Professional Designations
Dowling & Yahnke boasts a team of professionals who adhere to the highest standard in customer service and industry knowledge. Accordingly, our staff has earned a number of industry certifications that confirm their level of knowledge and understanding.
Please click on any of the certification titles below to show/hide a full description. The following descriptions were taken from the respective organizations.
The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation is a globally respected, graduate-level investment credential established in 1962 and awarded by the CFA Institute, the largest global association of investment professionals.
To earn the CFA designation, candidates must (1) pass three sequential, six-hour examinations, (2) have at least four years of qualified professional investment experience, (3) join the CFA Institute as members, and (4) commit to abide by, and annually reaffirm, their adherence to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
High Ethical Standards
The CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, enforced through an active professional conduct program, requires CFA charterholders to:
- Place their clients' interests ahead of their own
- Maintain independence and objectivity
- Act with integrity
- Maintain and improve their professional competence
- Disclose conflicts of interest and legal matters
Global Recognition
Passing the three CFA exams is a difficult feat that requires extensive study (successful candidates report spending an average of 300 hours of study at each level). Earning the CFA charter demonstrates mastery of many of the advanced skills needed for investment analysis and decision-making in today's quickly evolving global financial industry. As a result, employers and clients are increasingly seeking CFA charterholders, often making the charter a prerequisite for employment.
Additionally, regulatory bodies in 19 countries recognize the CFA charter as a proxy for meeting certain licensing requirements. More than 125 colleges and universities around the world have incorporated a majority of the CFA Program curriculum into their own finance courses.
Comprehensive and Current Knowledge
The CFA Program curriculum provides a comprehensive framework of knowledge for investment decision making and is firmly grounded in the knowledge and skills used every day in the investment profession. The three levels of the CFA Program test proficiency in a wide range of fundamental and advanced investment topics, including ethical and professional standards, fixed-income and equity analysis, alternative and derivative investments, economics, financial reporting standards, portfolio management, and wealth planning.
The CFA Program curriculum is updated every year by experts from around the world to ensure that candidates learn the most relevant and practical new tools, ideas, and investment management skills to reflect the dynamic and complex nature of the profession.
To learn more about the CFA charter, visit www.cfainstitute.org.
The Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation is a voluntary certification that is recognized in the United States and a number of other countries for its (1) high standard of professional education, (2) stringent code of conduct and standards of practice, and (3) ethical requirements that govern professional engagements with clients.
To attain the right to use the CFP® marks, an individual must satisfactorily fulfill the following requirements:
- Complete an advanced college-level course of study addressing the financial planning subject areas that CFP Board's studies have determined as necessary for the competent and professional delivery of financial planning services, and attain a Bachelor's Degree from a regionally accredited United States college or university (or its equivalent from a foreign university). The CFP Board's financial planning subject areas include insurance planning and risk management, employee benefits planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning;
- Pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination. The examination, administered in ten hours over a two-day period, includes case studies and client scenarios designed to test one's ability to correctly diagnose financial planning issues and apply one's knowledge of financial planning to real world circumstances;
- Complete a minimum of three years of full-time financial planning-related experience (or the equivalent, measured as 2,000 hours per year); and
- Agree to be bound by CFP Board's Standards of Professional Conduct, a set of documents outlining the ethical and practice standards for CFP® professionals.
Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements in order to maintain the right to continue to use the CFP® marks:
- Complete thirty hours of continuing education hours every two years, including two hours related to the Code of Ethics and other parts of the Standards of Professional Conduct, to maintain competence and keep up with developments in the financial planning field; and
- Renew an agreement to be bound by the Standards of Professional Conduct. The Standards prominently require that CFP® professionals provide financial planning services at a fiduciary standard of care. This means CFP® professionals must provide financial planning services in the best interests of their clients.
CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ are certification marks owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, LLC. These marks are awarded to individuals who successfully complete the CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.
To learn more about CFP® certification, visit www.cfp.net.
The Chartered Divorce Financial Analyst™ (CDFA™) designation is issued by The Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts™ (IDFA™), which is a national organization dedicated to the certification, education, and promotion of the use of financial professionals in the divorce arena.
Founded in 1993, IDFA™ provides specialized training to accounting, financial, and legal professionals in the field of pre-divorce financial planning. The CDFA™ designation is available to individuals who have a minimum of two years experience as a financial professional, accountant, or family lawyer.
To acquire the designation, candidates must successfully pass all exams and be in good standing with their broker dealer (if applicable) and the FINRA/SEC or other licensing or regulatory agency.
To earn the designation, the participant must complete a series of self-study course modules and pass an examination for each module. The American module topics are:
- Financial and legal issues of divorce
- Advanced financial issues of divorce
- Tax issues of divorce
- Working as a CDFA: case studies
To retain the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ designation, a CDFA™ must obtain twenty hours of Continuing Education (CE) every two years (ten of which must be divorce-related), remain in good standing with the IDFA™, and keep his/her dues current.
CFDA™ is a certification owned by the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts™. This designation is awarded to individuals who successfully complete the IDFA™ initial and ongoing certification requirements.
To learn more about the CDFA™ designation, visit www.institutedfa.com.
The first industry designation of its kind, the Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional (IACCPSM), was developed by the Center for Compliance Professionals, the education and professional development division of National Regulatory Services (NRS), a resource closely in tune with the changing complexity of the financial securities compliance profession and provider of compliance education for over 20 years.
The IACCPSM is awarded to knowledgeable, experienced individuals who complete an instructor-led program of face-to-face and online study, pass a certifying examination, and meet work experience, ethics and continuing education requirements. The designation signifies knowledge of investment adviser regulation and compliance best practice, and adherence to national recognized professional standards and ethical leadership.
Exhaustive certification and course development, together with expert instructors and facilitators from the compliance, legal, regulatory, industry, and academic sectors, help ensure that individuals earning the IACCPSM designation have been trained, tested and certified to meet high industry professional standards.
IACCPSM is a certification owned by the Investment Adviser Compliance Certificate ProgramSM. This certification is awarded to individuals who successfully complete the program's initial and ongoing certification requirements.
To learn more about the IACCPSM designation, visit www.investmentadviser.org.