The CFA of alternatives

Date: Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Author: Sara Rich, Moneymanagement.com

The Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) Australia has announced the launch of a new accreditation program designed for anyone involved in the alternatives industry, including financial planners.

The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst/CAIA accreditation, sponsored jointly by AIMA and the University of Massachusetts’ Centre for International Securities and Derivatives Markets, is a two-level program covering all investment areas outside the traditional long-only stock and bond arenas.

This includes hedge funds, private equity, real estate, commodities and managed futures.

Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association executive director Craig Asche described it as “the CFA of alternatives”.

“The objective of the program is simple – we want to elevate the knowledge levels in the industry as well as the ethics,” he said.

To obtain the accreditation, candidates are first required to read a variety of textbooks and research articles with an estimated total of 300 hours study time.

The program is split into two levels, with the first an introduction to each alternative asset class and the second providing more detail on portfolio construction aspects. The exams are held in March and September.

For more information go to http://www.caia.org