I believe my practice has improved greatly since attending the CIMA program. I’m now able to demystify portfolio management by better setting client expectations and moderating their behavior through financial education. Read about Alex's experience »

—Alexander DiMartini, CIMA®, Managing Director at SoundView Wealth Management Group LLC

I am very happy to report that I passed the CIMA exam! Although I was part of the educational program at another school, there is no way I could have passed without the Chicago Booth review program and having been also granted access to the Chicago Booth CIMA program educational materials and live session videos. Kathleen’s voice was a constant companion as I listened to classes driving and even while on family vacation. Thank you so very much!

—Alan P. Jesiel, CFP®, CIMA®, Vice President, Senior Relationship Strategist, PNC Wealth Management

The University of Chicago has a well-planned approach to teaching the CIMA curriculum. All of the important concepts are covered in a clear, concise format. The professors really want to make sure you understand the material and go to great lengths to provide intuition behind some of the math concepts. The class is very interactive and the faculty make themselves easily accessible throughout the class. I strongly recommend this program to anyone considering attaining the designation.

—Todd Muentzer, CIMA®, ETF Specialist

This was a great overall experience.  Kathleen does a great job presenting and reviewing the content.  It was also beneficial to connect with other students preparing for the exam.

—Jon Maldonado, Financial Advisor, UBS Financial Services

Excellent program with in-depth analysis of calculation needed for course material.

—Robert Filetti, Robert Baird

This class was far above my expectations.  This is a great value for the cost.

—Alicia Frye, Regional Business Consultant, Symmetry Partners

I got the passing score I needed to finally achieve my CIMA credentials. I was and am still ecstatic about this accomplishment and absolutely credit it to the Chicago Booth workshop and team for helping me get here. I would tell anyone interested in the CIMA program or who is trying to finish the certification process that the Booth workshop is the way to go.

—Jen Litton, CDFA, CIMA®

Having the two day review class at Booth is a major differentiator from the other education programs. Having a two day intensive review upon completion of the material helped me identify areas of weakness that I needed to focus on before the exam and embolden my confidence in the material I knew well coming into the exam.

—Greg Goin CFP®, CIMA®, CLU®, CRPC® Advisory Solutions Director

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We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.

Janine was born in Venezuela and educated in the United States. She began her career 25 years ago on the foreign equity arbitrage desk, where she took advantage of her language skills—Spanish, French, and Portuguese—to gain insight into emerging markets. She earned her CIMA® and became part of an elite group to receive the qualification as an advanced investment consultant. She has spent the majority of her career advising institutional clients with their investment portfolios—providing industry leading advice, delivering personalized institutional consulting services and ongoing due diligence and reporting. Also, it is Janine’s relationships in the industry that provide access to specialists that keep the group’s financial strategy current with the latest innovations.

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Reference #18.ad7dd17.1692820055.9fcf638f

Financial inclusion matters for Africa's smallholder farmers

Agriculture forms the backbone of African economies, accounting for 32 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). A majority of the continent's farmers earn their living on small plots of less than two hectares, which represent 80 percent of all farms across sub-Saharan Africa. But these smallholder farmers are largely excluded from financial services and are therefore constrained from improving their wellbeing and transforming their farms into economically viable businesses. Although smallholder farmers face a number of challenges to raising productivity, bridging the financial access gap must be a priority.

There is much literature on expanding financial inclusion among the world's poor. The issue has been a development priority since Group of Twenty (G20) leaders launched the Financial Inclusion Action Plan in 2010. But Africa's smallholder farmers have received little attention, and women farmers - who make up half of the continent's agricultural labor force - have received even less.

Being excluded from financial services has negative consequences for smallholder farmers. Access to credit can help raise farm productivity by expanding access to inputs as well as better storage, marketing, and processing. Access to savings instruments at harvest enables families to put money aside and helps smooth consumption at other times of the year. Access to payment platforms can offer a secure and efficient way to make transactions. And access to insurance products can protect against illness and weather-related shocks.

In the absence of these formal mechanisms, smallholder households often rely on informal instruments. Although they are accessible and flexible, informal financial services can also be inefficient and costly in the short term, and they do not always offer the services needed to help transform subsistence farming into a profitable business.

Understanding farmers' needs and the range of financial services they rely on to meet those needs, must be the first step. But translating this knowledge into tailored products will be even more critical. While evidence is still emerging, digital solutions are at the forefront of these efforts.

Read the full essay here.

Marcie has over seventeen years of experience and specializes in wealth management for affluent families. Marcie is a member of one of Merrill Lynch’s highest recognition clubs, Circle of Excellence, and she has been named one of the Top 50 Advisors in Registered Rep Magazine. In 2008 Marcie was named to the “Top 50 Advisors in Massachusetts” by the Boston Business Journal, and she was recently named to Barron’s Top 100 Women Financial Advisors in 2010.Marcie’s unique experience gained from managing public stock compensation plans has established her as an expert in concentrated stock strategies and the related wealth management needs of high net worth individuals. She embraces each relationship with an emphasis on financial planning, tax minimization strategies, and trust and wealth transfer throughout the investment management process. Her client base consists mainly of senior executives, business owners, and professional athletes.Marcie has accumulated an impressive client list and established herself as a financial expert within the community by contributing columns to several local papers and appearing regularly on NECN and FOX 25 News. Marcie has presented several times to the NBA Wives Association’s “Behind the Bench”.Marcie has earned the Certified Investment Manager Analyst designation and has attended advanced investment programs at the Wharton School of Business. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Marcie practiced as a CPA with Price Waterhouse in their Financial Services division.

Adam Johnson is the lead instructor for test preparation workshops at UTSA. Adam has over 20 years of experience teaching standardized test preparation classes.

After teaching for several years for a leading test-preparation company, Adam taught English and test-preparation in Valencia, Spain. He has consistently scored in the 99th percentile on standardized tests including perfect scores on the GRE and LSAT.

He's not only an expert on the tests that he teaches, but also a devoted and energetic instructor who can communicate strategies to help others Improve their scores.