The Investments & Wealth Institute has unveiled updates to its Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) certification program, marking a pivotal step in aligning the certification with contemporary investment and wealth management practices. Effective August 1, 2024, these changes are designed to reinforce the CIMA certification's position as a benchmark for technical portfolio construction and risk management, ensuring it reflects the latest in ethical investment advice and practice.
Detailed in the Defining Wealth Management report, the updated curriculum encompasses a broad spectrum of topics. These include the management and evaluation of model portfolios, target-date funds, ETFs, and index funds, alongside critical areas such as risk and return management, behavioral finance, and global macroeconomic trends. This comprehensive update is based on a thorough job task analysis study, ensuring the curriculum meets the advanced knowledge and skills required by today's financial and investment consulting professionals.
Key updates to the CIMA certification include an enhanced focus on alternative investments and private markets, portfolio construction, and investment implementation approaches. These revisions aim to address the dynamic nature of wealth management, with a stronger emphasis on investment management, asset allocation methodologies, and client-centric portfolio management strategies.
James LaFleur, Chair of the CIMA Certification Commission, emphasized that the updates are intended to ensure CIMA certified practitioners possess a deep understanding of the portfolios they recommend. The goal is to empower professionals to create, manage, and adjust portfolios that are in line with client objectives, all while upholding the highest ethical standards and enhancing the professionalism of investment and wealth management practices.
This evolution of the CIMA certification underscores the Investments & Wealth Institute's dedication to providing state-of-the-art education and standards for financial advisors. By focusing on excellence and ethics in the application of a comprehensive set of knowledge and skills, the Institute reaffirms its status as the leading professional association and education provider for investment consultants, financial planners, and private wealth managers globally.
