Finance Certifications |
Trading
Is FRM Certification Suitable for a Trading Career?
By Micky Midha
Updated On FRM is highly relevant to a career in risk management but applies only indirectly to trading related roles, based on the type of trading you might be interested in.
The relationship between FRM and trading can be examined in some of the following ways:
- Risk-Focused Trading: If your trading role is to manage or hedge risks, in a hedge fund or a bank or any other financial institution, then FRM can be relevant. This deals with all top areas including market risk, credit risk, operational risk, and liquidity risk, which are all critically important for traders managing portfolios or structured products with significant risk exposure.
- Quantitative and Analytical Skills: The FRM provides a deep understanding of financial risk models, statistical analysis, and quantitative finance, which are valuable in more technical trading roles, such as those involving derivatives, options, or algorithmic trading.
- Regulatory and Compliance Insight: Traders with an understanding requirement regarding the regulatory framework, compliance, and risk controls would highly benefit from the coverage of the Basel guidelines and other regulatory standards thereof in the FRM curriculum.
- Less Emphasis on Pure Trading Strategies: The FRM training program does not provide training in the practical areas of trading strategies, technical analysis, or market psychology-all of which are essential for some positions in trading. If you wish to become a proprietary or retail trader, additional qualifications or experience with trading techniques may be required.
In a nutshell, FRM can be suitable if you plan for a career in trading with a strong focus on risk management and quantitative analysis. If your skill sets and interests lie on the other part of the spectrum – that is, stronger on trading strategies and tactics, other certifications, like the CFA or specialized trading programs, would better align with your goals.