot of difference between regular and distance MS(Finance). Distance MS (Finance) is much more rigorous and difficult than Full Time one and that is why they did not give CFA Charter to full time MS Finance, till date.

If you see the curriculum, both are different. The full time course has more inclination towards management subjects where as distance one is inclined towards hardcore finance.

The full time MS is more or less like Master in Finance and Control offered by Delhi University.

Am I right.

hey guys
can any one tell me the difference between MS finance(distance learning) and MS finance (full time) being runned at ICFAI hyderabad.I dont know if there is a difference in course module but there is a big difference in terms of fees as the regular fulltime one costs nearly 7lakhs?and besides that can u guys also suggest me how is the MS banking course being offerad by ICFAI?

Ms finance campus offers you classroom coaching, placement facility, extracurriculum development too. Thats why it is a pricey course. The student studies 27 subjects in 2 years plus 2 months internship program.

The return on investment in ms finance campus is not that great. Except top 10%, most of the students get 3-3.5 lakh p.a package after spending 7 lakh. The same package you can get afte doing cfa/ms finance on your own and spending 50000 bucks.

hey guys
can any one tell me the difference between MS finance(distance learning) and MS finance (full time) being runned at ICFAI hyderabad.I dont know if there is a difference in course module but there is a big difference in terms of fees as the regular fulltime one costs nearly 7lakhs?and besides that can u guys also suggest me how is the MS banking course being offerad by ICFAI?

hi amod..
c u bein an engg..offcourse it ll b lil tough 4 u 2 pursue a finance prog dat too 4m icfai..well can ya plzz temme 4m wher r u pursuin ur mba..?? n if u talk bout MS(FINANCE) 4m icfai..to it hs 3 levels. Level 1 includes 3 stages i.e. Alpha, Beta , Gamma. Level 1 papers contain objective typs n MCQ's.. n oncle u clear level1 u r awarded wid DBF i.e Diploma in Business Finance.
den cums Level 2 wich agan comprises of 3 stages i.e delta,kappa.epsilon. wich is subjective kinda also includes case studies n caselets..n after completion of level 2 u becum ADF holder.. i.e u ve Advance Diploma in Finance. like wis der is level 3 n den u b'cum MS(FINANCE).
bt nw gud thin is been introduced like delta's course is been revised like if u complete level 1 n u r thru wid delta (wich covers des modules mutual funds,security analysis & portfolio mngt.) u ll get CFA-CHARTER...n den its upto u 2 cont further 4 MS(FINANCE) or nt..!!

n amod u can hv a glance of ol dose modules wich r been covered in dis prog..it can b a deciding factor...!! n ya..dis prog rilli demands 4 regular studies..!!
well wish u ol d luck..

cheers
Harshi..

hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
every1

myself is AMOD OJHA, i m an engineer.
i want to move in finance sector.i want to join MS from icfai through flexi learning .i m doin MBA also.plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz help me and guide me.......

1] Can i join MS along with my MBA?
2]About course, as i hav told already im from engineering sector so i dont hav much knowledge abt finance.so i want to know is it very tough course????
can i understand it properly??????? hw much i hav to give time daily????
3]Abt term examination, qus. paper'll hav only objective qus. or subjective or both?
4] placement
5]shuld i join or nt?

plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz help me
thanking u
byeeeeeeeeeeee

Hi, can anyone tell me the names of KPO firms in Mumbai having finance operation?

Please Reply.

thnku so much babu...ll try 2 work on it..!! n thnx 4 d info..n latst updates..!! n hey dear wt if v start postin ol d changes of d upcumin market trnds..so dat v can gather loadsa info bout da same..!! wt say????

hi guys!!
nothing personal. i just want to reiterate that one should aim ms(finance) and not just CFA, as in the long run it would pay to be a ms finance and not cfa (after the recent regulation changes). this is becoz cfa does not cover M&A; which is one fo the foremost requirements for Investment Research as one would be well versed with the valuation part. we normally perform peer group analysis, DCF valuation models etc. so aim for ms finanace!!!!

happy learning!!

Harshi, practical learning will be to watch CNBC specially opening bell at 9:55 a.m. That should give you an idea about securities structure. I have not traded put and options and future is easy to understand. What exactly is making you confused? Try to understand basics and move on doing questions from workbook..i think you are doing dervative that big theory wala chapter in SA.

Speaking about practical knowledge some body who is learning investment banking (group kappa) should learn the subprime mortgage mess which wall street bankers have done. That should clear his understanding about CDO (Equity, mezzaine tranches)

Ps: Wall street crashed. Intraday over 400 points down, closed 311 points down. US housing sales slowing and subprime defaults. Hats off to Investment bankers (many of them are CFAs :satisfie:)..these guys have sold almost junk risky $ 650 billion subprime mortgages last year ! Now 19%- over $ 100 is in default although no body knows the exact extent of damage. Bear sterns have freezed their 2 hedge funds..no redemption and HNI clients are struck.



Yen getting stronger (some body who is doing IFT- Very important practical knowledge- hot issue in the finance world currently) as US housing slows..yen at 118...Hedge funds have started to 'unwind yen carry trade positions' which can wipe out another $ 1-1.5 trillion from global markets just like last time in march 07.

hey thnx a ton dear..n yeah ws seekin 4 sum practical knowledge ihself,,,can ya plzz help me out wid da same..?? i mean can ya plzz expln me sumtin in very practical terms..!!

ketan141979 Says

Vignesh, are you yourself doing CFA. I am asking you this because the way you have said that 2 hrs/ day for 3 months is enough to clear is very surprising. I am myself doing beta at present and I don't think one should give less than 4 hours daily and appear every 3 months. However, if one wishes to pass in one attempt then it is advisable to give it every six months. Look CFA/MS(Finance) is not like a MBA. CFA is very very indepth study and every question in the work book test your concepts from different angles. Where as if you see the question papers of MBA not much calculating part is asked and only theory questions are asked. Please do not take CFA lightly, it is a real specialisation in financial analysis.

No, This information i got from a counsellor in an ICFAI centre... I am about to join MFA program by this month... Is that much effort needed for MFA?? And I dont have any basics about finance. Is it possible to manage along with my regular MBA?

hello,
i wanted to know wats the scope of doing an CFA..... is it equivalent to MBA in finance or MS in fin.......... wanna know the scope,career prospects..........am an engineer presently working with a software consultancy firm...........
thanks....

hey thnx ..buh i tried 2 undrstnd few terms like futures..options..call..call feature..call option..forward contrct..forward purchse..put option..put spread..thru investopedia.com..!! ufff...m highly confused btwn ol f dem:sad:..!! plzz help me out..!!

I have lost tons of money in F&O;

Anyways, if you are learning these terms for first time, i will suggest you to look further in deepening practical knowledge...If you have done F&O; contract yourself, you would have found these terms easy and basic...but dont purchase F&O; contract to learn these terms..it is risky :)

Pick up economic times and go to the section where share and future and option prices are there...they have a column on future open interest...spend some time on it...thats the practical knowledge....dont try to understand each and every line given in the textbook...get the hang of basics how stock market works..

hi folks!
I am too a CFA and MS finance. I am presently working in a KPO as Analyst hedge funds. i just wanted to reply to an earlier statement made by a fellow student that in order to pass ms finance, you got to study 4 hrs and attempt every 6 months. sorry, but i differ. in my case, i passed 6 out of 9 groups i first attempt and that too without classes as i was pursuing MA Eco from a Central University(Regular). In my opinion, one should attempt ms finance exam every quarter as he/she will be able to get better and valuable insights in his preparation and chances of clearing the group increases for the next time. and one more thing, one should aim at clearing MS finance rather than just CFA as in my opinion, with just CFA the learning process is not complete and the quality career options are not available.

CHEERS

Friend, I was talking with reference to working people and not about people doing it full time.

hi folks!
I am too a CFA and MS finance. I am presently working in a KPO as Analyst hedge funds. i just wanted to reply to an earlier statement made by a fellow student that in order to pass ms finance, you got to study 4 hrs and attempt every 6 months. sorry, but i differ. in my case, i passed 6 out of 9 groups i first attempt and that too without classes as i was pursuing MA Eco from a Central University(Regular). In my opinion, one should attempt ms finance exam every quarter as he/she will be able to get better and valuable insights in his preparation and chances of clearing the group increases for the next time. and one more thing, one should aim at clearing MS finance rather than just CFA as in my opinion, with just CFA the learning process is not complete and the quality career options are not available.

CHEERS

hey thnx ..buh i tried 2 undrstnd few terms like futures..options..call..call feature..call option..forward contrct..forward purchse..put option..put spread..thru investopedia.com..!! ufff...m highly confused btwn ol f dem:(..!! plzz help me out..!!

hey ketan u r abslty corrct..i mean cfa is nt at ol a game f studyn 2hr a day.. cfa rilli demands 4 loads n loads f studies..!! i can say dis cuz even m pursuin cfa 4m icfai..n i ve cleard level 1..n nw i wanna appear 4 delta..i'll b takin dis attmpt aftr 1 n 1/2yr ..so m facin loadsa prob wid few terms in SECURITY ANALYSIS..can ne1 plzz help me out wid da same..!! i mean if v can discuss few things outa here which r der in r syllbi..n help echodr..!!
LETS START WID "FUTURES & OPTIONS"

harshi, search google and specially investopedia and all your doubts will be cleared I was having some problems understanding bond theorems and i learned from internet ina simple way by searching in google.

Using cutting edge technologies to make life simpler, easy and effective

hey ketan u r abslty corrct..i mean cfa is nt at ol a game f studyn 2hr a day.. cfa rilli demands 4 loads n loads f studies..!! i can say dis cuz even m pursuin cfa 4m icfai..n i ve cleard level 1..n nw i wanna appear 4 delta..i'll b takin dis attmpt aftr 1 n 1/2yr ..so m facin loadsa prob wid few terms in SECURITY ANALYSIS..can ne1 plzz help me out wid da same..!! i mean if v can discuss few things outa here which r der in r syllbi..n help echodr..!!
LETS START WID "FUTURES & OPTIONS"

vignesh_ce Says

As for as i got the info... its enough u spend 2 hrs / day for CFA for 3 months to clear the exam... So u can fininsh it while working itself....

Vignesh, are you yourself doing CFA. I am asking you this because the way you have said that 2 hrs/ day for 3 months is enough to clear is very surprising. I am myself doing beta at present and I don't think one should give less than 4 hours daily and appear every 3 months. However, if one wishes to pass in one attempt then it is advisable to give it every six months. Look CFA/MS(Finance) is not like a MBA. CFA is very very indepth study and every question in the work book test your concepts from different angles. Where as if you see the question papers of MBA not much calculating part is asked and only theory questions are asked. Please do not take CFA lightly, it is a real specialisation in financial analysis.

Hey,
Will one be able make it for CFA while working? Or should we dedicate completely for it?

As for as i got the info... its enough u spend 2 hrs / day for CFA for 3 months to clear the exam... So u can fininsh it while working itself....

Yesterday there was supposed to be a hearing in Delhi High Court on the trademark case between ICFAI and AIMR. What was the result?

Hey,
Will one be able make it for CFA while working? Or should we dedicate completely for it?

Mallika, it requires a interest and affinity towards finance. You need to put at least 15-20 hours per week dedicated on CFA study apart from keeping your updated thru recent developments.

A finance background (CA/ICWAI/MBA-finance) helps, so does work exp in finance as you would have known the basics.

Working ppl take little more time to complete than dedicated ones.

Hey,
Will one be able make it for CFA while working? Or should we dedicate completely for it?

Mallika :), nice to see you in cfa forums. :satisfie:

It depends on person to person. I will suggest you to go through the syllabus and see if you like the contents. If you have 5 day working, you can cope up with CFA and clear your exams. You might not be able to clear in one attempt but yes you can do along with your work.

Hey,
Will one be able make it for CFA while working? Or should we dedicate completely for it?

What are firm that recruit CFA/MFA do large investment banks do so ??

buddy, it is written in the prospectus which companies have recruited cfa from icfai and where icfai alumini are currently working.I am glad to say it is a long list of companies

BaBu Says

KPO- Starts at 3. Goes up to 4.5 for research analyst. 3.5-3.75 is median for a fresher.

What are firm that recruit CFA/MFA do large investment banks do so ??

Will one be able to secure the job of equity research analyst in an investment bank or a KPO with a package of around 4.5-6 lacs after completing CFA/MFA ? ?

KPO- Starts at 3. Goes up to 4.5 for research analyst. 3.5-3.75 is median for a fresher.

Industry very well knows CFA and ms finance from ICFAI. ICFAI have communicated in their recent MBA placements to HR managers/head the difference between ms finance and CFA.

Any course in finance from ICFAI have got good prospects. It will take you to interview door, rest is candidate knowledge and capability.

Will one be able to secure the job of equity research analyst in an investment bank or a KPO with a package of around 4.5-6 lacs after completing CFA/MFA ? ?

Hi Babu

Babu what are the career prospects after doing CFA/MFA keeping in mind the fact it is a new course and the industry is not much aware of it.

Industry very well knows CFA and ms finance from ICFAI. ICFAI have communicated in their recent MBA placements to HR managers/head the difference between ms finance and CFA.

Any course in finance from ICFAI have got good prospects. It will take you to interview door, rest is candidate knowledge and capability.

Dear Babu

I wrot some time back and everbody advised me to go for MS (Finance) whereas I was interested in CFA/MFA,now on the contrary you are advising another guys to join CFA/MFA,Please clarify ??

Arif, 4000 ICFAI alumini are ms finance + cfa. Both are good, however ms finance deals with more subjects. I like CFA/MFA syllabus and it is my personal opinion.

I am doing ms finance because last year when i registered there was no cfa/mfa. But i will clear 16 papers and get cfa and find a job in some KPO firm. CFA/MFA suits my career goal.

CFA deals with valuation part- How to value various financial instruments like equity , bonds, swaps and portfolio management- How to design a portfolio. Thats it. Nothing more nothing less. Perfect design with syllabus matching CFA USA syllabus.

Ms finance apart from valuation and portfolio management also deals with risk management, international finance, project management etc. It is a very wide and lengthy course and no doubt reputed too.

My personal opinion- Go for CFA/MFA.

Dear Babu

I wrot some time back and everbody advised me to go for MS (Finance) whereas I was interested in CFA/MFA,now on the contrary you are advising another guys to join CFA/MFA,Please clarify ??

Hi,
I am a fresh engineer and decided to pursue CFA from ICFAI. I am really confused with it, as ICFAI has two courses which leads to CFA designation... which is MS FINANCE AND MFA... when i enquired they said MFA is 18 months course and MS is 24 months course that deals with more advanced concept...

Could anyone from this group throw some lights on MFA program? and which one u suggest me, assuming that I have no knowledge in finance but very much interested.

waiting for your reply!!

CFA deals with valuation part- How to value various financial instruments like equity , bonds, swaps and portfolio management- How to design a portfolio. Thats it. Nothing more nothing less. Perfect design with syllabus matching CFA USA syllabus.

Ms finance apart from valuation and portfolio management also deals with risk management, international finance, project management etc. It is a very wide and lengthy course and no doubt reputed too.

My personal opinion- Go for CFA/MFA.

Hi akil,

I just saw this forum and also have joined CFA ICFAI courese this june 07. We have similarities in our job profile. Even I am from Call centre back ground for 2 years and have joined standard chartered bank as a custommer support officer.
I have a great passion for equity research, Mutual funds investment analysis and investment banking. Even i got so fed up with the call centre job and don't wants to take headset anymore. But unfortunately till we get this degree we have to be engaged in some sort of work to meet our expenses.

Lets join hands to help each other in clearing CFA ICFAI exams

The Rising NAV Value of leading Asset managent companies passionates me

Financial, credit and commodities Derivatives enthrills me

The Big 4 IB firms Goldman sachs, Merril lynch, JP Morgan chase, JM Morgan stanley and AMC's like fidelity and Franklin templeton excites me.

Welcome to the forums.

All the best. Do well

Hi,
I am a fresh engineer and decided to pursue CFA from ICFAI. I am really confused with it, as ICFAI has two courses which leads to CFA designation... which is MS FINANCE AND MFA... when i enquired they said MFA is 18 months course and MS is 24 months course that deals with more advanced concept...

Could anyone from this group throw some lights on MFA program? and which one u suggest me, assuming that I have no knowledge in finance but very much interested.

waiting for your reply!!

Hi akil,

I just saw this forum and also have joined CFA ICFAI courese this june 07. We have similarities in our job profile. Even I am from Call centre back ground for 2 years and have joined standard chartered bank as a custommer support officer.
I have a great passion for equity research, Mutual funds investment analysis and investment banking. Even i got so fed up with the call centre job and don't wants to take headset anymore. But unfortunately till we get this degree we have to be engaged in some sort of work to meet our expenses.

Lets join hands to help each other in clearing CFA ICFAI exams

The Rising NAV Value of leading Asset managent companies passionates me

Financial, credit and commodities Derivatives enthrills me

The Big 4 IB firms Goldman sachs, Merril lynch, JP Morgan chase, JM Morgan stanley and AMC's like fidelity and Franklin templeton excites me.

Hello Guys,

I am logging in after a long time, though i have been occasionally reading some of the posts. Its good to be writing here again!

So its Delta group this July for me and Portfolito Mgmt as part of revised subject is new and a bit challanging to crack in short time. Anyway, i had this question:

Can a person after clearing the Delta group become CFA ? As per the guidelines of CCFA can one add that title to his name? If so then wont that be a detterent to many candidates persuing the course beyond delta. Of cource that would then limit his knowledge growth.

Thanks.

Vineet, I am a qualified MS(Finance) from ICFAI ,Hyderabad and currently pursuing MBA from Nirma University ,Ahmedabad, will graduate next year, I would like u to comment on my prospects after graduation of MBA...

I know people who are plain ms finance/cfa and are well setted in good high paying jobs. Ms finance itself is a great professional qualification.

Since you are ms finance + MBA, your fate initally will depend on the kind of companies which nirma can attract. You need to sell your self and i have heard students who are doing cfa/completed cfa generally gets good placement- top companies day 0 selection.

In the medium run (2-3 years experience), you can jump the ship because of your great qual- Ms + MBA. You are all set for a great career in the medium and long term, just needs good 2-3 experience for final polishing. For short term, as i said it depends on NIRMA placements but definately ms finance + MBA not an easy accomplishment and that too @ 23.

Dear Ketan,
Getting into a good b-school is a challenge in itself. Its great to be optimistic but one would need to balance ambition and ability.

Take an extreme estimate of an intake 333 students(which I know is way off the mark) per institute among the top 15 institutes which would include symbiosis ands NMIMS that means a total intake of 5000 students out of some 200k aspirants. (obvious that most would be cumulative apllicants of cat).

And what is b-grade b-school? MET or Sydenham, Nirma and their kin. Just to let u know Cos come to these institutes to pick up sale people, period. I am not talking or taking a short in the dark but great Cos. like Kotak, Edelwiss and other huge brokerage houses and even several AMC's come to these 2nd rung institutes to pick up sales people, even if ur done finance.

I mean u spend 2 yrs of ur life doing and MBA and then get into an RM position, I mean what the hell is wrong with you? Why do an MBA and get into selling MF's, Brokerage products, acquiring HNI's, selling insurance and other retail products. I mean I have been competing with guys from MET and Somaiya and trust me most do'nt have an edge, so much for a b-grade school. (assuming no long run impact and initial salary package)

Yes, there ar cos like crisil, BA Continum that have come to MET and sydenham but have picked 2 or 3 students for research and other operations positions. So next time if u see someone from Nirma and MET having joined Edelwiss or for that matter HSBC securities, be warned he mostly(and I say this with some conviction) be into just selling of Financial products. I mean I have clinched positions for RM's without any post grad. Its just goes to show what pre-requisite skills one is looking forward to.

Lehman Brothers for ex in Mumbai has several f***ed position with decent packages and need MBA's for it but trust me I have seen those profiles and speak to anyone who has been into hardcore backoffice operations in equities and u 'll know that their experience will never be considered seriously. Its great to be associated with such a huge brand in te BPO space, down the line people have regretted cause ur learning is limited and ur scope is just restricted eventually to team operations rather than financial operations. People have joined cause of the pay but down the line many would regret and have regretted!!

Why do an MBA and become a SAP consultant? Yeah right I'm sure its been an ambition since childhood to a SAP consutlant after a BCOM+MBA! Mant guys find it real difficult to get into mutual fund accounting where a plain CA would do and know of some grads who have clinched these positions(obviously with a little luck).

I'd rather start as a dealer and work my way upwards than land up for retail sales after a freaking 2 yr course. So whats better 2 yrs of CFA with work -ex or MBA from B-GRADE?

I mean type CFA and MBA on job site. Why wouldn't u find one position for a CFA in sales and why several MBA-Finances into sales? The answers lie therein......Its obvious that the recruitment market isn't confused about the course.

I posted with the assumption of not having made it into a top b-school....

Vineet, I am a qualified MS(Finance) from ICFAI ,Hyderabad and currently pursuing MBA from Nirma University ,Ahmedabad, will graduate next year, I would like u to comment on my prospects after graduation of MBA...

Babu, to begin with I must say that the trend for various higher end KPO/invesment analysis profiles/processes are usually seen in NCR/Gurgaon as in cos like Genpact and evalueserve. And yes its got to do with movement of skilled labour. There is no dearth of conusltancy firms in Mumbai i.e. as a CFA obviously one would wanna work where exposure is directly related to the domestic capital markets.

I mean brokerage firms today have in-house invesment research/analysis teams that offer an advisory role to manage portfolios. So here u not just doing financial operations but it is leading to portfolio structuring and invesment management. I mean take the insititutional side of equities or for that matter HNI's, its a huge opportunity! So an MBA or CFA isn't restricting himself to financial operations as PnL and finacial anaylsis but all leading to advisory services. Take Wealth management, Insitnal(said b4), PCG, PMS,all operative not on financial consultancy but a lot has to do with portfolio management.

The KPO firms in Mumbai among a few are Gridstone Research, Integron that actually deal with quality research work. ABN AMRO also has few processes that have high end research work.

Anyways ur qn. was about long hrs. Yes, ABN AMRO shifts i.e. for the higher end(or so called higher end) officially are 9 to 6 but people extend it to 9 pm on even normal volume days.

At kotak securities, its a standard qn they ask during interviews-"Are u comfy with late sitting?". I was like whats that? Oh ...Okay its where u aren't paid for overtime:satisfie:. So long hrs are associated with KPOS processes or for that matter operations here that I know of.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BaBu
2) I am doing lot of google searches understanding IB industry- Both global market and domestic market. Am i true in my opinion written below ? My opinion is:
Within IBs, M&A; and corporate finance have the longest hours while research and sales and trading desk still decent hours. I mean once the market closes sales and trading team should head back home.....:smile:

True and also Depends on which part of let say M&A.; Abn Amro again has a process that is post handling of m&a; for which they require a decent MBA. I'll explain post handling with a reference for those who don't.

Fund manager takes an invement decision and once the trades are booked, post all of it as in funds for the trade, pay-in and pay-out, MTM, NAV priciing is done by the fund accounting team. So post handling of M&A; here is at the operational end i.e. post the decision, so basically backend work. But shift/no of hrs are okay.

And yeah like u said, trading team can back home a little later once the market closes. Usually timings for dealers even on the insititutional side is 8.30 to 5.00. But dude they don't have time during the day days especially on heavy volume days. So its very demanding once ur at the desk. On a lighter note its a great way to get rid of ur nicotine habits like my friends have.a 04-07-2007 06:28 PM

Thanks vinit for your helpful reply back.

hi puys,
I am new to this thread and I wish to pursue my CFA(ICFAI) along with my MBA. As i decided to opt for finance, i found that doing CFA is an added advantage to my profile.

My profile:

qualification : B.E. - CIVIL 69% 2006 passed out
Work exp : 1 yr as Site engineer
Cat 2007 :81%ile

Here are my doubts, It would be very helpful if anyone answer my questions.

1. I found that many of them who are doing CFA are frm commerce background, so is it difficult to grab the concept for the people with different background?

2. Is it possible to concentrate on CFA with regular MBA?

3. how many hours study required to study CFA?

eagerly waiting for ur reply!

well folks, i ws just reading the last 5-6 pages here and i see all sorts of childishness here ! i'v personally interacted with Tumtum.he's working in a REALLY good position @ one of the leading I-banks in a terrific profile and fantastic pay

so if he gives advice...TAKE IT ! n if he's being frank, isnt dat really good? or does anyone here want to live in dreams? i dont think anyone on this thread has d exp n profile he has, so u guys u should really b thankful for wat he has 2 say ! we dont have anyone like dis on the CFA (AIMR) thread.
all candidates.:neutral:

Excellent acandemic knowledge transferred. Thanks vinit for the above post.

I have a question for you:

1) Genpact is hiring investment banking analyst to support a very reputed bulge bracket IB firm based in NYC. The main duties are: Comparable analysis, Company/Industry analysis, financial modelling, pitch book creation and database management.

The job responsibilites are same just like an analyst in NYC. The only difference is the location difference. Now an investment banking analyst in NYC works for 80-100 hours a week. Is it true there are long shifts in KPO industry dealing with investment banks? May be you have an idea...thats why i asked you.

Babu, to begin with I must say that the trend for various higher end KPO/invesment analysis profiles/processes are usually seen in NCR/Gurgaon as in cos like Genpact and evalueserve. And yes its got to do with movement of skilled labour. There is no dearth of conusltancy firms in Mumbai i.e. as a CFA obviously one would wanna work where exposure is directly related to the domestic capital markets.

I mean brokerage firms today have in-house invesment research/analysis teams that offer an advisory role to manage portfolios. So here u not just doing financial operations but it is leading to portfolio structuring and invesment management. I mean take the insititutional side of equities or for that matter HNI's, its a huge opportunity! So an MBA or CFA isn't restricting himself to financial operations as PnL and finacial anaylsis but all leading to advisory services. Take Wealth management, Insitnal(said b4), PCG, PMS,all operative not on financial consultancy but a lot has to do with portfolio management.

The KPO firms in Mumbai among a few are Gridstone Research, Integron that actually deal with quality research work. ABN AMRO also has few processes that have high end research work.

Anyways ur qn. was about long hrs. Yes, ABN AMRO shifts i.e. for the higher end(or so called higher end) officially are 9 to 6 but people extend it to 9 pm on even normal volume days.

At kotak securities, its a standard qn they ask during interviews-"Are u comfy with late sitting?". I was like whats that? Oh ...Okay its where u aren't paid for overtime:satisfie:. So long hrs are associated with KPOS processes or for that matter operations here that I know of.

2) I am doing lot of google searches understanding IB industry- Both global market and domestic market. Am i true in my opinion written below ? My opinion is:

Within IBs, M&A; and corporate finance have the longest hours while research and sales and trading desk still decent hours. I mean once the market closes sales and trading team should head back home.....:)

True and also Depends on which part of let say M&A.; Abn Amro again has a process that is post handling of m&a; for which they require a decent MBA. I'll explain post handling with a reference for those who don't.

Fund manager takes an invement decision and once the trades are booked, post all of it as in funds for the trade, pay-in and pay-out, MTM, NAV priciing is done by the fund accounting team. So post handling of M&A; here is at the operational end i.e. post the decision, so basically backend work. But shift/no of hrs are okay.

And yeah like u said, trading team can back home a little later once the market closes. Usually timings for dealers even on the insititutional side is 8.30 to 5.00. But dude they don't have time during the day days especially on heavy volume days. So its very demanding once ur at the desk. On a lighter note its a great way to get rid of ur nicotine habits like my friends have.

Hi Kazi,
My name is Vineet Amin. I came across your email ID on the CFA website and this email is with regards to the CFA course. My query is very basic in nature and the usual one as to why should one pursue the AIMR CFA course as compared to the one offered by ICFAI.

I do understand the obvious benefits of doing the US course is the international aceptance of the course as compared to the one offered by ICFAI. But what would be the other reasons for one to undergo this course and not the one offered domestically.

I do intend to pursue an MBA in finance and currently working with Abn Amro. I want to know how it would play out if one wants to get into Investment banking operations. Would it suffice if wants concentrates on his MBA or does a CFA like the one from AIMR as in does it add an advantage when intends to get into Investment Banking.

I am 22 years old and like I said before do intend to go in for an MBA but would you suggest anyone to complete the CFA course and then go in for an MBA or should one get into an MBA. What would be the pros and cons of doing a CFA(and the one from ICFAI) and would also like your views on how a CFA is perceived in the job market.

His response

Dear Vinit

Am offering my personal opinion - i think the MBA finance is a fulltime post grad qualification which the indian market understands well and therefore CFA, US or ICFAI are no subsitute for that. The CFA Program is very useful as a professional membership over and above a fulltime post grad qualification such as MBA or CA, particularly as you have pointed out, in an international context.

Please also note CFA is more from an investment management perspective
(fund management, portfolio management, equity research, etc) rather than an
investment banking perspective.

Hence suggest you definitely do an MBA. Pursue CFA in addition to an MBA either now or later depending on your time availability.

Rgds
kazi

Excellent acandemic knowledge transferred. Thanks vinit for the above post.

I have a question for you:

1) Genpact is hiring investment banking analyst to support a very reputed bulge bracket IB firm based in NYC. The main duties are: Comparable analysis, Company/Industry analysis, financial modelling, pitch book creation and database management.

The job responsibilites are same just like an analyst in NYC. The only difference is the location difference. Now an investment banking analyst in NYC works for 80-100 hours a week. Is it true there are long shifts in KPO industry dealing with investment banks? May be you have an idea...thats why i asked you.

2) I am doing lot of google searches understanding IB industry- Both global market and domestic market. Am i true in my opinion written below ? My opinion is:

Within IBs, M&A; and corporate finance have the longest hours while research and sales and trading desk still decent hours. I mean once the market closes sales and trading team should head back home.....:)

I hope tumtum also shares his industry knowledge with us :)...

vinit bhai
thanks a lot for giving such a detailed reply..
now coming to your questions about me..
lemme tell you my complete profile.
people please forgive me if this goes on for too long...but its important for vinit bhai to know so he can answer me properly

i have been self employed since the last year...after graduating i started a properitership firm and i mainly provide iron ore fines to big export houses who export these fines to china... i have worked with companies like jaguar which is a part fo the jindal group of companies...i have done a turnover of Rs. 2 crores in 1 year but generally unhappy with things...my father has a firm of his own but i work seperately and i am not involved in family business..

i have genuine interest in finance but other than the routine stuff i learnt in collge i know little about it..i want to get a cfa or a ms finance not only to value add to my cv but also generally to know more about finance..after all isnt this knowledge going to be benificial even when i decide to have my own enterprise...and ideally if i could complete it with mba or after 1 year of graduating then well and good...

coming to time i could devote..my scenario is just that sometimes i can devote 5-6 hrs in a day and sometimes i can go weeks without devoting a hour...but i am in the process of winding down my present deals and not taking up any more work so i can concentrate more on studies...

Okay dude going by what u mentioned u need an MBA. You for ex. wouldn't need to know how a derivative is priced or would ever employ the butterfly spread used in derivatives.

And I don't think what u need to know interest rate swaps et al or a credit default swap. The first 2 levels should be sufficient to u even in terms of appreciating ur MBA. What u need is business management rather than invesment management. Unless u do look at it at a personal level for the course to assist u in terms of knowledge and employing it in ur cos portfolio.(okay I think I am getting a bit far). In a nutshell u need MBA for than a CFA.

I'll paste an email response that I received way long backfrom Kazi amin,board of directors of CFA AIMR.

What I wrote.-

Hi Kazi,
My name is Vineet Amin. I came across your email ID on the CFA website and this email is with regards to the CFA course. My query is very basic in nature and the usual one as to why should one pursue the AIMR CFA course as compared to the one offered by ICFAI.

I do understand the obvious benefits of doing the US course is the international aceptance of the course as compared to the one offered by ICFAI. But what would be the other reasons for one to undergo this course and not the one offered domestically.

I do intend to pursue an MBA in finance and currently working with Abn Amro. I want to know how it would play out if one wants to get into Investment banking operations. Would it suffice if wants concentrates on his MBA or does a CFA like the one from AIMR as in does it add an advantage when intends to get into Investment Banking.

I am 22 years old and like I said before do intend to go in for an MBA but would you suggest anyone to complete the CFA course and then go in for an MBA or should one get into an MBA. What would be the pros and cons of doing a CFA(and the one from ICFAI) and would also like your views on how a CFA is perceived in the job market.

His response

Dear Vinit

Am offering my personal opinion - i think the MBA finance is a fulltime post grad qualification which the indian market understands well and therefore CFA, US or ICFAI are no subsitute for that. The CFA Program is very useful as a professional membership over and above a fulltime post grad qualification such as MBA or CA, particularly as you have pointed out, in an international context.

Please also note CFA is more from an investment management perspective
(fund management, portfolio management, equity research, etc) rather than an
investment banking perspective.

Hence suggest you definitely do an MBA. Pursue CFA in addition to an MBA either now or later depending on your time availability.

Rgds
kazi

Obviously the suggestion of MBA over CFA is with the assumption of having made it into a grade a school.

vinit bhai
thanks a lot for giving such a detailed reply..
now coming to your questions about me..
lemme tell you my complete profile.
people please forgive me if this goes on for too long...but its important for vinit bhai to know so he can answer me properly

10th-2001-88(icse)
12th-2003-67.4(cbse science)
grad-2006-69(b.com(h) in accounts)
cat 2006-87.23(prepared for 2 months)

i have been self employed since the last year...after graduating i started a properitership firm and i mainly provide iron ore fines to big export houses who export these fines to china... i have worked with companies like jaguar which is a part fo the jindal group of companies...i have done a turnover of Rs. 2 crores in 1 year but generally unhappy with things...my father has a firm of his own but i work seperately and i am not involved in family business..

now my problem is that i dont have funds and unfortunately for a plain graduate from a modest college it is difficult to get things done in banks and get finance....i want to establish a company and do bigger turnovers but unfortunately with limited funds that i have it is proving very tough...so ideally i want to do an mba from a good b school not only to get exposure to the corporate way of functioning after working for 2-3 years but also to attain a brand of an elite institute and a professional qualification which would really help me 5-7 years from now when i want to set up a company of my own..

i have genuine interest in finance but other than the routine stuff i learnt in collge i know little about it..i want to get a cfa or a ms finance not only to value add to my cv but also generally to know more about finance..after all isnt this knowledge going to be benificial even when i decide to have my own enterprise...and ideally if i could complete it with mba or after 1 year of graduating then well and good...

coming to time i could devote..my scenario is just that sometimes i can devote 5-6 hrs in a day and sometimes i can go weeks without devoting a hour...but i am in the process of winding down my present deals and not taking up any more work so i can concentrate more on studies...

@vinit

thank you vinit bhai for your answers...
would you suggest to me that i try and clear the first 3 levels of cfa or ms finance depending on whatever course i decide to pursue before july next year and then take it from there...clearing those 3 levels wont only value add to my cv but also right now i do have the time to study because normally on weekdays i am just giving a hr to my cat preparations..and that leaves me atleast 2 hrs to study for cfa daily making it 10 hrs a week for 6 monthsfor level 1..saturdays and sundays i devote to taking mock cats and solving practise tests so leave the weekends out of the equation..

come january,all the tests would be over and done with and i'd again have good time to
prepare for the july exams!!

then if by the grace of god i do get through a good b school..you are right in assuming that sydhenam,kjs and nirma are the minimum i'd be aiming for i can ascertain whether i am able to clear the remnaining levels along with mba else i can always clear these levels after graduationg from the b school....

Dude I also Assumed that u wouldn't be working. Working and clearing CFA is huge in itself. Working and then preps for bschool exams are again a challenge in itself. U've kinda decided to shoulder all tree tasks.

I'll cut it short and put it this way. First evaluate whether u can be consistent in ur efforts and not to scare u it difficult and has been for most to pursure work and CFA. So like I said evaluate ur self and then decide.

But atleast do give a proper shot at the first 2 levels and I've seen... u've ....comm.... hons......as they as well add value i.e. cv dressing especially during MBA entrances.

And dude please do'nt mind this but since u mentioned that u've quit ur current b-school and that obviously would be to get into a better institute so please be clear on what u want.

If u've quit ur bschool in search of a better insititute then just concentrate on ur bschool. U wouldn't lose a hell lot net effectlively just 6 months of a 30 yr career if u pend ur preps for CFA till jan next yr. till ur done with bschool entrances. Once ur done with bschool entrances then start CFA full swing.

Also may I add, please mention whats ur work ex. Cause thats impt. And also please do mention the reason for the current profile as in a brief Job Description. And also please mention why r u doing CFA as in whats ur objective? Just CV addition wont take u anywhere.

I at no point intend to de-motivate but would be glad if u could answer what I posted... it'll help other better to advise.

Things like Why MBA and why CFA, these qns seemed stupid to me for a long time and also was irritated once, I must admit when Manan aka tumtum asked me why research.

But trust me these are very impt qns!! Period. In knowing what u want and why u want it.

@ketan
ketan bhai i was not able to go through the entire 100 odd pages of the thread and hence i posted my queries specifically...i am sorry to all the regulars of the thread if they were answered before and my post makes this thread lengthier..
i am indeed worried but isnt the very essence of pg lessening worries of others,after all its a forum where the ones who know clear the doubts of one who don't!!

@vinit

thank you vinit bhai for your answers...
would you suggest to me that i try and clear the first 3 levels of cfa or ms finance depending on whatever course i decide to pursue before july next year and then take it from there...clearing those 3 levels wont only value add to my cv but also right now i do have the time to study because normally on weekdays i am just giving a hr to my cat preparations..and that leaves me atleast 2 hrs to study for cfa daily making it 10 hrs a week for 6 monthsfor level 1..saturdays and sundays i devote to taking mock cats and solving practise tests so leave the weekends out of the equation..

come january,all the tests would be over and done with and i'd again have good time to
prepare for the july exams!!

then if by the grace of god i do get through a good b school..you are right in assuming that sydhenam,kjs and nirma are the minimum i'd be aiming for i can ascertain whether i am able to clear the remnaining levels along with mba else i can always clear these levels after graduationg from the b school....

i had posted earlier saying that i am pursuing mba from isbm but i have left it and m givin the b skool entrances another shot this year.

veterans of this thread please be kind enough to answer some of my questions!!

1)should i pursue ms finance along with studying for the b skool entrances and also for the gd/pi thing if i do get calls??what do you guys suggest..please draw from your own experiences or your friends expressions..those things always help!!

To begin with me no veteran.. nevertheless moi 2 cents

Assumptions:-
1.Obviously would be aiming for a better institute.
IF ur talking about a better inst then its obvious that the course would be on its own challenging and demanding for u to allocate time to pursue the course with some consitency in ur efforts.

So the risk would be to pursue the course at the cost of doing very well in ur MBA or CFA as both would be equally and exceptionally very demanding. Its for one to evaluate his abilities and judge whether he/she could put in required efforts.

Even if ur in Sydenham and Somaiya and Wellingkar.. the general b-grades colledges one finds it difficult to pursue both course and atleast I have'nt come across anyone who has scaled both courses simultaneously, unless one is exceptionally brillant or a CA and therefore the obvious links in both courses.

2)which course do you people suggest.cfa or ms(finance)??i am a bcom hons..2006 graduate??working in mfg sector for the last 1 year..

MS finance-Tried and tested

3)suppose i do get an admission into a b school would it be at all possible to manage ms finance or for that matter a cfa along with full time mba??

ANSWERED above

4)is ms(finance) and cfa a good option even for mba's????

Depends one which inst's MBA. Else yes nevertheless.

5)how are the job prospects for a mba in finance with cfa or ms finance.apart from the value addition to the cv will it help a b school graduate in placements??

Great! Okay I know u need the prospects and not a one word answer. Put it this way, u want research and other invesmnet management positions then CFA is obvious and a no brainer.

If ur okay to budgeting, cost control, auditing, MF accounting, team operations, business analyst positions, treasury operations and other operational profiles and evern being an RM and selling MF's and insurance then only MBA would suffice. If ur clear about Research then CFA unless one is confident about a top A grade colledge.

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