IDEAS
IMCA—Investment Management Consultants Association—was established in 1985 to deliver the premier investment consulting and wealth management credentials and world-class educational offerings—membership, conferences, research, and publications. IMCA sets the standards and practices for the investment management consulting profession and provides investment consultants with the credentials and tools required to best serve their clients.
Certifications
Certified Investment Management AnalystSM
The cornerstone of IMCA is the Certified Investment Management Analyst certification. The CIMA® certification reflects experience, education, examination, and ethical standards. Every financial professional who has earned the CIMA certification has at least three years of client-centered financial services experience, has passed an extensive background check, and has completed the demanding graduate-level program of study.
Certified Private Wealth AdvisorSM
IMCA’s newest certification, the Certified Private Wealth Advisor, or CPWA®, facilitates an advanced expertise in the life cycle of wealth: accumulation, preservation and protection, and distribution. This program offers advanced financial education designed for experienced financial advisors and consultants who work with high-net-worth clients.
IMCA’s certifications only are offered through three of the top business schools in the country: The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley; and The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
The association is proud to serve more than 7,500 members including 6,000 CIMA professionals and more than 260 CPWA professionals. Each member must subscribe to and each designee must adhere to IMCA’s Code of Professional Responsibility. In addition, IMCA’s Standards of Practice and Performance Reporting Standards provide practical guidance to investment management consultants in the course of conducting their practices and providing services to clients.
Advanced Education
To further distinguish its members, the association is dedicated to the advanced education of investment professionals. IMCA conferences hosted more than 4,300 attendees in 2008. The bi-annual professional development conferences offer headline general sessions and leading-edge workshops covering topics such as practice management, technology, international investments, and wealth management. The 2008 specialty conference calendar delivered five focused-topic agendas including mathematics of investing, advanced wealth management, practice management, and conferences for IMCA members in New York and Canada. IMCA also held an advanced CIMA workshop at The Wharton School in July 2008.
Certifications
Certified Investment Management AnalystSM
The cornerstone of IMCA is the Certified Investment Management Analyst certification. The CIMA® certification reflects experience, education, examination, and ethical standards. Every financial professional who has earned the CIMA certification has at least three years of client-centered financial services experience, has passed an extensive background check, and has completed the demanding graduate-level program of study.
Certified Private Wealth AdvisorSM
IMCA’s newest certification, the Certified Private Wealth Advisor, or CPWA®, facilitates an advanced expertise in the life cycle of wealth: accumulation, preservation and protection, and distribution. This program offers advanced financial education designed for experienced financial advisors and consultants who work with high-net-worth clients.
IMCA’s certifications only are offered through three of the top business schools in the country: The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley; and The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
The association is proud to serve more than 7,500 members including 6,000 CIMA professionals and more than 260 CPWA professionals. Each member must subscribe to and each designee must adhere to IMCA’s Code of Professional Responsibility. In addition, IMCA’s Standards of Practice and Performance Reporting Standards provide practical guidance to investment management consultants in the course of conducting their practices and providing services to clients.
Advanced Education
To further distinguish its members, the association is dedicated to the advanced education of investment professionals. IMCA conferences hosted more than 4,300 attendees in 2008. The bi-annual professional development conferences offer headline general sessions and leading-edge workshops covering topics such as practice management, technology, international investments, and wealth management. The 2008 specialty conference calendar delivered five focused-topic agendas including mathematics of investing, advanced wealth management, practice management, and conferences for IMCA members in New York and Canada. IMCA also held an advanced CIMA workshop at The Wharton School in July 2008.
In addition to onsite offerings, IMCA provides interactive audio broadcasts that concentrate on current industry 'hot topics.' IMCA also offers an entry-level certificate program, Essentials of Investment Consulting. The association’s publications include Investments & Wealth Monitor, a bi-monthly educational magazine featuring professional contributors addressing everyday issues, and the Journal of Investment Consulting, which delves into the research and theory of investments.
Governance Structure
A thirteen-member board of directors, including four officers, governs IMCA. The membership elects twelve positions, the past president serves one additional term of office, and the executive director serves on the board ex-officio. Volunteer committees, such as certification, conferences, membership, and wealth management, provide input to the board and assist in directing the activities of the association.
For the investment professional, IMCA is an ethical and trustworthy conduit to cutting-edge investment strategies that maximize wealth potential.
For more information about IMCA, or to become a member, call 303.770.3377 or visit the Members Section of IMCA.org.
