CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals that promotes the highest standards of professional excellence, announces that 50% of the certificants who sat for the final Expert level exam in the Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM®) program passed the April 2013 exam. These successful individuals are now able to use the CIPM designation, a mark of distinction for professionals seeking to increase their mastery of performance measurement principles. There are now a total of 1,025 investment professionals who hold the CIPM designation, distinguishing them as accountable and deeply knowledgeable professionals committed to professional integrity and a client’s best interests.
The CIPM program offers practice-based training in investment portfolio performance evaluation and risk measurement that helps certificants to ethically evaluate and communicate investment performance to optimize results for firms and investors. Approximately 70%of the curriculum and readings cover advanced performance evaluation (measurement, attribution, appraisal, manager selection). The remaining 30%covers ethical and professional standards, including how to use the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®). Successful CIPM certificants include investment consultants, portfolio managers, investment performance analysts, client relationship managers, marketing managers, compliance officers, and risk managers, among others.
“CFA Institute recently called for reform in several key areas of finance, including putting investors first, safeguarding the system, and transparency and fairness—
three critical areas of focus for the CIPM designation,” said Todd Jankowski, CFA, head of the CIPM program at CFA Institute. “The 2008 financial crisis led to a shift in the need for investment performance and risk professionals to add value in appraising investment decisions and help optimize results for investors. The new CIPM certificants are already making a difference in restoring trust in the profession through their commitment to professional excellence and ethics. We congratulate them on their achievement.”
In total, 223 certificants in 27 countries took the three-hour, computer-based Expert level exam. To earn the CIPM designation, one must enroll and pass two exams, become a regular member of the CIPM Association, and meet professional experience requirements. The CIPM program applies best practices in investment analysis techniques through a self-directed curriculum and tests proficiency in professional ethics, performance evaluation, and investment reporting.
In addition, 53% of 242 certificants in 24 countries who took the Principles level of the CIPM exam have passed. The Principles level exam emphasizes investment tools and inputs necessary for performance evaluation and the provisions of the GIPS standards. Those who passed the Principles level exam are eligible to enroll in the Expertlevel of the program.
Enrollment for both levels in the October 2013 examination window remains open through 31 July 2013. The CIPM curriculum is offered online and examinations are administered during two periods each year at test centers worldwide.
CFA Institute
CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials. The organization is a champion for ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. The end goal: to create an environment where investors’ interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow. CFA Institute has more than 113,000 members in 140 countries and territories, including 102,000 CFA charterholders, and 137 member societies. For more information, visit www.cfainstitute.org.
Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM)
The CIPM program is designed to test candidates’ mastery of a specialized curriculum in the areas of ethics, performance evaluation, and application of the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS). Certification recognizes a practitioner’s proficiency in applying analytical techniques and preparing GIPS-compliant presentations, which guide investment firms in fairly representing and fully disclosing performance results. The CIPM self-study program trains performance analysts, client relationship managers, investment consultants, GIPS verifiers, compliance officers, regulators, and software developers, among others, to meet industry needs for technically qualified, ethically grounded investment performance professionals.