San Diego, CA, March 22, 2011 – The Institute of Business & Finance (IBF) recently awarded
Karl Susman with the first nationally recognized mutual fund designation, CFS® (Certified Fund
Specialist®). This graduate-level designation is conferred upon c andidates who complete an 135+
hour educational program focusing on closed-end funds, mutual funds, ETFs, REITs, UITs and
modern portfolio theory. Over $10 trillion is invested in mutual funds in the United States; half
of all households own shares in at least one mutual fund.
CFS® certification requires mastery of portfolio construction, risk measurement, manager
selection, monitoring, income strategies, retirement accounts, titling, taxation and the
psychological aspects of finance. According to IBF, “The vast majority of investors and advisors
do not know how to properly select a mutual fund, underst and what criteria are important, asset
category correlation or what historical statistical information is a good predictor and what is a
poor indicator of what is likely to happen in the future.”
The student must pass three comprehensive exams and a written case study as well as adhere to
the IBF Code of Ethics and IBF St andards of Practice as well as fulfill annual continuing
education requirements. The CFS® program, since 1988, is designed for brokers and advisors
who have clients that either own or are considering investing in mutual funds or exchange-traded
funds.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS & FINANCE – Founded in 1988, IBF is a nonprofit
provider of financial education and designations to members of the financial services
industry. IBF is the fourth oldest provider of financial certification marks in the United States. In
1988, IBF launched its first certification program, CFS® (Certified Fund Specialist®). Today IBF
offers four additional financial designation programs: CAS® (Certified Annuity Specialist®),
CES™ (Certified Estate Planning Specialist™), CIS™ (Certified Income Specialist™) and CTS™
(Certified Tax Specialist™).