Discover the valuable skills and risk management strategies you can learn with the Certified Risk Analyst (CRA) certification. Find out how to earn this certification and how it may benefit you in your risk management career.
The Certified Risk Analyst (CRA) certification from the Global Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM), also known as the American Academy of Financial Management (AAFM), provides current and aspiring finance professionals with the tools, strategies, and guidance they need to prevent and manage risk within their own business or organization.
Risk analysts are experts in making financial decisions that help clients meet their investment and financial goals while preventing loss. Given the rise of cyber threats along with widespread digital transformation across various industries, the global risk management market value is growing and is likely to reach $58.8 billion by 2034 []. By earning your Certified Risk Analyst certification, you may improve your risk analyst accuracy and gather new tools for mitigating, preventing, and managing financial risk for your clients, positioning yourself more strongly in this in-demand industry.
Explore how to become a certified risk analyst, including the specific skills you can gain by participating in the GAFM/AAFM program, as well as the professional finance roles you may qualify for upon earning your risk analyst certification.听
The CRA certification, sometimes known as the Chartered Risk Analyst certification, may be a good fit for anyone working in the finance industry who wants to gain a deeper understanding of how to prevent and analyze financial risk for businesses. Specific roles that may benefit from a CRA certification include risk managers, accountants, auditors, and brokers.听
To earn your risk analyst certification, you will attend CRA courses, complete the required exercises, and engage in the group sessions, then take a final assessment that tests your skills and knowledge.听
If you are a first-time certification recipient, you may register through GAFM/AAFM and pay the $349 fee for the program and shipping of your official certification []. This certification is valid for two years and costs an additional fee of $199 to renew annually upon expiration [].
Before you enroll in the CRA program, you will need some background in or knowledge about finance and financial risk. GAFM/AAFM requires that interested applicants have an accredited degree, and you must continue to meet renewal and education requirements after earning your certification.
The certification consists of five modules, each covering various topics. The first four modules include an introductory overview of risk management, risk exposures, operational risk management, and strategic risk management, and the final module includes a workshop that gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge. The first four modules also include practical exercises that enable you to apply your knowledge to real-world scenarios.
In the first module, you鈥檒l explore the foundation of risk management, including the theories, concepts, methodologies, and systems you鈥檒l encounter in risk management work. You鈥檒l have the opportunity to learn about key risk types, enterprise risk management, principles of holistic risk management, and how to apply and implement risk management in an organization.听
The practical exercise for this module involves establishing a risk register as the foundation of the risk identification and management processes.
In the second module, you鈥檒l take the information and skills you gained during Module One to begin identifying risk factors that modern businesses face. Upon learning risk identification and management tools and techniques, you will create strategies and build tools to contextualize risk and implement measures that protect an organization.听
You鈥檒l explore various risk categories, including foreign exchange, liquidity risk, stress testing, and solvency risk. This module鈥檚 practical exercise includes working individually and in groups to review and comment on case studies to practice identifying risk and developing strategies.
Module Three focuses on various factors of operational risk management, including the three pillars of management, capital allocation models, data issues and knowledge management, and monitoring and quantifying operational risk. In this module, you will take a deeper look at capturing company-wide data to identify internally focused risks, and you鈥檒l continue to assess and utilize case studies to refine your risk identification and strategy techniques.听
Module Four covers four topics: strategic risk management, political and sovereign risk, risk linkages, and identifying and implementing risk standards. In addition to providing more case study analysis opportunities, this module helps you learn how to find your organization鈥檚 balance between being high risk and risk-averse, and how to identify various types of risk, from strategic to operational to tactical.听
After you complete the first four modules, you鈥檒l begin work on the fifth module, which is set up as a workshop. At this point, you will participate in case study team discussions and demonstrate your knowledge of practice risk problems. Once you鈥檝e successfully completed this module and the associated practical assessment exercises, you鈥檒l earn your CRA credential, which you may add to your resume for future potential employers to see.
Becoming a certified risk analyst may offer you professional opportunities, such as leveling up to higher-paid positions and roles with more responsibility. Another benefit of earning your risk analyst certification is strengthening your credibility with clients. When you add the CRA designation to your professional title, you may be able to persuade more clients to work with you because you鈥檝e demonstrated your risk analysis knowledge and expertise by completing the certification program.
Additionally, earning your CRA credential may increase your confidence to do your job well and apply for more challenging opportunities. By continuing your education and earning your certification, you gain more tools, strategies, and experience in risk management and risk analysis.
Your certification also gives you GAFM/AAFM membership along with access to the organization鈥檚 network and body of information, global education centers, and international journal.
Employment for financial analysts is likely to grow by 9 percent (30,700 annual job openings) between 2023 and 2033, which is much faster than the average for all other occupations [].
Once you鈥檝e completed your CRA certification, you may be in a better position to begin exploring new professional roles in the financial industry, including management opportunities such as a financial risk manager. Discover other potential jobs you may qualify for by becoming a certified risk analyst.
Average annual US salary (Glassdoor): $80,795 []
Requirements: Bachelor鈥檚 degree in finance, business, or a related field
As a risk analyst, your responsibilities typically include providing companies or individuals with financial guidance. You may make these informed decisions based on several factors, including a client鈥檚 financial history, the current state of the financial market, and their current employment status. Once you have all the data you need, you can help clients manage or prevent financial risks that may come from investing or taking out a loan, depending on their specific situations.
Average annual US salary (Glassdoor): $121,318 []
Requirements: Bachelor鈥檚 degree in finance, law, or a related field (some employers may prefer a master鈥檚 degree) and professional experience
Financial risk managers have similar responsibilities as risk analysts, but they typically collaborate with teams of other professionals, such as information technology (IT) technicians, depending on their specific role. As a financial risk manager, you may assist individual clients or your organization by preventing financial loss with risk mitigation strategies and attainable financial sustainability goals.
Average annual US salary (Glassdoor): $102,023 []
Requirements: Bachelor鈥檚 degree in cybersecurity or a related field
As a cybersecurity analyst, you work to prevent financial risks affecting your company, specifically from cyberattacks or cyber threats. Your responsibilities may include educating others about cyber safety, taking action during an attack, and revising security measures to make systems safer and more effective than before.
A risk analyst certification may benefit your career as a risk analyst or financial manager by helping you further develop your risk management skills and risk prevention strategies. In addition to getting certified, you can enroll in relevant business analytics courses and degree programs available on 糖心vlog官网观看.
Explore the Business Analytics Specialization from the University of Illinois, designed to help you discover the tools you need to obtain, manage, analyze, and visualize data and gain a competitive advantage in strategic business decision-making.
Or consider the Master of Science in Data Analytics Engineering with Northeastern University, where you鈥檒l have the opportunity to immerse yourself in specializations such as data visualization, database design, and data mining, learning the skills necessary to bridge the gap between raw data and actionable insights.
Global Market Insights. 鈥, https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/risk-management-market.鈥 Accessed May 1, 2025.
Global Academy of Finance and Management. 鈥, https://www.gafm.com/store/viewproduct.aspx?id=13194477.鈥 Accessed May 1, 2025.
Global Academy of Finance and Management. 鈥, https://www.gafm.com/page/Payment.鈥 Accessed May 1, 2025.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. 鈥, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/financial-analysts.htm.鈥 Accessed May 1, 2025.
Glassdoor. 鈥, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/risk-analyst-salary-SRCH_KO0,12.htm.鈥 Accessed May 1, 2025.
Glassdoor. 鈥, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/financial-risk-manager-salary-SRCH_KO0,22.htm.鈥 Accessed May 1, 2025.
Glassdoor. 鈥, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/cyber-security-analyst-salary-SRCH_KO0,22.htm.鈥 Accessed May 1, 2025.
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