Finance Associations

Professional finance associations are excellent resources for making industry contacts, keeping up on industry issues and news, sharing ideas and research, attaining certifications, and receiving professional education that can update your skills even after you have earned your finance degree. Following is a list of some of the major financial associations:

• American Accounting Association – The American Accounting Association is a voluntary association of persons interested in accounting education and research. It promotes worldwide excellence in accounting education, research, and practice. Its website provides information about industry issues, meetings, publications, submission of papers to industry journals, job listings, and a social networking platform for members.
  
• American Bankers Association – The American Bankers Association includes members working in banking institutions, community, regional, and money center banks and holding companies, as well as savings associations, trust companies, and savings banks. Its website offers job listings, industry news, conference schedules, and more.
  
• American Council of Life Insurers – The ACLI represents over 350 member companies throughout the United States. ACLI members are providers of financial and retirement products covering both individual and business markets, including term life insurance, whole life insurance, annuities, pensions, 401(k) and other retirement plans, long-term care and disability income insurance, and reinsurance. Its website offers information on industry issues, news, public policy representation, association conferences, and meetings.
  
• American Finance Association – The AFA is an academic organization devoted to the study and promotion of knowledge about financial economics. It sponsors an annual meeting where the president speaks on a chosen subject and members present papers that cover a variety of financial topics.
  
• Association for Financial Professionals – The AFP serves a network of over 16,000 treasury and finance professionals. It provides members with economic research and data, networking events, financial analytical tools, and public policy representation as well as training and the CTP (Certified Treasury Professional) certification program.
  
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants – The AICPA establishes professional standards for all CPAs (Certified Public Accountants), assists members in continually improving their performance and expertise, and monitors performance to enforce standards. Its website contains information on industry news, publications, conferences, research, and the CPA certification program.
  
• Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards – This is a regulatory organization that creates and enforces standards of competency, practice, and ethics for financial planners. It grants the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) certification as the recognized standard of excellence for the profession. Besides certification, it also provides education, enforcement of ethics and standards, communication, and professional advocacy.
  
• CFA Institute – This international non-profit organization represents investment professionals from more than 100 countries and awards the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and CIPM (Certificate in Investment Performance Management) certifications. It also offers a range of educational programs and services for members, program candidates, investors, employers, institutions, and the press.
• Financial Management Association International – The FMA promotes the development and understanding of basic and applied research and of sound financial principles; encourages and supports quality financial education; and encourages interaction among those who share an interest in finance. It sponsors an annual conference to present research. Members include academicians, practitioners, and students from around the world. Its website provides information on conferences, meetings, publications, job listings, and awards, as well as a special section that provides school and career help to undergraduate and MBA students.
  
• Insurance Institute of America/American Institute for CPCU - These combined organizations provide a full range of certifications to insurance industry professionals such as the ACU (Associate in Commercial Underwriting), API (Associate in Personal Insurance), CPCU (Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter), and the new ANFI (Associate in National Flood Insurance).