If you’re reading this, you may be thinking about the CFA® designation and what it can do for your career. Or you might already be a candidate pursuing the charter.
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I first learned about the CFA Program as an undergrad finance major in the mid-1980s. I had always had an interest in the stock market, and would frequently read through the stock tables in the local newspaper and in the copy of Barron’s at the school library.
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The one subject that really stuck with me long after having passed the CFA® Level III exam was that of behavioral finance. Thanks to CFA Institute for introducing me to this new—perhaps lifelong—buddy. When I started preparing for the behavioral finance section, it didn’t come across as very interesting and didn't hold my focus for long.
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When creating the CFA exam, there’s a natural tendency to simplify so that participants from different backgrounds can all gain an understanding of multiple areas of finance.
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Buy and hold (B&H), constant mix, and constant proportion portfolio insurance (CPPI) are commonly used dynamic strategies for rebalancing portfolios.
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Alternative Risk Premia (ARP) portfolios have started to supplant hedge fund investments in institutional portfolios. Perceived lower cost, better liquidity, and improved transparency have diverted assets or created new demand within the alternative space. As part of the move toward factor investing, we will discuss what ARPs are and their pros and cons for investors.
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Back in January of 2020, which feels like years ago, I wrote an article pointing out that credit markets were setting themselves up for a potentially dangerous outcome. In no way could I or anyone else have predicted that a global pandemic and worldwide shutdown of entire economies would be the catalyst, but the conditions were ripe for any spark to start the fire.
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Choosing to embark on the path to your CFA charter is a big decision that needs to be made only after understand the commitment needed to succeed.
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We witnessed a remarkable change in sentiment after November of 2016.
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Alternative data sets have been expanding rapidly in the last five years. From satellite imagery to POS transaction receipts and phone location data, the realm of the measurable has expanded, requiring infrastructure and skills to exploit properly. AI and machine learning are helpful, but is it an intellectual pursuit or adds value to a fundamental process?
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As you go about your daily life, especially when making choices involving some sort of trade-off (exchanging money for goods and services, exchanging time for money, making investment decisions, deciding how to get the best value for money on your weekly grocery trip), you probably think of yourself as cool, calm, rational, and in control.
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The old world of investing has lately been crumbling. Passive investment management has captured the bulk of equity inflows, which has fueled remarkable growth in index mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
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For my entire career as a trader, portfolio manager, and investor, I've relied on a combination of systematic (or rules-based) methodology, fundamental analysis (understanding the trends of significant economic indicators), and technical analysis (the historical review of price data and charts) to understand market trends and actions. The building blocks of successful active management (alpha generation) must incorporate elements of each of these analysis tools.
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You spend six months ignoring your family, blowing off close friends’ weddings, and generally being an irritable pain in the butt. When your friends see you, the first question they ask is, “How’s CFA studying going?” because they know you have nothing else more important going on in your life. At least all your hard work pays off, right?
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Everyone feels stress and pressure in any significant contest. Prepared or not, when the chips are down we all feel our adrenaline rise. Y
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Anyone who starts working toward the CFA charter has heard stories of people with a PhD in finance or even professors who fail the Level I exam. There are multiple reasons for this, in my opinion.
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Taking the CFA Level I exam when you’ve got no financial background can be a daunting task. In fact, it can seem downright impossible to pass when you have nothing to go on.
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In contrast to the externally imposed regulatory standards in the insurance and banking industries, investment risk management requirements for investment companies had been largely self-imposed until last October, when the SEC voted to adopt rules to modernize reporting and disclosure of information. This move is meant to enhance liquidity risk management of open-end funds.
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Benjamin Graham made the call for a special professional rating for security analysts in a now-famous piece written in January 1945. The purpose of such a designation was to reassure investors that those giving advice regarding security transactions were qualified, knowledgeable professionals with high ethical standards.
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The new 2022 CFA curriculum has been released for all 3 levels. This article will summarize all of the important changes to the curriculum and how it affects your preparation.
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