noel

Assuming the OP means "trader" (swing, momentum, macro, currency, etc.) as distinct from "investor" (of the value variety), the CFA would be worthless. The biggest bang for the buck and fastest return on time would be to spend a couple of hundred bucks and get involved with the CANSLIM program through a seminar or reading one of the books on the subject. If you spend 50% of the time you would spend studying the CFA reading that book and IBD, you will make a lot more money than the average CFA.