FSA track

Question

Given a choice (assuming you are not constrained by work or company policy), which FSA track would you choose and why?

Answer 1

The one that has the most over lap with your current experience.

Reasons:

It reduces amount of new concepts. There is enough to learn/memorize. What is easy for you, is not for someone else.

The track doesn’t stop you from working in another track. Although if you switch to pensions you likely have to take EA anyway. See Academy qualification standards if in US.

Nobody/few ever take exams from multiple tracks so their experience won’t give you the insight you are looking for to compare tracks.

Answer 2

I think most people would advise to pick the track that is most relevant to your work experience (and reasonably so), but I did want to throw in another perspective since it was the alternative advice I got and it was the way I ended up going:

Pick the track that is the most *interesting* to you, even if it doesn't align with what you're working in (although, convenient if it does). The rationale is that you're already learning mostly whatever you need to know on the job anyways. And from a study perspective, trying to learn something that you're interested in naturally makes the process go a lot easier.

I do valuation for life & annuities, but I ended up picking the QFI track because that was the material that I was most interested in, and the information was a lot more palatable for me to digest. I don't have any interest or intention of going into hedging, but I just found that track the easiest for me to take, academically.

edit: phrasing

Answer 3

If I was smart enough: QFI. Given that I’m not, CFE would be my next choice since the material isn’t specific to insurance, meaning I could potentially pivot to a new job. Luckily my company allows for CFE even though im in health

Answer 4

Whatever you find most interesting, relevant to your current job or whatever you think you will have the best chance at passing. I work in group pricing (life and disability) and have 1 exam left on the GH track. It is pretty Health heavy so I wish I went down the CFE track but it’s too late now. The amount of overlap between my job and the exam is limited so it can be tough to get through the material at times.