CFA is considered Icing on the cake n not the cake itself !(mind the difference)
Have to disagree with you there.. CFA is not the icing..its the cake itself.. After clearing the three levels, one still isnt a charterholder. Only once you clear some 3-4 years work ex in mandated areas, you would earn a charter.
And in foreign nations, people might not recognise which BSchool one is from (one might be from IIM-A itself), they will always recognise one if one is a charter holder...
Have to disagree with you there.. CFA is not the icing..its the cake itself.. After clearing the three levels, one still isnt a charterholder. Only once you clear some 3-4 years work ex in mandated areas, you would earn a charter.
And in foreign nations, people might not recognise which BSchool one is from (one might be from IIM-A itself), they will always recognise one if one is a charter holder...
IMHO u r missing wood for the trees !
To gain a "sound entry" one needs to have MBA Fin from IIM A/B/C/ISB together with atleast Level 2 CFA (exceptions would always be there but this is the industry norm n the same can be corroborated by talking to any senior pro working in IB or jus browsing thru the jobs posted by IB firms or even by talking to high end placement consultants or even by going thru profiles of IB stalwarts posted at Linkedin or visiting analystforum and interacting with indian professionals out there) . We also have respected Puys like Tumtum sir(CFA) , Rajat sir , Akshat sir(CFA level 3 passed with MBA from IIM-L) who can b contacted to know inside out of IB world
Furthermore if u go thru the list of CFA Charterholders u would spot most would be either MBA Fin from Ivy League colleges(with mostly an Engg degree in graduation or a bcom) and/or CA
I need an opinion and for that it is important for you to know my background. I am an MBA Finance from ICFAI Gurgaon. I worked as an Financial analyst 4 nine months and had to leave my job because of family problems. I am unable to get a decent finance profile because of my gap of 8 months. Will doing a clearing CFA level 1 help me to get back into the industry?
To gain a "sound entry" one needs to have MBA Fin from IIM A/B/C/ISB together with atleast Level 2 CFA (exceptions would always be there but this is the industry norm n the same can be corroborated by talking to any senior pro working in IB or jus browsing thru the jobs posted by IB firms or even by talking to high end placement consultants or even by going thru profiles of IB stalwarts posted at Linkedin or visiting analystforum and interacting with indian professionals out there) . .......:)
Here I would like to disagree regarding CFA as the route only for I-Banking!!?
For those ppl who are confused by the posts I would like to inform that there are many other career opportunities for CFA holders besides I-banking - which is just one section of the huge Financial Services Industry.
CFA exam is for the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. It is geared for building the skills and preparing exam takers basically for the Investment Management Industry (and not for I-banking).
FUND/PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT: It is required for B.Com/MBA guys in major companies to have a CFA certification for promotions/career as Fund/Portfolio Managers. If you see profile of the best fund managers in India, lots of B.Com/CA with CFA are there in the industry.
Of specific mention is Mr. Sunil Singhania, Sr. Fund Manager at Reliance Mutual Fund, who is the first Indian to have been in the Standards & Practice Council of the CFA Institute, USA. Mr. Sunil B. Singhania
Please read "Vault Career Guide to the Investment Management / Investment Banking / Venture Capital / Private Equity" for your specific career interests in the particular financial sector domain.
If I clear Level 1 CFA in June-2011 attempt and assuming that I get IIM calls in CAT-2011, will a CFA Level 1 clearance fetch me any brownie points as far as final selection procedure is concerned?
I am planning to pay the fees for Dec 2010 exam before Sep 2010..Is there any chance for me to carry forward the exam fees to June 11 in case if I am not able write the Dec 10.
I am planning to pay the fees for Dec 2010 exam before Sep 2010..Is there any chance for me to carry forward the exam fees to June 11 in case if I am not able write the Dec 10.
Nidhin
as per the website:
Enrollment and registration fees are nontransferable and nonrefundable. Application and payment must be received by CFA Institute by 12:00 midnight Eastern Time on or before the application deadline. Full refunds are available within two business days of payment if you change your mind. Registration deferrals are also considered on a case-by-case basis for life-threatening or serious illnesses (candidate or immediate family), extreme emergencies, and mandatory military service.
I am planning to pay the fees for Dec 2010 exam before Sep 2010..Is there any chance for me to carry forward the exam fees to June 11 in case if I am not able write the Dec 10.
Nidhin
You can mail at [email protected] and explain them your position. They allow you to defer in case of any illness, death in family etc etc..
Enrollment and registration fees are nontransferable and nonrefundable. Application and payment must be received by CFA Institute by 12:00 midnight Eastern Time on or before the application deadline. Full refunds are available within two business days of payment if you change your mind; however, for the June 2011 exam, shipping fees are not refundable. Registration deferrals are also considered on a case-by-case basis for life-threatening or serious illnesses (candidate or immediate family), extreme emergencies, and mandatory military service. Due to fluctuating exchange rates outside our control, we cannot guarantee that the exact amount paid to CFA Institute will be the same amount (in other currency) returned.
Do we have to work in any finance related firm for some x amount of years before appearing for lever 3 exam. Kindly clarify on this.. I was assuming that we can sit for all three exams irrespective of whether we work in an financial firm and only the charter requires some amount of work experience. Kindly reply
Do we have to work in any finance related firm for some x amount of years before appearing for lever 3 exam. Kindly clarify on this.. I was assuming that we can sit for all three exams irrespective of whether we work in an financial firm and only the charter requires some amount of work experience. Kindly reply
Yeah, you're right. You do not need to have any work ex before clearing level 3. My classmates appeared for level 3 while we were still in college.
However, for getting the charter one needs work ex in pre-defined roles.
hey guys, im doing my mba this year,though i dint get admission in a good college i dont intend to waste one more year....i always wanted to do my cfa after mba...but now that i dint get admission in a good college i think i should consider doing cfa simultaneously with my mba...is that possible for me to clear it considering im from an IT background..??
hey guys, im doing my mba this year,though i dint get admission in a good college i dont intend to waste one more year....i always wanted to do my cfa after mba...but now that i dint get admission in a good college i think i should consider doing cfa simultaneously with my mba...is that possible for me to clear it considering im from an IT background..??
Infact from a placement perspective, it would be important that you start CFA preps along or before MBA. Advantages:
a. You would have already studied some subjects of ur MBA-fin beforehand. b. By the time, your campus recruitment starts, you would completed 1-2 levels which would make your resume more attractive to potential recruiters.
CFA L-1 material starts with basic concepts, so one doesn't need accounts etc background for CFA
CFA is considered Icing on the cake n not the cake itself !(mind the difference)
We also have respected Puys like Tumtum sir(CFA) , Rajat sir , Akshat sir(CFA level 3 passed with MBA from IIM-L) who can b contacted to know inside out of IB world 
