CFA® Charterholder

TrademarkUsage 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

•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.

Purpose

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.

Use

ProperJohn Smith is a CFA charterholder.Amy Jones, CFA, is a portfolio manager.John Smith earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

ImproperJohn 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.

ProperJohn Smith, CFAJohn Smith, Chartered Financial Analyst

ImproperAmy Jones, cfaJohn Smith, chartered financial analystAmy 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.

ProperAmy Jones, CFAAmy 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.

ProperJohn Smith, CFA, CPA, Ph.D.John Smith, Ph.D., CFA, CPA

Job titles should be placed on a different line.

ProperVincent Hughes, CFASenior Analyst

ImproperVincent 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.

ProperJiang 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.

ProperAmy Jones, CFA, is a portfolio manager.

ImproperAmy 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.

ProperAmy Jones, Chartered Financial Analyst

ImproperAmy Jones, Inc., CFASmith Chartered Financial Analysts, Inc.www.amyjonescfa.com

The CFA Logo Certification Mark

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

Purpose

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.

Use

Additional Resources

Visit the CFA Institute website for currentinformation 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 ofProfessional 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.

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