Overview
This article provides details on Fi360's accreditation status and what that means for our business and clients.
What is Accreditation?
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private, non-profit organization that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standards and conformity assessment system. Founded in 1918, the Institute works in close collaboration with stakeholders from industry and government to identify and develop standards- and conformance-based solutions to national and global priorities.
Among its leadership roles in all major global and regional standards and accreditation organizations, ANSI is the sole U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and, through the U.S. National Committee (USNC), to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). ANSI promotes the use of U.S. standards internationally, advocates U.S. policy and technical positions in international and regional standards organizations, and encourages the adoption of international standards as national standards where they meet the needs of the user community.
For organizations offering a competence-based assessment, the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) offers ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation as the premier personnel certification accreditation program worldwide. Adherence to ISO/IEC 17024 is an important way for certification bodies to distinguish their programs. There are over 200 certifications accredited by ANAB under this program, all of which recognize competence of professionals across different sectors.
Is Fi360 Accredited?
Yes, Fi360 is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to ISO 17024:2012 for the AIF® Designation, making it one of the few independently accredited designations in financial services. Being accredited helps the AIF® stand out and for the designation to be recognized across all 50 states and internationally.
What does that mean for our clients?
We believe accreditation helps the AIF® stand out – of the hundreds of designations recognized by FINRA, only a handful have been independently accredited. It allows candidates, designees and the public to have confidence we run our designation programs according to international best practices.
It also means that we are fully committed to adhering to principals of fairness, due process, impartiality and equal opportunity. And that we cannot make exceptions to our policies without jeopardizing our accreditation status.