FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

Questions

Q1: How and when was the AAFM® AAFM ® ™ founded

The AAFM ® AAFM ® Accredited Financial Analyst ® Council is an independent worldwide Board of Standards and Accreditation Council for management professionals. We are a global SRO " Self Regulatory Organization " and certification body that recognizes the highest criteria in academic standards, exams, assessment, metrics, industry experience, ethics, and continuing education mandates as dictated by the IBANEZ and PEEL USA Supreme Court decisions & dicta on financial board certification and credentials. ©

The Founding members have their origins with the American Academy of Financial Management & Analysts (AAFMA) 1995 and the Founders Advisory Committee of the Original Tax and Estate Planning Law Review ™ 1996. The AAFMA was originally established in as a professional organization for investment managers, lawyers, and analysts. The Law Review was founded to examine strategic wealth, tax, and estate planning issues for Law, CPA, PhD, and MBA graduates and to award the wealth management, estate planning, and tax designations.

AAFM ® International Board of Standards has been officially listed and disclosed in various governmental registries around the world such as the Dept of Education, Dept of Labor, United Nations, Government of China, Singapore Government, Brazil Government, and financial regulatory educational registry. AAFM ® has members in 150+ countries with a quarter of new members in the US being women. AAFM ® is a professional association member of The ACBSP Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs and the AACSB™ International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The AAFM ® is the first financial organization in the world to achieve direct alliance with government recognized business school accreditation agency . With recent AAFM ® conferences and summits in Argentina, Shanghai, Mexico, Geneva, Peru, Singapore, and the Caribbean, AAFM ® is at the forefront of International Finance, Law, & Economics. Read our AAFM Global Recognition, Listings and Disclosure with Various Authorities. Because AAFM ® has a global recognition policy with the ACBSP, AACSB International, & ABA, and this educational recognition represents the Top 2 Government Recognized Accreditation Agencies Worldwide for Business Schools and represent 1000+ of the top business schools.

With AAFM ® liaison & representative provider and enforcement offices in China, India, Africa, Arabia, West Indies, EU, UK, Singapore, Philippines, and Latin America's, the AAFM ® Certification Board of Standards is the only truly worldwide graduate certification standards body for financial executives, managers, analysts, planners, faculty, investment executives and counselors. Further, AAFM ® is the first purely financial certification organization to work directly with the US, Arabian, India and Chinese Governmental bodies to improve education, standards, quality, and assessment. Further, AAFM® has a legal coexistence agreement with the CFP™ Board of Standards and The CFA Institute formerly the AIMR™ Worldwide in which the AAFM ® brand, select certifications, and various credentials are protected trademarks globally. AAFM ® is also disclosed and listed in the US Dept. of Labor, Dept of Education guides, Finanical Regulatory Websites, the US Government Occupational Handbook, and with the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Further, the AAFM ® Board of Standards is listed in the US Government and United Nations Civil Society Registry along with other top financial and accounting organizations. The AAFM has consulted directly with governments such as the USA to improve standards and to assist professionals around the world to improve careers.

Furthermore, AAFM ™ has various international recognitions from private and governmental authorities. AAFM board certifications are compliance friendly and listed on investor education websites, and , AAFM is recognized by authoritative sources worldwide such as the US Department of Labor BLS Brochures and the Department of Education Registry and Directory. The AAFM ™ Board also has negotiated direct global trademark agreements with the CFP ™ Board of Standards and the CFA ™ Institute. Because of the international recognition, the AAFM and related certification has been seen and featured in the: Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The Arab Times, The China Daily, The El Norte Mexico, The South China Post, The Hindu National, CNBC, Forbes, Morningstar, and Black Enterprise Magazine.

AAFM ™ is the regulatory Board of Standards for the much sought after AAFM ™ Designations and Credentials. The AAFM ™ Executive Designation Programs provide the assurance that the holder has met the suggested criteria for graduate credentials set out in cases such as the: Ibanez US Supreme Court Decision. As for high standards, the AAFM board certification requires passing 6 different levels of certification criteria. Acceptance into the AAFM is a high distinction and requires the holder to possess a graduate level portfolio of skills and knowledge. Acceptance statistics are not high, and the designation when achieved is a high honor strictly for accredited degree and college educated graduates.

The AAFM ™ has seen a meteoric rise to affluence and membership in recent years, as financial executives and managers strive to maintain and augment their education, credentials, integrity, and skill sets. The AAFM is the first in the world to extend strategic educational articulation and recognition to 1000 double accredited business schools globally through the top business accreditation agencies worldwide: The AAFM is also the first to have a direct alliance with an ABA recognized post-doctorate law school program and the RSOF Royal Society of Fellows Worldwide. The AAFM ™ has endorsed and sanctioned some of the the most elite global conferences on economics, finance, tax, investments, law, wealth management, portfolio management, AML, and ecommerce issues.

AAFM’s mission is to serve its global membership and stakeholders as a world leader in educating and reinforcing the international knowledge of executives and potential leadership of financial based institutions. AAFM ™ now has representative offices and courses in the New York, Singapore, San Diego, Beijing, India, Cairo, Taiwan, Vietnam, Europe, Kuwait, Latin America and South America, Singapore, The Caribbean, Europe, and more. Moreover, AAFM ™ is a registered/listed Civil Societiy member with the United Nations. AAFM ™ mandates consent to high standards of professional conduct, and AAFM activities are International in nature and scope.

Q2: How is the AAFM ® AAFM ® ™ Structured?

The AAFM ® is a licensed and approved training and consulting company that is recognized by the AAFM Certification Board which is governed by a Board of Standards and code of ethics and standards of practice. The AAFM ® ™ operates with the members of the local or regional chapter making up the stakeholders of the local society. At all times the AAFM ® ™ and its members are accountable to the community and to the Board of Standards.

The Academy leadership has three governance components, a Board of Standards and Sovereign Presidents, which controls and governs the standards and criteria for issuing of professional designations and the curriculum requirements, an Executive Team which manages the commercial training operations of the AAFM ® ™ network activities, and a Board of Presidential Governors who oversee policy standards and training quality decisions.

The Board of Standards and the Advisory Council is primarily made up of volunteer participation from industry leaders and academics who wish to contribute positively to industry and standards development and globally includes more than 100 professionals of the highest calibre, led by an elected Board of Governors.

The Global Executive Team is currently made up of international experts, some of who share equity in local training franchises, but all of whom are actively involved in the regional activities of the Academy. The formerly recognized Australian Chapter was shut down due to mismanagement, misuse of funds, and insubordination..

Q3: How do I join The AAFM ® Global Academy of Finance and Management ™?

You can join the AAFM ® ™ at any time by submitting your details on our website as an affiliate member, but you do not receive the right to use a designation as a post-nominal. If you attend one of our recognized and accredited educational programs, you may qualify for the use of one of our professional designations.

*Legal Note: The Certification Board ONLY awards designations, member documents, charters and certifications. If you have received anything with the words "certificate" on it, then it is probably a fake document. A mere attendance certificate is NOT not and has NEVER been awarded by AAFM.

Q4: Is the AAFM ® Global Academy Recognized Worldwide?

AAFM ® ™ has members and chapters registered in more than 150 countries providing brand recognition for the graduate society and for our individual designations. Our greatest recognition comes from the use of our designations on business cards and email signatures of our thousands of members worldwide. However, other 'formal' recognition is broadly and readily available.

In the decade, the AAFM ™ has consulted with the: US Government, United Nations, European Investment Bank, Ministry of Finance, various Chinese Government agencies, Capital Markets Authority of Saudi Arabia, Dubai Stock Exchange (Dubai Financial Market), Kuwait Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore Monetary Authority, Qatar Financial Centre, Central Bank of Oman and others to provide professional development and consultative work to their employees and authorized partners. AAFM ™ ( The Certifying Body) is also formally recognized or registered with regulators worldwide.

In 2007-8 AAFM ® ™ added to our formal status or global recognition achieving approval from the Arab League Arab Academy, Egyptian Investment Institute, Capital Market Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and for the Qatar Finance and Business Academy (QFBA) under the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority. AAFM ® ™ has also applied for formal recognition in the European Union through the Central Bank of Greece, the Insurance Companies Association, and others under the EU Mutual Recognition Directive.

Globally, the AAFM ® is a self regulatory organization and in alliance with the top 800 accredited business school programs globally. The AAFM ® International Board of Standards is a member of the ACBSP, AACSB, ICE, ANSI, NOCA, AABFS and is referenced by The United Nations, FINRA, US Department of Labor, Investopedia Forbes Dictionary. AAFM ® Certifications are recognized by the Arab Academy, India Academy, Latin Consortium, and the African Economist Association. The AAFM ® is licensed to offer the CWM ® Certification, the MFP ® Master Financial Planner Program and the AAFM ® Accredited Financial Analyst Certification.

Q5: How do I gain Board Certification and a Charter?

If you meet the graduate requirements and attend one of our recognized programs, you may qualify for the use of one of our professional board-certified designations - this is also known as a membership charter.

Q6: What is the purpose of the AAFM ® ™?

In the face of the global financial crisis and the failure of institutions and government servants in USA, Europe and Australia, and with fraud and criminal actions perpetrated by private companies such as MF Global and Bernie Madoff, there has never been a greater opportunity to improve the base standards of the finance sector and augment ethical governance of listed companies. This is why the AAFM has remained a leader in ethics, professionalism, and governance education and strategy.

Through skill-based competency assessment and professional development, education on ethics and standards, and commentary in the press on local and regional issues, the Board of Standards seeks to positively influence participation in the management and finance industry.

Q7: Can our company offer AAFM ® ™ Training that is AAFM ® USA Certified?

AAFM ® ™ offers courses worldwide. If you desire in-house corporate training or your institution has an interest in offering AAFM ® ™ Executive Certification Programs through your training centers, company, or college, please apply to be one of our global licensed training providers.

Find out more about becoming a licensed training provider, click here.

Q8: Where can I get training that leads to a professional qualification?

Internationally the Global Academy of Finance and Management conducts training in countries as diverse as UK, Latin America, China, Vietnam, India, Eastern Europe, Malta, , Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Check out our course calendar online for more information about executive training programs in locations near you.

In the United States our US Headquarters and Founding Board sanctions financial planning training and wealth management training in conjunction with Thomas Jefferson School of Law and the ACBSP Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs which both are nationally accredited programs with US Government CHEA recogntion from accreditation bodies.

Q9: How can I get involved in the Quality Standards Body?

The easiest way for members to get involved is to join our global adivisory councils. Advisory organizations organize local networking activities, raise awareness of standards and issues facing the finance industry and work with local providers in respect to training new candidates and providing ongoing professional development to existing members.

Some chapter members go on to become involved in the society more broadly and may even be nominated to join a board, committees or the executive team over time.