CGFM FAQ - AGA

To retain the designation, a CGFM holder must:

1. Pay the applicable CGFM renewal fee by the due date every year.
2. Adhere to the AGA Code of Ethics.
3. Complete at least 80 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) every two years in government financial management topics or related technical subjects (within the designated two-year cycle), including 4 hours in ethics. See CPE Requirements and Calendar of CPE cycles for more information.

Maintain and, if requested by AGA, provide detailed information on CPE hours completed. See Maintaining Certification for more information.

Your CGFM is now inactive. Please visit the Maintaining Certification page to find out how you can reactivate your certification.

Your first CPE cycle starts on Jan. 1 of the year following the one when your CGFM is earned. The date of receiving your designation is listed on your CGFM certificate or in My CGFM.

CGFMs must earn at least 80 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) every two years, including 4 hours in ethics. If CGFMs do not have 80 hours completed by the end of their two-year cycle, they can use the three months immediately following their cycle (January 1 – March 31) to make up any deficiency. Any CPE hours completed toward a deficiency in one cycle should be documented in their CPE records and may not be counted toward the requirements for the next two-year cycle. See CPE Requirements for more information.

You do not need to send any evidence of CPEs to AGA at the time you renew your certification. By submitting the renewal payment for your CGFM certification, you affirm your agreement and compliance with CPE requirements. CGFMs are required to maintain supporting documentation on CPE hours earned for a minimum of three years and provide it to AGA upon request.

Yes. At the beginning of each year (January-February) an AGA/CGFM renewal invoice will be sent. Contact AGA’s Office of Professional Certification if you have an address change or if you have not received an annual invoice by the end of February. Please note: It is the responsibility of each CGFM to pay the annual CGFM renewal fee, even if that individual did not receive an invoice from AGA.

Becoming a CGFM is separate from AGA membership. If you are a CGFM, it does not automatically mean that you are a member of AGA. Contact AGA at 800.AGA.7211 to get membership information, or visit the Membership section of the website.

Individuals who have permanently retired from AND are not working in the field of financial management can request an adjustment of their status to “retired” by contacting AGA’s Office of Professional Certification (by mail or e-mail at cgfm@agacgfm.org). Please visit the Maintaining Certification page for more information on CGFM retired status.

No. The first CPE cycle starts on January 1 of the year following the one in which your CGFM designation was earned. Any hours earned during the year your CGFM is awarded do not count towards the first CPE cycle. There is also no carry-over from one cycle to another.

No. The requirement is 80 hours every two years. CGFMs are encouraged to earn CPE hours throughout their two-year cycle.

No. There is no need to request an exception if you plan to catch up during the grace period. CGFMs who have not completed the required number of CPE hours for any two-year CPE cycle will automatically have the three months (January 1 – March 31) immediately following the two-year cycle to make up the deficiency. Any CPE hours completed toward a deficiency in one CPE cycle must be documented in the CPE records and may not be counted toward the requirements for the next two-year cycle.

Yes. The deadline is April 30, following the completion of the two-year cycle. Please see Section 4 of the CGFM CPE Requirements for more information.

No. The CGFM renewal fee serves as the CGFM’s affirmation of his or her compliance with the CPE requirements.

No. The CGFM program does not require the programs to be NASBA-certified, although that usually indicates that the organization has followed the industry standards in offering the CPE courses.

Possibly, if the CPE hours are offered by the provider of the self-study activity. CGFM participants in correspondence or individual study programs can be granted CPE hours when they satisfactorily complete the program (this often involves a test at the end of the program). The CPE provider must provide documentation that confirms completion of the program by the CGFM, and the number of CPE hours granted for completing the program (or the actual time of the completed program that can be used to calculate the number of CPE hours).

No. CGFM participants in correspondence or individual study programs can be granted CPE hours when they satisfactorily complete the program. The CPE provider must provide documentation that confirms completion of the program by the CGFM, and the number of CPE hours granted for completing the program (or the actual time of the completed program that can be used to calculate the number of CPE hours).

No. The maximum number of CPE hours that may be granted to an individual as a speaker, instructor, discussion leader or course developer may not exceed 40 hours for any two-year period. Please see Section 15 of CGFM CPE Requirements for more information on earning hours as a speaker, instructor, discussion leader or course developer.

No. The maximum number of CPE hours that may be granted to an individual for published writings may not exceed 20 hours for any two-year period. Please see Section 15 of CGFM CPE Requirements for more information on earning hours for published work.

Possibly. Basic or elementary courses in topics and subjects in which the CGFM already has the necessary knowledge and skills, and that served as the initial basis for qualification as a CGFM, generally do not qualify for CGFM CPE. However, these types of courses may be acceptable in cases where they are deemed necessary as a “refresher” course to enhance the CGFM’s proficiency. Such refresher courses may only be taken once during the two-year period.

No. Fifty minutes is the minimum number for any given individual program. At conferences and conventions where individual presentations are less than and/or more than 50 minutes, the sum of the presentations should be considered as one total program.

You need to first convert the CEUs to minutes and then divide the number of minutes by 50 to arrive at the number of CPEs. When the total minutes of a presentation are more than 50, but not equally divisible by 50, the CPE hours must be rounded down to the nearest one-half hour.

No. CGFMs are required to maintain supporting backup documentation on CPE hours earned for a minimum of three years and provide it to AGA upon request. The CPE documentation requirements are described in Section 16 of the CGFM CPE Requirements. This documentation may be requested by AGA as part of the annual audit of a random sample of CGFMs.

The CGFM’s records must include the following information for each CPE program or activity attended or completed:

• the sponsoring organization (for example, AGA National Office, a local AGA chapter);
• the title of the program, including subject matter, field of study or a brief description of its contents;
• the dates attended for group programs or dates completed for individual study programs;
• the number of CPE hours earned; and
• evidence of attendance or completion.

While a certificate of completion is preferred, other acceptable documentation includes:

• an official letter from the event sponsor or your employer certifying that you have attended the event, which lists all of the required information (your name, sponsoring organization, title of the program, completion date and number of CPE hours earned).
• an official report from your employer, which has the employer’s name and lists all of the required information (your name, sponsoring organization, title of the program, completion date and number of CPE hours earned).

No. Documentation received prior to the training event, including a paid registration, is not acceptable as the supporting documentation.