Why Certifications Matter - The Importance of Professional Designations

Press Releases

The AAFM ® American Academy of Financial Management ®

Increasing Value of Professional Designations and Board Certifications in the United States and Globally: Why Accredited Education and Exams from Accredited Programs matter.

Brief History of Important Financial Professional Designations in the USA and Why Certification Matters

These days it is becoming more and more important to have an accredited degree along with certifications, graduate credentials, or other professional designations. Many people have the term “Board Certified” or certified on their resume which shows that they have completed the requirements for certification under the standards of an Independent Body .

Certification bodies, honor societies, and Self Regulatory Organizations have been in existence for several hundred years in the United States. The proliferation of honors, designations, certifications, and other non-government regulated credentials has been well recognized since "academic honor societies" became popular over 200 years ago in the USA i.e. Phi Beta Kappa PBK/1776

Further, professional designations in the last 30 years have become almost a requirement to be hired into many job areas of: banking, insurance, project management, risk management, business, law, finance, and various other fields.

The Certifying Body, AAFM ® American Academy of Financial Management®, was the first to require exams and courses from a government recognized and double accredited business school by creating legal articulation agreements directly with Governmental Bodies and Accreditation Bodies.

Under US Government Laws, individuals generally must be registered with some federal or state governmental licensing authority before working in a regulated field such as law or accounting. However, Corporations, State Bar Associations and Accounting societies allow their members to use other professional certifications after your name. e.g. John Doe, MBA, CWM ®

Overall, if you research the ACBSP www.ACBSP.org - The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and programs, The American Bar Association ABA, or other accredited business schools in North or South America, we find that double accredited programs maintain the highest: admissions requirements, educational standards, and testing & assessment criteria in the world. These top business schools are also recognized by the CHEA through The US Government’s Department of Education.

Thus, there is a continued new movement toward applying, beginning or entering specific degree or accredited business programs with the intent to earn specialized-graduate certifications while working toward a diploma or degree. Some certifications, such as AAFM®, may even count toward credit for a Graduate Degree.

As for trends, research shows that more and more of the TOP ranked accredited institutions will continue to move toward offering independent "masters certifications", diplomas, charters, and even joint certification programs with external certification bodies..

Below are typical benefits for holding certifications taken from the AAFM® American Academy Website.

Benefits of Professional Certification from AAFM ® International Board of Standards

• Gain Recognition from The Professional Certifying Body and Accreditation Council.

• Use of Acronyms and Designations after your name on your Business Card and on your Promotional Materials. Ex. John Doe, MFP Master Financial Planner

• Achieve an accredited degree based designation that rewards you for your professional education, hard work and experience.

• Protect your job by achieving graduate recognition from: an independent, vendor neutral, recognized and global authority

• Enhance your digital resume a key membership and industry recognized certification.

• You can add AAFM ® to your Resume, Degree or Professional Licenses & Improve your professional image and salary potential

• Publish Research on a journal, publications, or website as a Certified Member.

• Assist in work helping governments, charity, United Nations, or NGOs.

• Use private career network of: alerts, communications and job tools.

• CPE continuing professional education from any affiliated business school.

• Networking with members in more than 150 Countries

• The AAFM ® Certification body has international alliances with Leading Associations in the Arab World, Asia, Africa, India, China, Asia, Singapore and more.

• The AAFM ® Official Approved Annual Conference is a TOP Global Conferences in Business, Management, Finance, Economics, Leadership and more.

• Become a Fellow of the Institute or receive the CEC Academic Award for Professors and publish your approved articles with the CEC Institute.

• Professional Networks with LinkedIn

• Shows that Holder of certification has achieved Double Accredited Education from a government recognized business school such as ACBSP.

• Certifications are verified online to improve your ability to be hired.

• Certifications help your resume to be found in the digital world of “Search”.

Prof. Mentz, who is CEO of the AAFM ® American Academy and an attorney stated, “Board Certification that is backed by “double accredited business school exams and education” is the confirmation which validates your hard work and expertise, and tells the world that your graduate certification has met the highest global accreditation standards for business education under the US Department of Education and CHEA governmental standards.”

References

• AAFM ® Investopedia http://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/american-academy-of-financial-management.asp

• AAFM ® US Dept of Labor http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos301.htm

• AAPM ® Project Management Certification www.certifiedprojectmanager.us  

• Government licensed: Attorneys/Lawyers, CPAs, and Engineers who offer Advice and services incidental to their work are generally excluded from this regulatory registration http://www.sec.gov/divisions/investment/iaregulation/memoia.htm

• AAFM ® FINRA Referenced Designations: http://apps.finra.org/DataDirectory/1/prodesignations.aspx