<p>If I wanted to go into corporate finance as a career, is it better to go straight into it and start studying for the CFA or do a couple years at a big 4 and get my CPA before making the transition? Should I get both the CPA and CFA or just settle for one? Both has its advantages. Which would be better down the road?</p>
<p>You don't need a CFA for corporate finance. CPA is more useful. CFA is for people who want to do investment management, like portfolio managers and equity research. One cannot be a chartered CFA without 4 years of related work experience plus passing all 3 levels of the exam.</p>