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DEFINITIONS

By Staff Reporters

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Certified Public Accountant

A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a licensed professional who has passed an examination administered by a state’s Board of Accountancy. State CPA exams are created under guidelines issued by The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The Uniform CPA Exam can only be taken by accountants who already have professional experience in the field and a bachelor’s degree.CPAs are not fiduciaries.

Not all accountants are CPAs. Accountants who are CPAs are licensed by their state’s Board of Accountancy after passing the Uniform CPA Exam. CPAs prepare reports that accurately reflect the business dealings of the companies and individuals that hire them. Many prepare tax returns for individuals or businesses and advise them on ways to minimize taxes. Obtaining the CPA designation requires a bachelor’s degree, typically with a major in business administration, finance, or accounting. Other majors are acceptable if the applicant meets the minimum requirements for accounting courses.  

Enrolled Agent

Although not a CPA, an Enrolled Agent [EA] is a person who has earned the privilege of representing taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service [IRS]. This is done by either passing a three-part comprehensive IRS test covering individual and business tax returns, or through experience as a former IRS employee. Enrolled agent status is the highest credential the IRS awards. Individuals who obtain this elite status must adhere to ethical standards and complete 72 hours of continuing education courses every three years.

Certified Managerial Accountant

A Certified Management Accountant (CMA), which is issued by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), builds on financial accounting proficiency by adding management skills that aid in making strategic business decisions based on financial data.

Oftentimes, the reports and analyses prepared by certified management accountants (CMAs) will go above and beyond those required by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). 

For example, in addition to a company’s required GAAP financial statements, CMAs may prepare additional management reports that provide specific insights useful to corporate decision-makers, such as performance metrics on specific company departments, products, or even employees.

Certified Financial Analyst

A Certified Financial Analyst [CFA] is a globally-recognized professional designation offered by the CFA Institute, an organization that measures and certifies the competence and integrity of financial analysts. Candidates are required to pass three levels of exams covering areas such as accounting, economics, ethics, money management, and security analysis. From 1963 through November 2023, more than 3.7 million candidates had taken the CFA exam. The overall pass rate was 45%. From 2014 through 2023, the 10-year average pass rate was 43%.1

CFA Institute. The CFA Institute was formerly the Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR).

The CFA charter is one of the most respected designations in finance and is widely considered to be the gold standard in the field of investment analysis. To become a charter holder, candidates must pass three difficult exams, have a bachelors degree, and have at least 4,000 hours of relevant professional experience over a minimum of three years. Passing the CFA Program exams requires strong discipline and an extensive amount of studying. 

There are more than 200,000 CFA charter holders worldwide in 164 countries.The designation is handed out by the CFA Institute, which has 11 offices worldwide and 160 local member societies.

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