CFA Institute

Professional association for analysts

CFA Institute

Abbreviation| CFAI
Formation| 1947
Type| Non-profit[1]
Purpose| Finance education
Headquarters| Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
Coordinates| 38°1′55.64″N 78°28′18.1″W﻿ / ﻿38.0321222°N 78.471694°W﻿ / 38.0321222; -78.471694

Region served

| Worldwide
Membership| 211,200 (2024)

Official language

| English

Board Chair

| Marshall Bailey

President & CEO

| Margaret Franklin

Main organ

| Financial Analysts Journal
Revenue|  USD $375.8 million (2024)
Expenses|  USD $303.3 million (2024)
Staff| 557 (2024)
Website| www.cfainstitute.org

Formerly called

| Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR)
[2]

The CFA Institute is a global, not-for-profit professional organization that provides investment professionals with finance education. The institute aims to promote standards in ethics, education, and professional excellence in the global investment services industry. Since 1945, the institute has published the peer-reviewed, quarterly journal, the Financial Analysts Journal. It also publishes the Enterprising Investor blog.[3]

## Structure

[edit]

The institute currently offers two credentials, six certificates, and one course. The CFA designation remains its flagship designation program:[4]

### Credentials

[edit]

* Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
* Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM)

### Certificates

[edit]

* Sustainable Investing Certificate (Formerly Certificate in ESG Investing)
* Climate Risk, Valuation, and Investing Certificate
* Private Equity Certificate
* Private Markets and Alternative Investments Certificate
* Data Science for Investment Professionals Certificate
* Investment Foundations® Certificate

### Course

[edit]

* Climate Finance

It provides continuing education conferences, seminars, webcasts, and publications to allow members and other participants to stay current on developments in the investment industry. CFA Institute also oversees the CFA Institute Research Challenge for university students and the CFA Research Institute Foundation.[5][6]

CFA Institute is headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, with additional offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., London, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Beijing, Shanghai and Abu Dhabi.[7] The current President and CEO is Margaret Franklin.

## History

[edit]

Historical logo

In 1947, four financial analyst societies—Boston, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia — cooperated for the purpose of promoting the exchange of ideas and supporting the welfare of their profession, calling the new group the National Federation of Financial Analysts Societies (NFFAS).[8] In 1959, the NFFAS Board of Directors approved the establishment of the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts (ICFA), which was incorporated in 1962.[8] NFFAS changed its name to the Financial Analysts Federation (FAF) in 1961.[8]

In 1962, the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and code of conduct were established. In 1963, the profession was formalized when 284 candidates sat for the first CFA exam and 268 CFA charters were awarded.[9][10] The following year, all 3 levels of the exam were administered to more than 1,700 candidates.[8]

The Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR) was founded in 1990 as the umbrella organization for the ICFA and the FAF, still separate entities at that time. ICFA and the FAF consolidated under AIMR in 1999.[8]

In 2004, the Association for Investment Management and Research voted to change its name to the CFA Institute.[11]

In February 2019, The United States Department of Justice announced it will fine CFA Institute more than $320,000 for discriminating against qualified American workers by hiring temporary foreign workers through the H-1B visa program.[12]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, CFA Institute cancelled the majority of the 2020 examinations around the world due to the lack of examination facilities. From 2021 onwards, all examinations were shifted to computer-based testing for the three levels of the CFA program.[13][14]

In March 2021, CFA Institute launched the Certificate in ESG Investing due to the high profile of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors in socially responsible investing.[15]

## Year in summary

[edit]

Members and Exam Administrations  | FY2024  | FY2023  | FY2022  | FY2021  | FY2020  | FY2019

|
|
|
|
|
|

CFA Institute Members | 211,200 | 206,000 | 202,200 | 191,000 | 186,400 | 178,400
CFA Program Administrations | 208,300 | 211,100 | 262,400 | 214,900 | 102,200 | 354,300
CIPM Program Administrations | 900 | 800 | 900 | 1,500 | 950 | 1,600
Certificate in ESG Investing Administrations | 20,500 | 17,000 | 3,100 | N/A | N/A | N/A

## Controversies

[edit]

In 2019, the CFAI settled[16] with the US DOJ for violating H1B Visa rules when it failed to consider equally qualified US workers for the positions relating to correcting exams. The CFA Institue changed their prior policy of paying exam graders as a consequence of the settlement[17].

In June 2025, the Manhattan Distract Attorney announced that they had indicted Michael Collins for embezzling nearly six million from two companies, one being the CFA Institute[18]. Michael Collins was appointed Managing Director of the CFA Institute in 2016[19].

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Huang, Daniel (10 June 2014). "CFA Institute Chief Departs after Disclosing Relationship". The Wall Street Journal.
2. ^ "Annual Report Fiscal Year 2024". CFA. CFA Institute. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
3. ^ "CFA Institute Enterprising Investor". CFA Institute Enterprising Investor. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
4. ^ "Certificates and Courses". CFA Institute. CFA Institute. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
5. ^ "CFA Institute Research Foundation". CFA Institute. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
6. ^ "Research Challenge". CFA Institute. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
7. ^ "Office Locations". CFA Institute. CFA Institute. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
8. ^ a b c d e "Key Events in the History of CFA Institute" (PDF). CFA Institute. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
9. ^ "From Practice to Profession: A history of the Financial Analysts Federation and the investment profession" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-06-16. Retrieved 2014-11-08.
10. ^ "CFAI Annual Report 2018". CFA Institute. 2018. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
11. ^ "AIMR Changes Name to CFA Institute : Educalc.net". Archived from the original on 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2014-11-08.
12. ^ Binder, John (2019-02-27). "DOJ Fines Virginia Firm for Hiring Foreigners over Qualified Americans". U.S. Tech Workers. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
13. ^ Chen, Elaine. "CFA schedule is disrupted again with December exams canceled". BNN Bloomberg. Bell Media. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
14. ^ "Updated: Credentialing bodies move exams online". Investment Executive. Newcom Media Inc. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
15. ^ Nauman, Billy (15 March 2021). "CFA offers certification in sustainable investing". The Financial Times Ltd. Financial Times. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
16. ^ "Justice Department Settles Claims Against International Financial Association for Discriminating Against U.S. Workers". 25 February 2019.
17. ^ "CFA Institute announces settlement with the Department of Justice". 25 February 2019.
18. ^ "D.A. Bragg Announces Indictment Of Chief Marketing Officer For Embezzling Nearly $6 Million". 23 June 2025.
19. ^ "CFA Institute Appoints Five to Leadership and Credentialing Teams". 28 April 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* [https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/programs/cfa About the CFA Institute and Charter

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Czech Republic
* 2
* 3
* Israel

Other|

* IdRef
* Yale LUX