If you’re studying for the CFA without finance background, would that put you at a disadvantage when it comes to passing the exams? Since 2012, we have built up a robust, 13 years worth of data from our awesome readers to answer that very question. Each time when CFA results are announced, our readers shared …
If you have an inkling of which finance career you’re interested in pursuing, it is definitely worth studying for a specialized, globally recognized finance certification to help you secure that desired career path. CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and CFP (Certified Financial Planner) certifications definitely fit the criteria: highly specialized in their respective field yet still …
When looking to boost my financial expertise and qualifications, I went through what was a fairly common dilemma a few years ago: CFA or FRM? My question was then: why not both CFA and FRM, together? In a competitive world of finance, with companies desiring prospective employees to have a broad range of skillset and knowledge, …
CFA and CAIA designations can appear very similar at first sight, especially since the introduction of the CFA Level 3 Specialized Pathways, as they both target investment and financial professionals. However, there are differences in global recognition, breadth and depth of topics studied, career focus and exam difficulty. They could even be a complementary set …
There is understandably a lot of comparison and confusion between different financial qualifications. CFA vs CPA is no exception – they even sound similar! We have had chartered accountants share their CFA experiences before, but in this article we will specifically compare the CPA and CFA charter in all aspects: career paths, exam formats, exam …
Should you take the CFA exams? What are the benefits of CFA program? Each year, hundreds of thousands of professionals ponder about this. Here’s a straight-to-the-point, frank list of reasons why a CFA designation could be useful to you (even at Level 1), compiled by us here at 300Hours (we are charterholders, by the way). …
Aside from the time commitment, there is a considerable cost to pursuing the CFA charter, especially for students. Level 1 enrollment and registration fees alone can be as high as $1,600, not including any third-party materials you might need. Luckily, there are a variety of CFA scholarships available for candidates, allowing you to reduce the enrollment and signup …
Did you know that besides the CFA program, CFA Institute also offers CFA Investment Foundations program? Many potential candidates get confused between the two qualifications, so we thought it may be helpful to put together a proper comparison guide to help you decide between CFA Investment Foundations vs CFA Program. Let’s dive in! What is …
Note: this cheat sheet is updated for the latest 2026 curriculum. Regardless whether you’ve a background in finance or economics, Economics is a central topic across all 3 levels of the CFA exams that requires some focus to master, especially the exchange rate section! Building a strong foundation in CFA Level 1 Economics is essential …
Will your salary increase as you go through the CFA Program?Yes, it does. In fact, you don’t even have to wait until you become a CFA charterholder. Proper, reliable CFA salary data are hard to come by, so we started our own years ago to help our readers. The key differentiator of our CFA salary …