The CPWA^® designation provides advisors with advanced expertise in wealth management content, strategies, and applied concepts in order to better-serve a high-net-worth client base. The educational component of this program is offered in conjunction with The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Click here to download a hardcopy brochure of the CPWA program. Click here to view all upcoming CPWA programs.

CPWA graduates have told us that they believe that wealth management professionals, like medical professionals, should have a strong foundation in generalized knowledge and specialized knowledge in order to best deliver their services and skills. Hear what else they've had to say...

“The program was terrific specifically as it relates to the classroom session where practical application was utilized. The education garnered through the curriculum has already paid off as we are now able to extrapolate, interpret, and provide expertise in areas we were unable to previously. Overall the experience, although intense as far as out-of-class workload, was well worth the effort."
     -Randy Golden, CPWA^®, Managing Director, FGMK/Preservation Capital Partners, LLC

“I am a 25-year veteran of the financial services business with most of that time on the wealth management side and almost all of it at Northern Trust here in Chicago. Currently I am a managing director for one of our Wealth Advisory teams. One of the things that you realize in this business is that it is constantly changing—investment opportunities, tax and estate planning strategies, regulations, etc. If you are not committed to continuous learning, you are in effect falling behind. There has been a proliferation of certifications and accreditations in this business. What attracted me to the Certified Private Wealth Advisor program is that it is targeted to the advisor who works with the ultra-high-net-worth client. The other attractive aspect of the CPWA program is the partnership between IMCA and The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Both organizations bring a high level of intellectual capital to the table. I began applying the knowledge gained in this program immediately—while I was still going through the program.”
     -Charlie Mueller, CPWA^®, CTFA, Senior Vice President, Managing Director, Northern Trust

“My confidence in dealing with larger clients is significantly higher than before my CPWA education.”
     -Brian Beasley, CPWA^®, Partner, Registered Principal, Athena Investment Group, LLC

“We recently sent six people from our staff through the CPWA certification program. We found the content to be excellent and relevant for advisors and individuals supporting the ultra-high-net-worth marketplace. Instructors, along with facilities at the University of Chicago, were first class. I would strongly recommend the CPWA program to individuals working with high-net-worth taxable clients.”
     -James Durocher, CPWA^®, Director, Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc.

“The CPWA certification program lives up to its billing as a comprehensive study of wealth management. The classroom section for five busy days was informative. The quality of instruction and course topics are relevant and second to none in quality from genuine practitioners. The University of Chicago Booth School of Business augments the program’s core strengths. I met many fascinating entrepreneurs and found the class participation enlightening.”
     -Michael Hokin, CFA^®, CPWA^®

“I enjoyed the program. I feel I've learned more in the last six months than I have in the last nine years.”
     -Chad A. Williams, CFP^®, CPWA^®, COO/Managing Partner, Capital Investment Management 

“The CPWA program is the perfect complement to the CIMA program—the former adding practical wealth management strategies atop the latter’s theoretical and math-laden framework. While the CIMA program breaks down investments and processes iteratively into smaller parts for analysis, the CPWA program assures that the advisor can extract exponential value beyond the mere sum of the parts of a client's wealth. The CPWA program succinctly and effectively provides the toolset necessary to compete in the ultra-high-net-worth space. Our practice already caters primarily to this market segment, but I found the coursework prior and the week in residence to be both a wonderful refresher of core competencies as well as a lab brimming over with the latest wealth management techniques and perspectives. All of this was conveyed through relevant real life examples of practitioners, peers, and authors. The program made such an impression on me that I insisted that four of my colleagues participate in the winter class so that as a group we would become more effective in our roles.”
     -Rick Schultz, CIMA^®, CPWA^®, CEP, AIF, Family Wealth Director, Senior Vice President – Wealth Management, Senior Investment Management Consultant, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney