CFA® Charterholder

Trademark
Usage Guide
 Introduction

C ongratulations on becoming a CFA char-

terholder! As a holder of the CFA charter,
you have earned the right to use the CFA® and
Chartered Financial Analyst® marks and the
CFA Logo certification mark. These are recog-
nized symbols of professionalism and integri-
ty for investment professionals worldwide.

CFA®, Chartered Financial Analyst®, and the

CFA Logo certification mark are trademarks
owned by CFA Institute. Charterholders who
fulfill the requirements of the CFA Program
are granted permission, or a license, to use
the marks to promote their accomplishment.
Though some of the rules governing the use
of the CFA marks may seem overly strict, by
protecting the designation as a registered
trademark, CFA Institute is able to reserve its
exclusive use only for those who successfully
complete the CFA Program.

CFA Institute has secured registrations

and filed applications for the CFA, Chartered
Financial Analyst and CFA Logo trademarks
in more than 50 countries around the world.
Through its registration and enforcement
efforts, CFA Institute has prevented the use of
other, non-authorized “CFA” designations that
would dilute the brand power of the CFA
charter.

CFA Institute does all it can to protect these

marks, but we need your help. The following
guidelines will assist you in using these marks.
If you have questions, do not hesitate to con-
tact the CFA Institute Office of General Counsel
at trademark@cfainstitute.org. You should also
contact us if you become aware of improper
use or infringement of CFA Institute marks.
 The CFA® and Chartered
Financial Analyst® Marks
Purpose
•Use of the CFA and Chartered Financial
Analyst marks after your name demonstrates
that you have earned the prestigious CFA
charter.

•The CFA marks can only be used by

charterholders who are dues-paying
members of CFA Institute, and whose right to
use the designation has not been suspended
or revoked.

•Use of the marks is governed by the Code of

Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.

•These marks should be used in contexts

where use of the CFA Logo is impossible or
impractical.

•When using the marks after your name, you

do not need to use the ® symbol.
 Use
The CFA and Chartered Financial Analyst
trademarks must be used as adjectives, not
nouns, and the marks must not be used in
the plural or possessive. To refer to “a
Chartered Financial Analyst” or a group of
“CFAs” is improper. Proper use under trade-
mark law and the Standards of Professional
Conduct would be to refer to “CFA charter-
holders” or “the Chartered Financial Analyst
designation.” These rules flow directly from
trademark law and CFA Institute efforts to
prevent genericide.

Genericide is the process by which a trade-

mark loses its ability to function as a brand
name and becomes the generic name of a
particular type or category of product. Marks
that are generic may be used by any group to
describe their product. A mark becomes
generic when it is used improperly by the
public, the media or the mark owner. For
example, calling any type of tissue a
Kleenex®, or asking for a XEROX® of the
report will lead to genericide. In contrast,
proper use of the marks as adjectives, such as
“Kleenex® tissues” and “XEROX® copiers,”
identifies both the product class and the
brand name. If generic use continues without
serious efforts by the owner to curtail it, the
brand name may become the generic product
name. Proper use of the CFA and Chartered
Financial Analyst marks will prevent them
from becoming generic terms for any type of
financial professional.
 Proper
John Smith is a CFA charterholder.
Amy Jones, CFA, is a portfolio manager.
John Smith earned the right to use the Chartered
Financial Analyst designation.

Improper
John Smith is a CFA.
John Smith and Amy Jones are CFAs.
Three chartered financial analysts joined the firm.

The CFA® mark must appear in all capital letters with

no periods separating the letters. With respect to
Chartered Financial Analyst®, the first letter of each
word must be capitalized. The marks must be placed
in close proximity to the charterholder’s name.

Proper
John Smith, CFA
John Smith, Chartered Financial Analyst

Improper
Amy Jones, cfa
John Smith, chartered financial analyst
Amy Jones, c.f.a.

Use ® symbols after both CFA and Chartered

Financial Analyst in text when generally describing
the designation or the Program. It is not necessary
to use the symbol if using the mark behind a char-
terholder’s name or if referring to a specific person.
It is only necessary to use the ® symbol at the first
mention of a trademark or when it is prominently
displayed in a heading.

Proper
Amy Jones, CFA
Amy Jones is a CFA charterholder.
Three analysts at Summit Investments hold the
Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Many CFA charterholders hold numerous other

designations and degrees. It is appropriate to list
them all in any order after a name.

Proper
John Smith, CFA, CPA, Ph.D.
John Smith, Ph.D., CFA, CPA
Job titles should be placed on a different line.

Proper
Vincent Hughes, CFA
Senior Analyst

Improper
Vincent Hughes, CFA, Senior Analyst

Charterholders may use their charter after nick-

names or English versions of their name - they are
not restricted to the name that is printed on the
charter. However, the CFA and Chartered Financial
Analyst marks must always be presented in
English. If you choose, you may provide a brief
explanation of the designation or CFA Program
in your local language.

Proper
Jiang Li Chen, CFA (as printed on charter)
J.L. Chen, CFA
Jill Chen, CFA

The form of the marks must never be altered to

create a new word, phrase or design.

Proper
Amy Jones, CFA, is a portfolio manager.

Improper
Amy Jones, a CFA-type portfolio manager.

The CFA and Chartered Financial Analyst marks

must not be used as part of, or incorporated in, the
name of a company or used to imply that the com-
pany is entitled to use the marks. Additionally, use
of the marks in a charterholder’s e-mail address or
domain name may make it more difficult for CFA
Institute to defend its rights in the marks.

Proper
Amy Jones, Chartered Financial Analyst

Improper
Amy Jones, Inc., CFA
Smith Chartered Financial Analysts, Inc.
www.amyjonescfa.com
 The CFA Logo
Certification Mark
Purpose
The CFA Logo certification mark is used by
charterholders as a distinctive visual symbol
of the CFA designation that can be easily rec-
ognized by employers, colleagues, and clients.
In essence, charterholders use this certifica-
tion mark as a seal of quality and integrity.

Proper

Improper
 Use
The certification mark should be placed in
close proximity to the charterholder’s name.
However, the certification mark should have
enough clear space so that it is not connect-
ed to, or a part of, the charterholder’s name
or degree.

The certification mark must not be used

as part of a company logo or placed in such
close proximity to a company name or logo
that it gives the reader the idea that the cer-
tification mark certifies the company.

The certification mark can be used to iden-

tify a group of individuals; however, each indi-
vidual listed must be a current charterholder.

The certification mark should be clearly

printed in black ink on light colored back-
grounds or may be reversed to white on dark
colored backgrounds. It may not be altered in
any way. To ensure that the certification mark
appears properly, all reproduction of the certi-
fication mark must be made from camera
ready artwork (attached).

An electronic copy of the logo can be found

at http://www.cfainstitute.org/aboutus/
policies/cfaguide.html.
 Additional Resources

Visit the CFA Institute website for current

information regarding CFA Institute trade-
marks and their proper use:

CFA Charterholder Guide:

http://www.cfainstitute.org/aboutus/policies/cfaguide.html

CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of

Professional Conduct:
http://www.cfainstitute.org/centre/ethics/code/index.html

CFA Institute Trademark and Copyright Terms:

http://www.cfainstitute.org/aboutus/policies/index.html
 ®

® ®

® ® ®

To ensure that the certification mark appears properly, please use

this camera ready artwork. An electronic version is also available at
http: //www.cfainstitute.org /aboutus/policies/cfaguide.html.
Charlottesville
New York
Hong Kong
London

www.cfainstitute.org