Chartered Wealth Manager ® Top Wealth Management and Financial Planning Designations in the United States and Worldwide

In 2004, Robert Frank of the Wall Street Journal featured a story on the top Wealth Management educational programs worldwide and wealth management certifications including the 1) GAFM Global Academy of Finance and Management ® , 2) Wharton School of Business and 3) and  York University. Since 2004 many other graduate programs have integrated a wealth management curriculum.

While major organizations have offered financial planning attendance certificates for years, the top wealth management certification and designations today are the CWM ™ Chartered Wealth Manager ®  from the GAFM (formerly American Academy), and there are various degrees and  courses online that are path to CWM certification. The only body to award actual board certification or charter designation in Wealth Management is the GAFM  International Board of Standards  and there are some other newer groups. 

The GAFM ® Board of Standards is TUV Accredited in Europe and not subject to BREXIT.   The IBS/GAFM is also  ISO 9001 Certified for Quality and ISO 29990 Certified for Educational Standards.  The GAFM is in  academic alliance with the ACBSP National Business Accreditation Agency for Certification Standards worldwide.  The GAFM ® Board of Standards is a founding member of the quality assurance standards memorandum of the CHEA International Quality Standards and the GAFM is sanctioned by the Arab Academy for over 20 Arab League Nations.

The Chartered Wealth Manager ®  Board Certification requires knowledge in 12 key areas: and is referenced in the Global Designation Directory and on the FINRA US Government Regulatory Website.  The primary required skill sets of a CWM would include:

1. Estate Planning and Trusts

2. Asset Management

3. Portfolio Management

4. International Taxation

5. Retirement Law

6. Economics

7. Investments

8. Money and Banking

9. High Net Worth Consulting

10. Relationship Management, Compliance, and Ethics

11. Business Entities & Organizations

12. Risk Management and Insurance

The prestigious Chartered Wealth Manager ®  Program also sanctions graduate business school and law degree courses that can be taken as a path to certification. The CWM ® Chartered Wealth Manager ® professional certification awarded from the GAFM  Global Academy of Finance &  Management ® is the first graduate wealth management Charter & Board certification in the world – as featured in the FINRA, NASD, Investopedia, Forbes, China Daily, Financial Times, Black Enterprise, Wall Street Journal, and Money Manager magazine that was created and founded by the AAFM American Academy of Financial Management Board of Standards USA. 

The internationally trademarked CWM  Institute’s Chartered Wealth Manager ® Certification and credential is only available for wealth managers with an accredited education and experience who abide by the good standing, continuing education and ethics requirements. The Wall Street Journal also regards the AAFM/GAFM  Certifications as the only organization with accredited business program education and exam requirements from ACBSP and AACSB. With so many designations out there, accredited education and exams must become the most important criteria for those to obtain any charter or certification.

The Wall Street Journal reported about the GAFM certification and national accreditation policies in 2010 quoting Commissioner George Mentz saying, "The double accreditation would signal that you've completed a double accredited degree from one of the top schools in the world. It helps show that an individual is engaged in a higher code of conduct."  Thus, graduates of an ACBSP masters program or AACSB masters program in finance or ABA LLM program in tax and finance would all qualify for certification provided the candidate passed all of the business school exams and has 3 years of relevant experience.

The GAFM ® program and the Chartered Wealth Manager ®  program have been wildly popular in Asia, India, China, Africa, and Latin American for about a decade. Academic Institutions, educational institutes, and training organizations must petition to the GAFM or AAFM  www.GAFM.com to become an accredited provider of the CWM Chartered Wealth Manager  ® program or other programs such as the MFP Master Financial Planner  ®  MMC  Master  Management Consultant ®  or AMA Accredited Management Accountant ® .

Over 1000 Nationally Accredited Graduate Programs qualify candidates to apply for CWM Certification ™.  Candidates must have 3 years of financial or wealth management experience on top of taking qualifying degrees or courses.  Here are examples of qualifying degrees and programs.

1. MBA, Masters in Finance, Wealth Management, Tax or Economics from an ACBSP Accredited Double Business School.
2. M Jur. Or LLM from a Wealth Management Law School Program such as Texas A&M
3. Masters with a focus on Finance, Wealth Management, Tax or Economics from an ABA Accredited Law School.
4. MBA, Masters in Finance, Wealth Management, Tax or Economics from an EFMD EQUIS Accredited Double Business School.
5. Qualifying education and exams from Golden Finance in Mainland China.
6. Masters in Wealth Management from the Swiss Banking School
7. MBA, Masters in Finance, Wealth Management, Tax/Accounting or Economics from an AACSB Accredited Business Schools.

About the Author:  George Mentz  JD MBA CWM is an award winning author and world recognized management consultant and award winning professor who has authored over 50  revolutionary books and audio books.  Commissioner  Mentz, an international lawyer, has been a keynote speaker globally in Asia, Arabia, USA, Mexico, Switzerland, and in the West Indies.  Mentz teaches Wealth Management and Advanced Wealth Management for Texas A&M Law School and  can be contacted for speaking engagements at www.gmentz.com

*No tax, insurance,  investment or legal advice provided herein.  Please consult with a licensed professional in your jurisdiction before making any important financial or legal decision. Chartered Wealth Manager has been seen in the global news.