What the CFP® and CIMA® designations mean for you
You deserve to have confidence that the financial planner you choose to help you manage your financial life is both trustworthy and experienced.
While anyone can claim to be a financial planner, only those who have fulfilled specific certifications and renewal requirements can display designations like Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®).
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Through the Code of Ethics, CFP® practitioners agree to act fairly and diligently when providing financial planning advice and services, putting your interests first. The Code of Ethics states that CFP® practitioners must act with integrity, offering you professional services that are objective and based on your unique needs. They’re required to provide you with information – in writing – about their sources of compensation and conflicts of interest. To certify as a CFP®, an advisor must demonstrate their ability to fulfill the “Four E’s” – education, examination, experience and ethics.
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CIMA® practitioners represent the top quarter of the advisor community, having more experience and managing more assets than most financial professionals. To be certified as a CIMA®, an advisor must meet experience requirements, pass a comprehensive exam and background check, and agree to adhere to a code of professional responsibility and commit to 40 hours of continued education every two years. CIMA® professionals are also committed to transparency and are required to disclose in full all services provided and compensation received.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
Investments & Wealth Institute™ (The Institute) is the owner of the certification marks “CIMA®” and “Certified Investment Management Analyst℠.” Use of CIMA® and/or Certified Investment Management Analyst℠ signifies that the user has successfully completed The Institute's initial and ongoing credentialing requirements for investment management professionals.
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Certified Investment Management Analyst® professionals are dedicated to elevating their practice through education, experience, examination and the highest standards of ethics. CIMA® professionals have the advanced investment management knowledge necessary to fully serve affluent clients, and they use that in-depth knowledge to analyze and select the investments that make the most sense for your circumstances.
They understand the financial complexities and risks that come with being in a high tax bracket, are well-versed in modern concepts of investment advice, and are educated to understand how individual investments work together. They apply this knowledge to analyze and select the investments that make the most sense for your personal situation.
Earning a CIMA® designation requires three years of experience in investment management consulting and completion of the demanding educational program put forth by the CIMA® board. To maintain this designation, CIMA® professionals must adhere to a rigorous code of professional responsibility and complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years.
These skills, along with a commitment to advanced education, help enable them to provide you with the level of investment guidance you not only need, but deserve.
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The CIMA® designation reflects completion and adherence to the four E’s: experience, education, examination and ethics.
Every investment consultant who has earned the CIMA® designation has at least three years of broad experience in the field of investment management consulting, has passed an extensive background check, and has completed the demanding educational program from a top-20 business school. Successful completion of a comprehensive examination is the final step in receiving the designation.
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The IMCA® Code of Professional Responsibility was adopted to promote and maintain the highest standard of personal and professional conduct in the investment and wealth management profession. The IMCA® Code serves to assure public confidence in the integrity and service offered by professional investment and wealth advisors. IMCA® professionals build trust, exhibit credibility, and foster accountability as they act in the best interest of clients.
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To maintain their designation, CIMA® professionals must agree to and continually adhere to a rigorous code of professional responsibility and complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years.
