Obtaining the CFA Designation

  An experienced New York City financial services professional, Daniel Zimmerman served 16 years with Goldman Sachs, ultimately leaving the organization in 2019 as a managing director. Daniel Zimmerman holds a bachelor of arts in finance and accounting from the University of Richmond and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

In order to become a CFA, candidates must complete several comprehensive steps. The CFA training program, for example, consists of three curriculum levels, each with its own final exam. Participants must pass all three to earn the CFA designation.

Before, during, or after completing the CFA program, aspiring CFAs must present proof of qualified work experience that relates directly to the investment decision-making process. Aspiring CFAs must also submit two or three reference letters from affiliated investment professionals who can comment on both specific accomplishments and general strength of character. The final steps in the journey toward becoming a CFA and maintaining the status are applying for the charter and paying annual dues.

Key Qualities of a Portfolio Manager

Portfolio Manager
Image: bls.gov

Daniel Zimmerman of Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, was formerly a managing director with Goldman Sachs. Daniel Zimmerman worked with Goldman Sachs for 16 years, also putting in time as a portfolio manager. Portfolio managers are an essential part of fund investing.

A portfolio manager is typically a person or group of people who manage mutual funds and exchange-traded or closed-end fund’s assets. They are an important factor in implementing investment strategy and supervising daily trading activity. Portfolio managers can be both passive and active, with passive managers using a specific index as a benchmark and active ones looking to beat overall market returns.

To be successful, portfolio managers should have certain characteristics. Good insight is one of the most important, as active managers need to know where to look for investment opportunities, and passive ones need to make wise choices regarding the index. Active managers look for trends, changes in the economy and/or political landscape, and factors that might impact a company. Passive managers do not get as involved with these decisions, but can structure investments as exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, or unit investment trusts.

Finally, the way managers perform research is also important. Active managers start with a long list and then pare it down to a short list of companies to invest in, while passive managers make decisions based on their assessment of a company’s performance.

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