lcai

If you like accounting, want to work for big 4 or become CFO/Controller go for the CPA. I can tell you compared to Inv Mgmt, for a CPA pay is terrible and work is not that interesting but there is more job security and there are more jobs out there for accountants. A CPA is a completely different career path and a CFA won't be much help for an accounting career.

I can argue that you don't really need a CFA for Inv Banking at all. For I-banking you get hired out of a good undregrad of b-school. There is some usefulness of CFA for Inv Mgmt business but look around, do the top money managers have CFAs?

It all comes down to "who you know" and not "what you know"