There is one day a year that strikes fear in grown men and women across the globe. No, it’s not Halloween, Friday the 13th or even The Mexican Day of the Dead -- it's June 3rd, CFA Exam day! The Chartered Financial Analyst exams are an academic marathon, putting candidates through a full day of [...]
Following the financial crisis of 2008, prominent employers down to small investment houses have placed a greater emphasis on advanced education to meet the needs of their organization. Companies routinely sort through their applicant pool looking for individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to the industry by elevating their academic credentials beyond a four year [...]
There are more financial career options than ever for aspiring professionals. While the more traditional positions still dominate the finance industry (wealth managers, traders, bankers, analysts, compliance specialists, etc.) there are an increasing number of computer programmer jobs for technology professionals to switch industries. One of the hottest new destinations for computer programmers (a.k.a. ‘coders’) [...]
There are some basic financial concepts that new professionals must learn before working in the financial industry. These include yield to maturity, free cash flow, and net present value. One metric that’s gaining increasing importance is the internal rate of return, known simply as the internal rate of return (IRR). If you’re looking for a [...]
Today’s financial advisors must cater to a diverse clientele. There are Millennials, wrestling with student loans, Gen X’ers saving for their own children’s tuition and Baby Boomers addressing both fixed income and longevity needs. Of course, there are plenty of niches in between. Maybe the most challenging clients of financial sports management are professional athletes. [...]
The latest addition to our Masters of Finance series is investor and entrepreneur Robert Kiyosaki. While the author of numerous personal finance books including The Guide to Investing and Cash Flow Quadrant, Mr. Kiyosaki is best known for his bestseller, Rich Dad Poor Dad, which chronicles his childhood in Hawaii. He has parlayed the exposure [...]
With the pain of the financial crisis still fresh among equity investors, the quest for uncorrelated asset classes remains strong. These alternative investments, considered safe havens by risk-averse investors, include commodities, real estate, frontier market securities, smart beta ETFs, and hedge funds. The inclusion of these segments diversifies an investment portfolio, reducing market risk. Some [...]
Elder financial abuse is a despicable fraud that targets older members of our population. Often, these victims live alone, have diminished mental faculties, or are financially unsophisticated. This type of abuse is unfortunately all too common. A 2016 study by Allianz Life Insurance Company found that 37% of active care givers reported their client had [...]
The newest addition to our Masters of Finance series is hedge fund manager William “Bill” Ackman. Ackman, 50, was raised in the upscale New York town of Chappaqua, the current home of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Who is Bill Ackman? An extremely driven child, Ackman went on to attend Harvard for both undergraduate and graduate [...]
Corruption has certainly been at the forefront of media coverage over the last year. The release of the infamous ‘Panama Papers’ unleashed a treasure trove of information on global fraud facilitated by a shady Panamanian law firm. And other scandals such as the Brazilian ‘Car Wash’ Operation and 1MDB have also been uncovered. While these [...]
