Certified Fund Specialist® (CFS®)

Summary: The Institute of Business & Finance (IBF) recently awarded Financial Advisor Tim Hayes with the first nationally recognized mutual fund designation, CFS® (Certified Fund Specialist®).

San Diego, CA, September 3, 2013 – The Institute of Business & Finance (IBF) recently awarded Financial Advisor Tim Hayes with the first nationally recognized mutual fund designation, CFS® (Certified Fund Specialist®). This graduate-level designation is conferred upon candidates who complete a 135+ hour educational program focusing on closed-end funds, mutual funds, ETFs, REITs, UITs and modern portfolio theory. Over $12 trillion is invested in mutual funds in the United States; half of all households own shares in at least one mutual fund.

CFS® certification requires mastery of portfolio construction, risk measurement, manager selection, monitoring, income strategies, retirement accounts, titling, taxation, and the psychological aspects of finance. According to IBF, “The vast majority of investors and advisors do not know how to properly select a mutual fund, understand what criteria are important, asset category correlation or what historical statistical information is a good or poor predictor of what is likely to happen in the future.”

The student must pass three comprehensive exams, complete a written case study as well as adhere to the IBF Code of Ethics and IBF Standards of Practice as well as fulfill annual continuing education requirements. The CFS® program, since 1988, is designed for brokers and advisors who have clients that either own or are considering investing in mutual funds or exchange-traded funds.

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS & FINANCE – Founded in 1988, IBF is a nonprofit provider of financial education and designations to members of the financial services industry. IBF is the fourth oldest provider of financial certification marks in the United States. In 1988, IBF launched its first certification program, CFS® (Certified Fund Specialist®). Today IBF offers four additional financial designation programs: CAS® (Certified Annuity Specialist®), CES™ (Certified Estate and Trust Specialist™), CIS™ (Certified Income Specialist™), and CTS™ (Certified Tax Specialist™).

Please share

Financial Advisor Tim Hayes

I’ve held an industry securities registration for 30+ years and am subject to SEC and FINRA oversight.

Most clients pay fee-only or an hourly rate. The size and complexity of the client’s wealth management and financial and retirement planning determine that fee.

Some clients pay a commission, mainly those with smaller accounts, i.e., Roth IRAs, some public-school teachers with 403b retirement accounts, or parents or grandparents who set up a 529 college savings plan.

The first introductory and fact-finding appointment can be in-person or by phone. The next meeting where I provide my recommendations should be in-person. (For the time being, telephone, Zoom, and email are replacing some in-person meetings.)

Subsequent meetings during which we monitor your progress and investments can be done in-person or by phone, email, Zoom, or Skype – or, more likely, a combination of these meeting types.

Contact Tim

Tim has offices in Boston and South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. He’s licensed to handle securities in 8 states: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, and Florida.

Book a Phone or In-Person Meeting

Scroll to Top