To become a CFA charterholder you have to pass a rigorous three part exam covering the Candidate Body of Knowledge. Only a fifth of candidates complete the program. With a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) on board we are held to the highest standard in the industry. The Economist has called the CFA credential the "gold standard" of the investment industry.


Ethics

We adhere to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct(PDF). CFA charterholders have one-third the level of disciplinary cases of registered representatives (mostly stockbrokers) and one-tenth the complaint level of Certified Financial Planners. No complaints have been filed against EFIC since our inception in 1974.


History

The CFA Institute can trace its lineage to the New York Society of Security Analysts founded in 1937. One of the founders, Benjamin Graham, was Warren Buffett's mentor at Columbia University. Graham "the father of Security Analysis" believed securities analysis was a profession not just a trade. Graham also founded the "value school of investing" which counsels analysts to think, look out for "the manic depressive Mr. Market" and always maintain a margin of safety. The first CFA charter was awarded back in 1948. The number of CFA's has grown to 100,000 in 131 countries.