Hao Jin: Is CFA Worth it? Read What This CFA has to Say

Hao Jin is one of the fast rising certified contributor at Seeking Alpha.  His articles cover variety of topics with thorough analysis ranging from ETFs to dividend focused opportunities.  He did not, however, always have the knowledge needed to accomplish what he does at Seeking Alpha today.  His career background comes from an IT side with background in management and policy.

He credits much of his initial growth to the CMA and CFA certifications he went after.  With his knowledge, he even started his own financial advise service called PointFinancialAdvisor providing investing advice catered to each individual’s needs.  Because of his interesting development, I wanted to know whether acquiring CFA is worth it or not.

“Hao, how did an IT professional with background in management and policy get into investing?  Why CMA and CFA?”

The first company I worked for after I graduated is a public company listed in NASDAQ.  Part of my job was to analyze stock market, because the company had to raise capital from time to time.  I was invoiced in various financial projects, including acquisition, joint venture, partnership, and private placements analysis.    My interest in investing was developed since.

From years of experience, I realized my knowledge in investing was limited.  CFA is a big help because it gives you broad knowledge in investing world.  I also want to understand accounting data from SEC filings before I invest in any company, hence why I got my CMA.

“As you know, there are various ways an individual can tackle Wall Street and the market.  People succeed with different styles of investing as well as education.  How do CFA and CMA help you in this aspect? And knowing what you know now, would you recommend it to others?”

CFA helps me to the next level.  Now I can see a big picture in markets.   I will definitely recommend it to people who are serious about investing.

“As I can see from your articles, you put a lot of emphasis on analysis.  Based on your recent studies, what would be the opportunities for 2010? Do we still stay long?”

There are still plenty of opportunities in developing markets.  In US, blue chip stocks are still undervalued.  If you have a long investing horizon, there is nothing wrong to stay long.  Otherwise where can you park your cash, given near 0% interest rate?

“What can we expect from your services at Point Financial Advisor?”

PointFinancialAdvisor.com provides basic investing advice based on each individual’s situation.  Each investor’s risk tolerance, investment goal and horizon are different.  Some stocks/ETFs might be suitable for some people, but might not be good for others.

Thanks Hao.  For those of you interested in tapping into the investment world even without an investment background, CFA could be a good starting point.