The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation is a certification given to investment experts who are capable of functioning with alternative investments. A CAIA will be able to assist people with reviewing and preparing investment deals with many of these options. This study has become valuable as the market for these investments continues to rise in power.

The alternative investments that a CAIA will be able to understand upon certification include investments that go beyond income or equity. These include such common investments as hedge funds, commodities, real assets, private equity assets and even credit derivatives.

A CAIA will also be experienced with risk management solutions. Part of this involves understanding trends and statistics with alternative investments to see how well they might be used in the workplace.