New Certificant Toolkit

Congratulations on earning your certification. This page brings together the essential tools, standards, and resources to support you as a new Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®), Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®), or Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®) professional.

Use it to showcase your certification, stay aligned with ongoing requirements, and confidently apply your expertise to deliver better outcomes to your clients.

Promoting Your Certification

Proudly share your certification across your professional channels. Use your certification marks on social profiles and your website, announce your achievement to clients, and leverage approved Investments & Wealth Institute brochures and resources to clearly communicate the value of your credential. 

Download CIMA® Logo→
Download CPWA® Logo→
Download RMA® Logo→

Complimentary Access to the Exceptional Advisor® Program 

Newly certified professionals receive complimentary course access to Exceptional Advisor: Communicate Your Value & Build Client Engagement (a $395 value). This course helps you articulate the value of your expertise and ethical commitment through practical, research-driven frameworks, while earning five CE hours, including one ethics hour. 

Registration details will be delivered via email to new certificants. 

Digital Badge (Accredible)

You will receive your official digital badge via email from Accredible, along with instructions for access and use. This secure, shareable badge verifies your certification and can be displayed across key professional channels, including LinkedIn, email, and your website. 

Client Brochures

Brochures for each certification can be downloaded as PDFs or ordered in print, making it easy to share the value of your designation with clients. 

CIMA® Brochure→
CPWA® Brochure→
RMA® Brochure→
Order Printed Brochures→

Maintaining Your Certification

Follow these guidelines to ensure proper use of your CIMA®, CPWA®, or RMA® marks. These standards protect the integrity of the credentials you have earned and ensure they are represented accurately and consistently across all professional and client-facing materials.

Maintain your profile on Investmenthelp.org

Improve your visibility to clients searching for exceptional advisors like you through our online consumer search tool.

Code of Professional Responsibility

The Institute’s Code of Professional Responsibility promotes and maintains the highest standards of personal and professional conduct. All Institute certificants and members are subject to the Code.

Learn more about the Code of Professional Responsibility here.

Code of Professional Responsibility→

SEC Supplemental Support Language

Use this SEC-compliant description of your certification in Form ADV and any materials that require compliance approval. This standardized language ensures your credential is represented accurately and meets regulatory expectations.

Download→

Marks Usage Guidance

Learn how to properly display your licensed certification marks in business communications, marketing materials, websites, and more.

Download the Marks Usage Guide→

Certification Renewal and CE

To renew and maintain your certification, you must complete 40 hours of CE, including two ethics hours, every two years. You will receive a notice and the opportunity to complete your renewal requirements six months before your renewal deadline. The renewal process is designed to be simple and efficient. 

Learn more about renewal requirements, reporting CE, and earning CE→

Your Institute Membership

All certified professionals receive an Institute membership as part of their certification. Your membership remains active as long as your certification is current and in good standing. See what’s included in Membership Levels & Benefits, and explore upgrade options if you want access to additional benefits.


Learn More→

Exclusive Experience Event Offer for Newly Certified Professionals

As a newly certified professional, you will receive an exclusive discount to attend Experience. This promo code can be found in your certification congratulatory letter. It is our way of welcoming you into the certified community and supporting your continued engagement and professional growth through these events. 

FAQs

  • Complete and report a total of 40 CE hours including two ethics hours and one hour of taxes and regulations 

  • Pay the certification renewal fee 

  • Complete the compliance requirements—Compliance (U4 disclosures) and Investments & Wealth Institute Code of Professional Responsibility disclosure 

Please review the Renewal Requirements page for more information on maintaining certification. 

All CIMA®, CPWA®, and RMA® certified professionals receive an automatic Basic membership with the Institute that lasts two years. If you maintain your certification, then you’re an active member.

Institute membership aligns with your certification renewal date. While a Basic membership is provided, members can upgrade to Signature or Elite membership at the time of renewal or anytime during their two-year membership period. By upgrading to Signature or Elite membership, certificants receive exclusive benefits to the CE library, discounts on events and courses, and more.

No. CIMA®, CPWA®, and RMA® CE can be earned from a variety of preapproved providers as well as the Institute. Visit the CE Sponsors page to find the preapproved providers. 

The following states waive testing for the Series 65 and Series 7/Series 66 combination for CIMA® certificant license holders in good standing: Alaska, Colorado, and Missouri. 

Former CIMA®, CPWA®, or RMA® certified professionals may reinstate their right to use the registered marks by completing a continuing education requirement. Reinstatement is not available to former CIMC® designees. 

To begin the reinstatement process, individuals must submit a reinstatement application with a US $300 fee and successfully pass a background check. Once the application is accepted, the applicant must complete and report 60 CE hours, including two ethics hours and one taxes/regulations hour, within six months of acceptance. 

Yes. CIMA®, CPWA®, and RMA® certified professionals can carry over up to 10 CE hours to the next renewal period if they were earned within the last six months of the current period.

No. The CE topics and hours that are accepted apply toward all three certifications. 

No, unfortunately extensions are not available. 

  • Not Licensed: Certified professionals who have not met the three renewal requirements will receive an email stating they are no longer licensed on the next business day after certification renewal requirements are due. Then you will have an additional week to meet all requirements before receiving an official relinquishment letter. 

  • Relinquishment: A relinquishment letter, reinstatement policy, and reinstatement application are mailed via certified mail one week after the “Not Licensed” email is received. 

You will receive automated emails leading up to your renewal date, starting one year from your renewal date.

We offer a leave of absence for Institute certificants in this situation. Please send an email (30 days before your renewal date) requesting a leave of absence (LOA) to recertification@i-w.org. LOA requests are typically approved for a variety of reasons, including personal illness, family emergency, pregnancy difficulties, taking care of a sick family member, and more. Unfortunately, unemployment and job changes aren’t LOA-approved. 

Yes, we offer retirement membership status. The emeritus program is a membership status, not a certification, that allows eligible individuals to use a modified version of the marks and receive a Basic Institute membership. If you wish to regain certification, you must complete the reinstatement process. 

Requests for retirement status may be sent to recertification@i-w.org. 

Yes. You may request a “Letter of Good Standing,” which confirms that you hold an active certification in good standing. Certificants can request this by emailing recertification@i-w.org or calling the Client Success team at 303-770-3377.

No. We do not accept payments over the phone. Certification renewal payments may be paid online under the “My Renewal Requirements” area of your account Dashboard.

You may report CIMA®, CPWA®, and RMA® CE online through your Dashboard. After logging into your Dashboard, click “Report CE” to begin the reporting process.

Yes. Under the “My Renewal Requirements” area of your Dashboard, you’ll find a “CE Summary” button that provides a summary of CE courses and programs that have been reported to your current renewal period.

Yes. Click the “CE Summary Button” under “My Renewal Requirements.” You’ll see a drop-down menu at the top of the page that will allow you to select a past renewal period. 

Receipts can be obtained through the “'My Invoices” link in the navigation on the right-hand side of your Dashboard.

Unfortunately, we are unable to verify CIMA®, CPWA®, and RMA® CE over the phone. Also, we are unable to review events before they occur.

Yes, please contact us at +1-303-770-3377 to speak with a Client Success representative, or reach out to us via email at certification@i-w.org.

Visit certbadges.investmentsandwealth.org to access your digital badge. You may create an account if you choose, and the platform will provide instructions to download your badge and related assets. 

If you experience technical issues, call 303-770-3377 or email certification@i-w.org. 

CIMA®, CPWA®, and RMA® certified professionals may display their digital badges across highly visible professional channels, including social media platforms, email signatures, and firm websites. 

Once your badge is issued, you will receive an email notification from certificates@i-w.org (sent through Accredible). Please allow two to three weeks after passing your certification exam for delivery. The email will include a direct link to your badge and will be sent to the email address on file. 

If your certification expires, your digital badge and certificate will be marked as expired. Contact recertification@i-w.org for information on reinstating your certification. 

Each certified professional has a unique webpage hosting their credentials. Employers or others can verify your certification by clicking the “verify” button on your digital badge. The system automatically confirms authenticity and current status. 

If you need assistance, call 303-770-3377 or email certification@i-w.org. Our support team is available to help you navigate the platform. 

 

In a Word document: To enter the ® symbol, hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys, and type the letter “r” or select insert and symbol then choose the ® symbol.  

To make the symbol superscript: Select the symbol and press Ctrl + Shift + “+”, or select format and font, then check the superscript box.  

To make the symbol slightly smaller:Highlight the symbol and press Ctrl + “[“ to shrink the text one point size.  

HTML code for a website page: ® = ® ® = &#x2120 

Trademark enforcement protects the public and upholds professional standards. Ensuring that the CIMA®, CPWA®, and RMA® marks are not used generically preserves their meaning and value. If the marks were to fall into common use, the public would no longer be able to distinguish between professionals who have completed the Institute’s rigorous credentialing requirements—including education, examination, experience, and ethics—and those who have not.