Anyone can be describe themselves as chartered financial analyst...

CFA Level III
#21

monk please continue

#22

Monk, chartered finacial analyst

sounds good to me, and it certainly doesn’t raise any red flags

Monk is a GENIUS!!

#23

caddyshack37,Sailorboy,

Think of this as a discussion about ethics and proper use of the CFA designation-remember “CFA is an adjective not to be used as a noun”?

Now that you have identified as a “charterfholder” one would think that you (seeing how all this is upsetting you) would be concerned about protecting what you’ve got . As I said-the issue is about a trademark, and whether you like it or not, that is what you have got and paid for, and will , for so long as you want to continue to want use that trademark , continue to pay for.

Now tell me -did you, when you signed-up for the CFA, realise that you were signing on for a trademark, or did you like many of us think that you were singing on for entry into a profession-ie to become a chartered financial analyst, so that you can call yourself a chartered financial analsyt just as others call themselves chartered accountants, chartered engineers etc etc?

I don’t care what language you use to say it-but do answer the question: Did you sing-up to become part of a profession or did you sign-up for the right to use the CFA trademark?

#24

monk,

let me tell you from my own experience. I am a Chartered Accountant as well as a Management accountant. I studied for both degrees to enter and enhance my professional career. However the associated trademarks are continued to be paid for, every year, year after year. same for CFAI. it opens up your professional horizons, but you continue to pay for the designation. this in no way shadows your accomplishments or CFAIs endeavour to provide quality education and helping in your professional career path.

as i said its a norm world over for any designation to be used. You first EARN it and thereafter you continue to hold it by paying a fees to use the designation. nothing peculiar in CFAI charging people and the examples of Chartered accountants etc are in line with the policy applied by CFA. Nothing wrong with it legally or morally.

let me also warn you that plaing with trademarks and patents can be frightfully scary. I work in an organisation which researches on these issues and let me tell you the consequences for violating these universally acceptable principles can be grave. so even if you do not agree to any of us, refrain from trying to do it.

on the exam, i understand from all the posts that you havent yet completed the program. i am sure with your persistence(as demonstrated here) you would clear the hurdle.(you arent alone–i passed only in the 5th sitting). just focus on getting over with it and i am sure you would finish the program.

All the best

JJB

#25

Doctors sign up to be MDs

Dentists sign up to be DDMs

Accountants sign up to be CPAs

Advisors sign up to be CFPS

Monk, you should sign up to be a DB…or they will probably just give you an honorary degree since you are such a jackass already. And remember, the world needs ditch diggers too…

Monk, DB = now that sounds right to me.

#26

Neither for most people, I guess. One might like the program because it teaches stuff in a structured way, and outsiders like that one have done it because they know the person passed 3 broad exams.

But of course you can lie. And if you want to do that, completing the CFA isn’t really the coolest thing to do. You may tell people that you are a race driver, an astronaut, or pedestrian #2 on a Die Hard movie - anything sounds better than “yeah, I studied a lot”.

As for getting a job, if your employer calls CFAI and they don’t confirm your lie, you’re out anyway. Basically, if you’re definitely intending to deceive people, at least have some fun with it. It’s a bad idea either way.

#27

man, i would love to be Monk’s shrink - that guy has to be loaded

#28

JarJarBinks

See again the link to that UK decision:

CFA are barred from regsitering your trademark in the UK.

If not registered, it cannot be protected, at least in the UK.

Then, UK is a not exactly a third rate financial center, yes ?

Now-even elsewhere , including the US, CFA has limited itself -it knows

and it does not extend its trademark and copyright to "

“chatered financial analyst”-ie there is no control over the noun.

That is not the case with other desginations-eg int he UK you cannot call yourself

a chartered accountant if you are not a member of on the chartered bodies.

#29

Hi Monk,

well as per what i have read and common parlance of law as i understand, CFAI permits usage by a charterholder of the designation as an adjective. thus they prohibit people who have cleared all their checks and balances to adhere to this rule governing the usage of their trademark. now it seems that the debate aint the trademark, but the semantics of it all. The question thus is whether you without being a charter holder can call himself CFA charterholder or not?

In india a similar situation of two different institutes arose. CFAI and ICFAI. They fought a legal battle for the usage of the designation within the territorial bounds of India. the resolution was amicable, the court case was continuing before arriving at a reasonable solution.The points to take from that were:

  • Icfai will continue to operate under the Icfai brand; students currently enrolled in the program will be eligible to receive a CFA degree from Icfai,

  • but Icfai otherwise is no longer offering the CFA program to new students.

  • Icfai also will advise its existing alumni and students to use the terminology “CFA (Icfai)” to help distinguish themselves from CFA Institute’s charterholders.

my point being, yes people dispute the CFA designation being the whole sole of one institute, but in more cases than less, CFAI trumps the other institutions or continues to fight on for the right to own this designation.

Hence, our understanding as students of law, and to adhere to the strictest principle applicable, should allow us to respect these conditions being placed on the use of designation as an adjective by CFAI.

Now coming to using it as a noun, off course some one can name their child Chartered Financial Analyst if they wish to…even country, god names can be used as nouns, but do the people so named regarded as the same? In an institution trademark’s case, this dilemma is accentuated by a legal trademark i^ssue as well. so all in all its better to take the better path in my opinion. i think thats where people on this thread are coming from.

Finally, there may be legal loopholes(if you say you have found some), but that doesnt mean that people wouldnt plug them and until they plug those, someone would keep misusing the loophole. Again to reiterate these things are not as simple as they seem and you can get into trouble if you do not adhere to the basic norms of law as adhered world over.

all the best,

#30

Hey monk, can I be there when you get caught by an employer for not being a CFA charterholder, and you try to explain that because you are using as a noun instead of an adjective, that you did nothing wrong?

Or when CFAI sends you a PCP letter terminating your candidacy, the reply letter you will send.

Thanks,