Mutual Funds & Variable Products

The Mutual Funds & Variable Products Seminar will provide attendees with a full understanding of the marketplace, operations, organization and regulatory matter affecting mutual funds and variable products such as annuities. There will be discussions about both open-end and closed-end funds, and the advantages and disadvantages of funds compared to investing in individual securities.

During the Mutual Funds & Variable Products Seminar there will be time spent delving into the historical development of the mutual fund marketplace and the impact of funds on the global financial world. Participants will learn the key regulations regarding fund sales, including those for selling different classes of fund shares and how to best to select funds that fit an investor's needs. The seminars will focus on all the fundamentals regarding funds, such as distinguishing between equity, fixed income, balanced, hybrid and index funds. There will also be a conversation on the primary styles of portfolio management; active versus passive. Finally, the group will learn who all the workings of the mutual fund industry and its operation, as well as how fund managers construct a portfolios to match stated investment objectives and identify those key elements within a fund prospectus.

This seminar is ideal for any accounting, audit, operations, systems and technology staff who would like to develop a broad, yet deep knowledge of literally all aspects of the multi-trillion dollar marketplace.

DAY ONE

• Overview of Mutual Funds
  • History of the Mutual Funds Industry
  • Size and growth of the Mutual Fund Industry
  • Mutual Fund investors
  • Mutual Fund structures
  • Basic Fund Features
• Mutual Fund Concepts
  • Net Asset Value (NAV)
  • Loads
  • 12b-1 fees
  • Breakpoints
  • Benefits and Drawbacks of Mutual Funds
• How a Mutual Fund Operates
  • Roles within a Fund
  • Fund Fee Structures
  • Buying and Redeeming Shares
  • Pricing a Fund
• Other Fund Structures and Structural Variations
  • Closed End Funds
  • Exchange Traded Funds
  • Funds of Funds
  • Fee-Based (Wrap) Accounts
  • Hedge Funds

DAY TWO

• Open End Fund Products and Objectives
  • Equity Funds
  • Fixed Income Funds
  • Hybrid Funds
  • Index Funds
• Mutual Funds as Investments
• Asset Allocation
• Understanding Fund Objectives
• Using Beta as a Measure of Risk
• Risk Tolerance: Matching Client Risk Tolerance with Fund Objectives
• Matching Fund and Client Objectives
• Hedging Strategies
• Researching Funds
  • Dissecting the Prospectus
  • Third-party Rankings
• Equity Portfolio Management
• Active versus Passive Equity Portfolio Management
• Active Portfolio Management Styles
• Indexed Portfolios
  • True Indexing
  • Quasi Indexing
  • Enhanced Indexing
• Assessing Performance
  • Benchmarks
  • Return Attribution
  • Quantifying Risk
• Regulatory Issues
  • Prospectus Requirements
  • Sales Practices and Disclosures
  • Registration of Portfolio Managers
  • Current Regulatory Environment
• Industry Trends
  • Pension Funds
  • Developments in Fund Types
  • Distribution Channels