How should I maintain my CIM® designation?

To represent yourself as an active CIM® holder in good standing and to uphold the prestige of your letters, you must meet the designation maintenance requirements annually.

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Renew your CIM® Designation

All CIM® holders must renew their designation by their anniversary date (the date the designation was originally granted). You will receive reminders 4 weeks and 1 week prior to your deadline.

Designation holders who do not renew will be deemed to be “not in good standing.” You are no longer eligible to use the CIM® trademarks. If you continue to use the trademarks, then legal action may be taken. You will also be removed from the CIM® Directory.

Meet Continuing Education Requirements

About CE Requirements

The world we work and live in is constantly evolving. As a financial advisor and portfolio manager, it is critical that you commit to lifelong learning and have a handle on the trends and issues that affect your industry—and most importantly, your clients.

The CE cycle and hours of CE required for a CIM® holder have been aligned to the CIRO requirements. However, CE content requirements for the CIM® designation holder must align with the CIM® competency profile and CE Course Guidelines as posted by CSI.

CE is to be completed based upon a 2-year cycle (currently beginning January 1, 2024 and ending December 31, 2025). CIM® holders are required to complete 20 hours in professional development and 10 hours in compliance during this cycle.

If you earn your CIM® in the first 18 months of the CIRO CE Cycle 10 you must complete your CE requirements by December 31, 2025.

If the CIM® is granted in the last six months of a CE cycle, the individual will be subject to CE requirements in the following CE cycle.

Taking CE Courses

Courses can be taken from CSI or other external providers (e.g., community colleges, universities, other professional education providers or in-house at your employer). It is up to you to determine if a course meets CSI’s CIM® CE Course Guidelines.

We have created a CE Finder Tool to help CIM® holders explore CSI professional development, ethics and compliance courses for designation holders.

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Please Note: Continuing education serves as a tool for refreshing and enhancing your knowledge base. It’s important to note that designation holders are restricted from claiming Continuing Education (CE) credits for a course they’ve already completed in the prior CE cycle.

Tracking CE Requirements

CIM® holders can track the number of CE credits completed and how many are needed within a specified cycle using CSI’s CE Tracker Tool. The CE Tracker is an interactive dashboard that serves as a central repository for CIM® holders to track and manage their CE requirements to maintain their CIM® designation.

The dashboard will display all courses completed through CSI and their associated credits. CIM®s can also add third-party credits completed through other providers. The tool allows users to download their CE transcript with the click of a button. To access the CE Tracker Tool:

  • Login to your MyCSI profile, and click on the CE Tracker Tool tab
  • Select your CIM® as your association and view the CE credits you have earned

 

Make sure you retain supporting documents to confirm the completion of CE credits. Each year, a percentage of CIM®s will be audited to verify the CE hours claimed on their designation renewal applications.

Continuing Education Auditing Process

CSI will conduct periodic audits of CIM®s upon renewal of their designation to assess compliance with continuing education (CE) requirements. Designation holders must retain supporting documents to confirm the completion of CE credits.

  • CIM®s selected for audit purposes will be sent a letter of notification.
  • They will be asked to submit documents to verify the CE hours they have indicated on their designation renewal form.
  • They will have 60 days to comply with the audit request.

 

Failure to comply with the request may result in the designation holder being declared “not in good standing.” This means they will no longer be able to use the CIM® trademarks. Misstated or fraudulent reporting of CE credits will be reported to the Designation Ethics Committee as a violation of the CIM® Code of Ethics and will be considered according to the Ethical Misconduct Process.

Code of Ethics

CIM® holders must re-commit to the CIM® Code of Ethics each year.

Trademark License and Application Fees

To continue using the CIM® trademarks in your own marketing, CIM® holders must re-commit to the Certification Mark License Agreement each year.

CIM® holders are required to pay a non-refundable license fee of $325 each year. The license fee goes towards your trademark rights and benefits and requires your ongoing commitment to the maintenance requirements and your Fit and Proper Declaration.

Reinstatement Policy

If you are late with your renewal, but not past 12 months of your renewal date, you will be required to pay a late fee of $50 in addition to the standard annual license fee.

If you have not renewed within 12 months of your license renewal date, you will be required to pay a late fee of $50, a reinstatement fee of $375 and the standard annual licence renewal fee of $325. You will also be asked to prove the completion of your CE requirements for all the cycles of non-renewal. This will require you to submit transcripts showing course completion dates as well as course outlines.

CIM®s are given the opportunity to reactivate their licence after a lapse of up to 5 years. If your designation has lapsed for more than 5 years, you will be required to re-take and successfully complete the Portfolio Management Techniques course and meet the work experience requirement.

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