FOR RELEASE
April 17, 2008

CONTACT
Kate Hendrickson
303.850.3079

IMCA Completes Inaugural CPWA Class at University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
Designation offers new standard for wealth advisory education

DENVER—April 17, 2008—Investment Management Consultants Association’s (IMCA) first Certified Private Wealth Advisor^SM, or CPWA^®, cohort attended the week-long classroom portion of their program, March 3–7, at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

“Initial responses from the group have been very positive,” said Dede Pahl, executive director of IMCA. “We’ve heard from attendees that their knowledge has been enhanced in complex areas, providing them with greater confidence and the skills necessary to address these issues with clients.”

Prior to the class, attendees were required to complete a seven-month, managed self-study program, and the cohort finished the in-class week with a three-hour comprehensive examination. IMCA will announce the first group of CPWA designees after students have been notified of their test results and signed the CPWA license agreement adhering to the IMCA Code of Professional Responsibility.

Candidates who attain the designation will have gained an advanced expertise in the life cycle of wealth: accumulating, preserving and protecting, and distributing wealth. Key topics of the program include advanced tax planning, portfolio management, executive compensation, concentrated stock, planning for the closely-held business, retirement planning and distribution, asset protection, charitable planning, and advanced estate planning.

“The CPWA program presents an advanced curriculum intended for experienced wealth advisors,” said IMCA president, Garry Bridgeman, CIMA^®. “The challenging nature of the program, combined with the unique array of complex topics and the unparalleled knowledge of professional and academic instructors, position the CPWA marks as the standard for the wealth management industry.”

Seventy-two percent of candidates completed all aspects of the multifaceted CPWA program. Twenty-nine percent of those candidates manage $51–$150 million. Twenty-one percent manage $251–$500 million, and 18 percent manage greater than $1 billion. Fifty-two percent of CPWA candidates are employed by a “traditional” full-service investment brokerage company. Sixteen percent are employed by a trust company, and 25 percent come from either an independent registered investment advisory firm (14 percent) or an independent investment brokerage company (11 percent). The minimum experience requirement for CPWA participants is five years, but 82 percent have 11 or more years of experience, and a full third have been in the business for more than 20 years.

The second CPWA program has sold out, despite IMCA increasing the enrollment limit. Pre-study for the program began in February 2008 and the in-class session is slated for late September. The next available CPWA course is scheduled for March 9–13, 2009, with pre-study commencing in September 2008.

For more information on the CPWA program, click here.

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Note to media: If you are interested in interviewing candidates who completed the CPWA course work and program at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, please e-mail Beau Ballinger or call 303.850.3080.