Improve your life, get LIFA!

I love simple things. But I love those who simplify things even more. Simplification of education is exactly what IRA (International Research Association) is doing. They are based in Harvard Square Cambridge, Massachusetts.

IRA owns the LIFA program. LIFA stands for Licensed International Financial Analyst. In simple terms this means that when you are LIFA certified, you will be licensed to analyze financial data anywhere in the world just like 007 is licensed to kill. LIFA is mainly for Finance and investment professionals, and business students.



CFA, ACCA, and CPA candidates, as well as MBAs around the world have registered for the Level III LIFA exam in record numbers to complement their other qualifications.



IRA claims that LIFA is the fastest-growing finance & investment
designation in the world.



Scholarship



The International Research Association announces the $21,750,000 Scholarship Program for candidates with an undergraduate or graduate-level business degree, and current university students.

This means that if you qualify, your Level III exam registration and enrollment fees are fully waived . Why? Here is what they said, "We do not believe that we (the International Research Association) should benefit financially if you were to fail the LIFA exam. We believe that no candidate should be prohibited from taking an exam because of excessive costs and fees. This revolutionary philosophy differentiates the LIFA Program."

You can sign up now for the Level III LIFA exam, allowing you to bypass the first two levels through their Waiver Program. All registration and enrollment fees are fully waived. With other exams, you do not have the option to bypass the first two exam levels anymore. Plus, the registration and enrollment fees for some other exams can exceed $1, 155.00. To sign up go to: http://www.the-ira.org/scholarship/

However, you will have to pay Prometric $91. 00 (about N12,740) for conducting the exams.



Prometric Connection

Can You Register for LIFA in Nigeria?

Yes you can. We already have Nigerians on board. At the last count 417 Nigerians have already either taken the exams or have registered. Some of the registered Nigerians are university students, some are bankers, and I saw somebody from Debt Management Office and even somebody from EFCC. To see the directory of registered members all over the world, visit http://www.the-ira.org/webapps/bmd/directory.


LIFA exam candidates enjoy unmatched exam-taking flexibility, security, and reliability. Thomson-Prometric administers the LIFA exam on behalf of IRA 260 days per year at thousands of secure exam centers worldwide, and also independently grades all exams. They have centers in Lagos and Abuja. You can schedule your exam date on any of the 260 days in a year. Others offer exams only one day per year, in venues that are not always designed for test-taking.



About Prometric
Prometric (www.prometric.com ), a part of The Thomson Corporation, is the global leader in technology-enabled examination and assessment services for information technology certification, academic admissions, and professional licensure and certifications. Prometric delivers more than six million standardized exams a year for more than 200 clients, in more than 25 languages, over the web or through a network of more than 4,800 secure exam centers in more than 140 countries. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Prometric employs more than 3,000 employees worldwide.



Curriculum



The curriculum is very comprehensive and almost intimidating. May be that's why IRA calls LIFA the PhD of financial analysis certification.



The LIFA designation was created with its candidates and members principally in

mind. Its main focus is on the accomplishment of earning the designation and

maintaining a level of ethical commitment unparalleled in the world of financial

analysis. The LIFA exam is designed to measure professional excellence in a broad

curriculum of investment-related subjects. Obtaining the designation will require an

in-depth knowledge of fundamental investment principles, as well as a thorough

understanding of current capital markets in the burgeoning global marketplace.



LIFA also wants you to attain the highest levels of professionalism and ethical standards in the global investment industry, through mastering its challenging curriculum in three stages of examinations.



Stage 1 has eleven modules. They are as follows:



Learning Module 1: Ethics

Learning Module 2: Economics

Learning Module 3: Corporate Finance

Learning Module 4: International Markets

Learning Module 5: Quantitative Analysis

Learning Module 6: Financial Statement Analysis

Learning Module 7: Fixed-Income Investments

Learning Module 8: Equity Investments

Learning Module 9: Derivative Instruments

Learning Module 10: Alternative Investments

Learning Module 11: Portfolio Management



The other two Stages have almost the same modules albeit at an advance level. But instead of eleven modules as in stage 1, stage 2 and 3 have ten modules. Stage 2 does not have the Ethics module and stage 3 has no Corporate Finance module. Go to http://www.the-ira.org/guides .html , to see the curriculum guide.



How Do You Pay?



You pay online. And you need a credit Card to that or a friend with one. I got my own Credit Card from Intercontinental Bank. But it took a life time before I finally got the card.



An easier way to pay online is through graphcard. The web address is www.graphcard.com. Please note that I have never patronized this people but others said they are good.