Mutual Fund Financial Managers

Certification or Licensing

Accounting professionals who file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission are required by law to be certified public accountants. To earn this designation, you must complete 150 semester hours of college course work (in nearly all states), pass a qualifying examination, have at least two years of public accounting experience or the equivalent, and hold a certificate issued by the state in which you wish to practice. The Uniform CPA Examination, which is administered by the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA), is used by all states. The examination has three parts: Auditing and Attestation, Financial Accounting and Reporting, Regulation, and Taxation and Regulation.

Several professional associations offer certification programs. Popular certifications include:

• accredited business accountant/advisor, accredited tax preparer, accredited tax advisor (Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation)
• internal audit practitioner, certified internal auditor, certification in risk management assurance (Institute of Internal Auditors)
• chartered global management accountant (a joint venture of the AICPA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)
• financial and managerial accounting associate, certified in strategy and competitive analysis, certified management accountant (Institute of Management Accountants)
• certified treasury professional, certified corporate financial planning and analysis professional (Association of Financial Professionals)