High Net Worth Individuals Decline

High Net Worth Individuals Decline

Simon Mellon, who will head Bonner & Partners Family Office, believes family office investors are now more risk averse. Also, the number of high-net-worth individuals has suffered an unprecedented decline.

Simon Mellon, the globetrotting financial insider leading up our new “family office” project, says the super-rich are switching to low risk. (We will be sharing Simon’s insights into wealth protection, asset management and risk with Notes readers for the foreseeable future.)

On Wednesday, Capgemini and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management released the 2009 edition of their long-running World Wealth Report. The report’s findings are not easy to swallow. But they won’t come as a big surprise to Notes faithful.

It reveals that the population of “High Net Wealth Individuals” (defined as people with $1m or more to invest) fell nearly 15% in 2008. This drop is unprecedented. The biggest falls were seen amongst the “Ultra High Net Worth Individuals” (defined as those with more than $30m to invest), who saw more than 24% of their net wealth wiped out. (Source)


Related Resources to: High Net Worth Individuals Decline
Tags: high net worth individuals, hnw individual, high net worth individual, number of high net worth individuals, high net worth individuals decline

Third Party Marketing Industry | Definition & Trends

Third Party Marketing Industry

Below is a 10 minute video on third party marketing trends and insights. Within this video I talk about the definition of a third party marketer, how third party marketing firms charge fees to their investment fund clients, the contractual challenges of the third party marketing industry and how many marketers are now focusing on marketing to one single investment channel. If you are viewing our newsletter via email please click here to watch the embedded video.


Tags: third party marketing, raising capital, investment fund capital raising, investment fundraising, hedge fund marketing, hedge fund sales, hedge fund third party marketer

Hedge Fund Certification & Training Program Online

Hedge Fund Training & Certification Program

Today on July 15th, 2009 at 2PM EST the CHA Designation opens for registration to an additional 200 professionals for the Fall 2009 Session.

Below are a number of testimonials direct from current and past participants within the CHA Designation Program. These quotes offer insight into why others in similar situations are registering for this program.


Testimonial #1: Andy R. | Hedge Fund Manager


"As a former Hedge Fund manager, looking to launch a new fund in the next year, I was intrigued by the prospect of increasing my knowledge and understanding of a variety of platforms, strategies, and new regulations that are likely to come through the CHA. I believe that this designation is a long overdue way to separate the wheat from the chaff in an industry that, while currently in a down cycle, will remain as an integral component for financial planning and asset allocation in the future."


Testimonial #2: B.R. Aravind | Hedge Fund Associate


Transcript from Video Above: "To start with my objective was to work for a hedge fund manage a portfolio of my own a few years from now. While I was trying to learn the basics of the hedge fund industry I found the certification program ran by the Hedge Fund Group (HFG). This lead me to enroll into this hedge fund certification program they provided many helpful internship and career related articles. This gave me the right exposure on the industry and eventually got me an internship with the Hedge Fund Group. During this internship I was given many responsibilities on hedge funds, due diligence they use, risk management processes they use and holdings analysis work using SEC 13F Holdings filings. I am working with the Hedge Fund Group (HFG) to help provide a platform of working with hedge fund managers further throughout the rest of my career. Thank you"



Testimonial #3: Technical Analyst For Wachovia | Sumeer Kapila, Level 1 CHA, CFA Level 3 Candidate


"CHA designation is focused program. A program which details and provide inside information of hedge fund industry standards and strategies. The study guide provide you the rules of the game keeping you informed about the legal and regulatory perspective.
This program helps you to keep the integrity of the market by raising industry standards".



Testimonial #4: Job Title: Hedge Fund Manager


Why are you earning the CHA Designation? "I have been tracking the develop of this designation for several months now and now that I'm running my own hedge fund I need more of a broad base of hedge fund industry knowledge. In the past as a trader I have learned a lot about investing and alternative asset types but I'm completing this course to learn more about the structure and direction of the industry."



Testimonial #5 J.P.: Hedge Fund Manager (Partner)


"Among the critical reasons I joined a hedge fund are the minimization of bureaucracy, an innovation-friendly environment, and the community of intellectual and self-motivated individuals. To me, the Hedge Fund Group and now the CHA designation embody these principles and will come to represent a unique brand of individuals in the hedge fund space."



Testimonial #6: Nick Asmus | Equities Trader
















Transcripted Text: "The hedge fund industry is becoming more popular every day and more competitive as well. This is why I believe the hedge fund certification program is a good way to show potential employers that you are dedicated to the industry. In college I ran the financial management association, after that I worked as a financial analyst and now I have been an equity trader for three years. For me it makes sense to show how I serious I am about learning about hedge funds, the CHA provides a great intensity of focus on hedge funds showing you are interested in the industry and driven to succeed. Most importantly it shows that you really are driven and you know the knowledge, you have a good foundation of basic hedge fund principles and in Level 2 of the CHA you can get more in-depth and show where your expertise is based, I recommend this program to everyone".



Testimonial #7: Marc Oliver


"I have over 20+ years in the financial market industry with 15 securities licenses as well as other designation which includes FINRA Arbitration/ Mediation Panelist. Additionally, I am or have been a member of various industry related regulatory groups. Most notably, I have been on the Regulatory/ Compliance side in the financial Market for the last 11 years, having even served as Head of Compliance, with an emphasis towards providing regulatory oversight for trade compliance (Listed/ NASDAQ/ Program Trading). My objective going forward is to focus on Hedge Fund Compliance oversight and though I am currently pursuing my Juris Doctorate I believe that the CHA designation would give the proper foundation as well professional accreditation coupled with my current investment advisory experience for such a career transition."



Testimonial #8: Private Wealth Management Executive, CHA Level 1 Fall 2008


“The Hedge Fund Group stands at the forefront of our industry’s progressive growth, providing a designation which will prove invaluable and recognizable world-wide. With impeccable timing, the Chartered Head Fund Associate (CHA) designation is emerging into the best buyers’ market of our lifetimes. In this CFP and CFA jungle, mark yourself with the CHA and become a distinct industry leader. Treat yourself as an investment in an emerging market and enjoy reaping the rewards of your future. In the world of alternative investments, there’s no substitute for the CHA designation.”



Testimonial #9: Dominic Di Bernardo - Student


"I am taking this hedge fund certification program to expand my knowledge base of the hedge fund industry (There is little learned in school about this industry). I also believe that this designation will give me an edge over others trying to enter the industry. And lastly I believe that I will be able to gain valuable contacts through this programs website, other designation candidates, and anyone else that stands behind this designation".



Testimonial #10 Chai Foong: Algorithmic Forex Market Trader














Transcript of video above: "I am a algorithmic trader for the forex markes. I have been searching for a training program related to the markets and hedge funds but I could not find any suitable until a firend told me about the Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP) Exam. This program helps me build credibility in the market place and adds to my relevant experience in the field. I believe the CHP is what is needed to step inside the hedge fund industry".



Testimonial #11: Professional Placement Agent for Hedge Funds


“The Hedge Fund Group (HFG) has been fabulous. They answer every question quickly, accurately and professionally. It’s this stuff that, quite simply, builds credibility. For once I'm actually studying something



Testimonial #12: Derivative/Technical analyst for a leading broking firm


"The CHA program is of the best courses I could find in the market for someone who wants to enter the world of alternative investments. Not only is the course vigorous and up to date, but they also help you with access to industry recruiters for career advice and job opportunities. Another reason I registered was so that I could build my contacts in the investment world through the Hedge Fund Group. To me the value was in the complete package for a successful career in the field of alternative investments."



Testimonial #13: Algorithmic Trader for a Private Capital Group


"I am an algorithmic trading software developer working for a capital
firm. I have been doing just-in-time learning all the time, in an
undisciplined fashion. I think the goal of achieving a CHA Designation
would enforce a formal approach to my education in this dynamic field.
Besides, in my readings, I am hitting areas and terms I did not know,
like - Tranches etc. CHA Designation would give me the confidence of a
firm background knowledge, in pursuing my career."



Testimonial #14: Bob Beller Executive Vice President at a Financial Advisory Firm


"I’ve been involved in all aspects of the financial services industry over the past twenty-five years – legal and compliance, commodity pool owner and operator, hedge fund-of-funds principal and operator, domestic and international…you name it. If there’s anything I’ve learned over the years it’s that no business and no individual entrepreneur can sustain success over time without integrity and objective standards through which to measure core competence. Integrity comes from within. Objective standards are established by progressive thinkers. For me, the concept of CHA Designation is at the cutting edge of an industry that requires more uniform and measurable standards. That’s where I want to be for people I represent and that’s exactly what I want to pass along to people I mentor. Timing is everything."



Testimonial #15: Jennifer Hrabik | Wealth Management Associate


"Early on in my finance career I recognized I am very interested in alternatives and knew that learning more about this area would give me a competitive edge. I researched programs and found the CHA Designation to be the best as it also provides networking and mentor opportunities. It excites me that the program is new and I can be one of the first in the industry to earn this designation. I also like the two level approach. Level one provides a thorough overview of the hedge fund industry while level two focuses on training for a specific role. For someone just a few years into their career, level two is really helpful in narrowing down what you want to "major" in."



Testimonial #16 Soumen Gopal.: Hedge Fund Manager (Partner)






Transcript of Video Above: "There are three reasons why I joined this hedge fund certification program. The first reason is the focus, this program is focused very deeply on the hedge fund industry, performance and investment strategies and this is tailored to my needs. The other important point about this program is the speed of completion, many programs take much longer to complete. The last reason was the networking benefits, you can come out of this program and attend networking events and meet others in the indsutry and this is very helpful."


Note: The H Media Group runs both this website and this hedge fund certification program. This article is being published to announce the opening of registration within this program for Fall 2009. Learn more about the hedge fund certification at http://HedgeFundCertification.com.


Tags: Hedge Fund, Hedge Funds, Hedge Fund Training, Alternative Investment Training, Hedge Fund Career Training, Hedge Fund Certification, Hedge Fund Certification Program

Emerging Hedge Fund Managers Outperform

Below is a video about how many emerging managers investment funds outperform the rest of the industry. The theory is that these smaller funds are more nimble, they can invest in smaller cap stocks, and they have a lot at stake and they work to protect the portfolio.

Hedge Fund Marketing | Practical Tips

Hedge Fund Marketing | Practical Tips


A few weeks ago I completed my speech on “5 Best Practices for Hedge Fund Marketing” at the Marcus Evans Fund of Hedge Fund Summit in Boca Raton, Florida. I got connected with some quality hedge fund contacts and ran into a few followers of our sites as well.

Below please find some of the most useful practical fund marketing tips that I suggested during my speech, the full video recording of the speech along with the PowerPoint will be available as part of the training materials within the Hedge Fund Group’s hedge fund certification program within the Level 2 Module on Marketing & Sales.
  1. Focus on Building Authority above all else: The power of true authority within an industry trickles down and puts other influential factors into motion which help you develop valuable relationships
  2. Move the Free Line: Give away your best ideas within press inquiries, books, interviews, articles, white papers and videos
  3. Diverse Investor Case Studies: Have at least two case studies of investors choosing to place capital with your firm for each of the major distribution channels you are focusing on raising capital from. For example have six total case studies if 90% of your efforts are focused on family offices, wealth management firms, and HNW individual selling.
  4. The 4 P’s of Marketing Materials: Focus on Pedigree, Process (USP), Portfolio Risk, and Presentation Quality
If you are looking for a speaker on the topic of capital raising, alternative investments or hedge funds please click here.

Tags: Hedge Fund Marketing, hedge funds marketing, marketing, sales, hedge fund sales, selling hedge funds, how to raise capital for a hedge fund, hedge fund marketing speaker

Raife Neuman of Bonner & Partners Family Office

Raife Neuman of Bonner & Partners


Below is some commentary on the US educational system from Raife Neuman of Bonner & Partners Family Office:
Raife Neuman, of Bonner & Partners Family office, continues his campaign on the injustices of the American education system.

As we all know, often the better you do the more the government wants to penalize your success. Families and college students often pay exorbitant costs for education. And, as I wrote last week, students who go on to get a professional degree are often saddled with loads of debt – creating a new class of indentured servants. You’d think the IRS could cut them a bit of a break. But you’d be wrong.The tax code says “all or part” of a scholarship or fellowship “may be tax free.” The emphasis should be on “may” because you have to meet these strict conditions to avoid taxes Read more..,

Related To: Raife Neuman of Bonner & Partners Family Office
Tags: Raife Neuman, Bonner Partners family office, family offices, family office, education, Bonner and partners wealth management, multi family office, single family offices

Fry Family Office Track Profile | 1 Pager

Fry Family Office

Below please find the Family Offices Profile for Fry Family Office. If you need contact details for this family office please refer to FamilyOfficesDatabase.com












Related Resources
Tags: Fry Family Office, Multi-Family Office, family office, family offices, fry family office services, fry wealth management services, FRY HNW Wealth Management

Client Associates (CA) Family Office Profile

Client Associates (CA) Family Office

Below please find the Family Offices Profile for Client Associates (CA). If you need contact details for this family office please refer to FamilyOfficesDatabase.com

Resource #1: (.7.7.09) Client Associates (CA) was founded in May, 2002, is India’s First boutique “Family Office Firm” founded by Senior Private Bankers to provide a professional platform of Private Wealth Management services in India. They include Family Office Services, Financial Services, Investment Management Services in India, and Private Investor in India. Their unique selling point is that it manages the total financial affairs of their clients.

At Client Associates, Private Banker is the Chief Financial Officer or “CFO” for his Client Families. It has generated in the Wealth Management Industry at large as one of the “Best Team of Private Bankers” in India. They wanted their clients to “To become the member of Client Associates” as they were driven by the passion of touching their lives and not just managing their wealth. They know that this could be possible if only by winning their client’s trust because delegation is a follower of faith and trust. source



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Tags: Client Associates, client associates (CA), Client Associates Family Office, Family Offices in India, Indian Family Offices, Asian family offices, family offices in Asia

Private Equity Blogger.com Resource

Private Equity Blogger.com Resource

If you are looking to learn more about Private Equity as an investment, career or for prospects for your small business please refer to PrivateEquityBlogger.com. This is a blog ran by the H Media Group and it contains over 500 unique articles, videos, interviews, book reviews and Q & A pieces on private equity. Here are links to their top 50 resources:
  1. Private Equity Jobs and Careers
  2. Private Equity Videos
  3. Alternative Investment Jobs
  4. Private Equity Tracker Tool
  5. Service Providers
  6. Private Equity Book
  7. Private Equity Associate
  8. Private Equity Industry
  9. Private Equity Directory Listings
  10. Hedge Fund List
  11. Private Equity and Hedge Funds
  12. Private Equity MBA
  13. Private Equity Real Estate List
  14. Private Equity Conference
  15. Private Equity Real Estate
  16. Private Equity Forum
  17. Access PEBlogger.com Archives
  18. Resume writing
  19. Private equity partner
  20. Venture Capital Associate
  21. Private Equity Positions
  22. Private Equity Job Database
  23. 3i Group PLC
  24. Admiral Capital Group
  25. Apollo Management
  26. AXA Private Equity
  27. Baring Private Equity
  28. The Carlyle Group
  29. Goldman Sachs Capital Partners
  30. Leonard Green & Partners
  31. KKR Private Equity
  32. The Future of Venture Capital
  33. Private Equity in Africa
  34. Angel Investing Video Part 1
  35. Angel Investing Video Part 2
  36. Angel Investing Video Part 3
  37. Private Equity in China
  38. Venture Capital Bloggers Video
  39. Raising Venture Capital Video
  40. Private Equity Boom
  41. Private Equity Real Estate Video
  42. Middle East World Economic Forum Discussing Private Equity 2007
  43. General Partner Fees
  44. Independent Directors for Private Equity Funds
  45. Private Equity in Brazil
  46. Private Equity Activity 2009
  47. FDIC Private Equity
  48. Mechanical Trading Systems by Richard Weissman
  49. Sri Lanka Investments
  50. Michael Jackson Private Equity

Tags: private equity, private equity industry, private equity blog, blog on private equity, private equity articles, private equity resources, private equity book, private equity author

Top 20 Links to Family Office, Hedge Fund, Private Equity Websites

Below please find a list of top 20 Family Office and Alternative Investment websites which are ran by the H Media Group and others in the industry:

  1. Family Offices Group
  2. Hedge Fund Blogger.com
  3. Albourne Village
  4. Third Party Marketing .com
  5. Magnum Fund Articles
  6. Family Office Database
  7. Harvard Hedge Funds Guide
  8. Hedge Fund Startup Guru.com
  9. The Wealth Report by the WSJ
  10. Private Equity Blogger.com
  11. NY Times Dealbook - on Hedge Funds
  12. Fund Administration .org
  13. Fintag's Hedge Fund News Site
  14. Prime Brokerage Guide.com
  15. SEC Website on Hedge Funds
  16. Hedge Fund Certification.com
  17. Google News on Hedge Funds
Tags: family office, family offices, alternative investments, hedge fund, hedge funds, private equity, wealth management, financial planning, investing, investor resources, top 10, top 5, top 20

Independent Directors for Hedge Funds

Independent Directors for Funds


Below is a short article on how some pension funds in the UK are asking hedge funds and private equity funds to have strong independent boards to look out on behalf of investors. I think that this is a growing trend and hundreds of additional institutional investors and family offices will be demanding this from hedge fund and private equity firms which they invest in.

Universities Superannuation Scheme, the second largest UK pension fund, is calling for hedge funds to appoint more independent directors to protect the interests of investors.

The USS plans to invest about £1.25bn in 25 single-manager hedge funds in the next two years as part of a strategy to double its allocation to alternative assets to 20 per cent. Currently, its only exposure to hedge funds is a £200m investment in replication strategies operated by State Street and Switzerland’s Partners Group. Read more...

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Tags: Independent Directors, Hedge Fund Independent Directors, independent director of a hedge fund, independent board for a hedge fund

Why Hedge Funds are Being Started Right now

Why Hedge Funds are Being Started Right now


Below is a short article from Dealbook on starting a hedge fund right now. This is a great article because it bridges some of the gap between what most professionals would expect to be happening in this space and what is actually happenning, which is the explosion of new hedge funds coming out into the industry. The article discusses how a few managers are finding opportunities in starting their funds because of the gating clauses, liquidity issues, and lack of institutional processes that some investors have suffered from. Here is an excerpt from the article:

In a small office in London’s upscale West End, three veterans of high finance are getting ready to start their own hedge fund.

It’s a scene that was common enough in the world’s financial hubs during the boom years. But in the post-Lehman, post-Madoff and post-credit-crunch world, starting a hedge fund has become harder, riskier and potentially less lucrative. So why do it? That’s what DealBook recently asked Mahmood Noorani, one of the founding partners of the new London-based fund, Gyldmark Liquid Macro Fund.

“We think it presents an opportunity to finally do things right,” he said about the timing of the new venture. “And it was the events of 2008 that convinced us that the right time is now for what we want to do.”

Mr. Noorani, along with his partners, Alastair Hollingdale and George Hatjoullis, may represent the new face of the hedge fund start-up: arrogance and mystery are out; liquidity and transparency are in.

These are not fresh-faced recent college grads hanging out a shingle, as so often seemed to be the case as hedge funds proliferated just a few years ago. Gyldmark’s three founders have worked in finance for decades and held senior roles at bulge-bracket firms llike Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse and Bank of America. Mr. Noorani and Mr. Hatjoullis were most recently portfolio managers at BlueCrest Capital, a large hedge-fund firm based in London. Read more...


Tags: Hedge Fund, Hedge Fund Startup, Why start a hedge fund, hedge fund startups in 2009, forming a hedge fund, alternative investments, why hedge funds are being started

What the Ultra High Net Worth Invest in now

What the Ultra Rich Invest in now


Below is a short article on what family offices and some ultra high net worth investors are investing in right now:

Simon Mellon, who’ll be heading up Bonner & Partners Family Office, our soon-to-be-launched money management and tax optimization service, is keeping in close contact with Notes HQ.

Simon is a global finance insider with a decade’s worth of experience working in capital markets. And right now he’s advising investors to remain cautious until a clearer picture emerges about the market’s direction.

When I was a child I could never sit still on a long road journey. I was always asking, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? ARE WE THERE YET???” My father would always reply “Nearly, son… Nearly,” even though we were still miles from our destination.

This is exactly how the financial markets seem to me right now. It’s been more than two years since the credit crisis kicked off, and I’m getting itchy in my seat: I want to be back out there playing with the other financial (whizz) kids. But it feels like the end of this current rocky road is still on the distant horizon.

Wall Street wants you to believe things improving… that we are on the road to recovery… and that “green shoots” are starting to appear in the economy. Call me a cynic, but I’m just not convinced. Read more...

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Tags: Ultra Rich Investing, investments, family office, family offices, wealth management, financial planning, financial, finance, business, investments, stock market, stocks

Family Office Database Submissions


Related Resources

Tags: Family Offices, Family Office Database Submission, Family Office Directory submission, directory of all family offices, family office conference.

Mechanical Trading Systems by Richard Weissman

Mechanical Trading Systems


Richard Weissman introduces the reader with a process-driven approach to trading. In addition to the development of mechanical trading systems, the significance of trader psychology is discussed throughout the book. Mr. Weissman calls it the framework of “reprogramming the trader.” He provides a clear understanding behind the conceptual development of mechanical trading systems as well as demonstrates possible mistakes by system developers and ways to avoid them. His main lesson for the reader is that flexibility enables traders to succeed in all kinds of trading environments.

Dispelling Myths and Defining terms

In this chapter the author emphasizes more on mathematical technical analysis than classical technical analysis. He also explains why mathematical way of analyzing is an ideal component for mechanical trading systems than fundamental or interpretive analysis and thus claims this as an apt method for generating profits

Mathematical Technical Analysis

Introduces the two basic flavors of mathematical technical indicators which are mean aversion and moving averages. The chapter also explains how these indicators can be transformed into comprehensive trading systems through the inclusion of various risk quantification parameters such as volatility bands and percentage value of trading instrument.

Trend Following Systems

By going through this chapter one can figure out how even a simplistic of the systems can produce a respectable rate of return while enduring relatively moderate worst peak-to -valley drawdowns in equity. The reader can also understand why certain asset classes tend to trend more than others

Mean Aversion Systems

Examines why certain asset classes display a greater propensity toward mean aversion than others and includes examples of no directionally biased mean aversion systems and mean aversion systems that employ a trend following filter.
Short term Systems

One can understand what short term volatity really means by going through the concepts of swing and day trading. It helps the reader to explore what unique personality traits are needed to overcome the same.

Knowing Oneself
Provides the reader a comprehensive review of major categories of trader types (trend following, mean aversion) as well as the typical time frames (long term, day trading, swing) in which they operate. Helps the reader to identify the flaws in trader psychology. Once the reader has identified their innate trading personality, a step by step transformational process via utilization of different types of mechanical trading system and psychological tools is outlined

System Development and Analysis

This chapter examines some of the benefits and limitations of mechanical trading system, optimization studies, development of trading system philosophy statements and the pros and cons of various methodologies for measuring trading system performance. It also looks at the downside to system development and how to resolve these problems: data curve fitting, parameter curve fitting, data integrity issues and slippage.

Price Risk Management

Discusses the various price risk management methods such as stop loss and volumetric price risk management .Coverage of volumetric price risk includes both Martingale and anti-Martingale position sizing techniques such as frictional position sizing and value at risk. Other techniques covered include the study of worst-back tested peak-to-valley equity draw downs, static volumetric tests, stress testing and system losses as a percentage of total equity under management. Finally the chapter examines the psychological aspects of price risk management and shows how utilization of mechanical trading systems can aid in fostering confidence during drawdowns.

Improving Rate of Return

In this chapter the author discusses how can one improve the overall rate of return by using these three methods

· Addition of various low or negatively correlated assets such as foreign exchange, crude oil and futures

· The staggering of parameter set trigger levels for the same system

· Combination of mean aversion and trend following systems within a single trading account

Discretion and System Trading

This chapter examines how a trader’s knowledge and experience can be utilized within the framework of mechanical trading system

Psychology of Mechanical Trading

Here the author relates the link between mechanical trading systems and transformational psychology, explaining in detail issues such as self worth, single-mindedness, discipline ,nonattachment to result’s of one’s actions and realizing of old emotional patterns.

Related to Mechanical Trading Systems by Richard Weissman

Tags: book review, Mechanical Trading By Richard L.Weissman, Mechanical Trading systems, Richard L.Weissamn, Technical analysis

Bonner & Partners Family Office

Bonner & Partners Family Office


Below please find the Family Offices Profile for Bonner & Partners Family Office. If you need contact details for this family office please refer to FamilyOfficesDatabase.com

Resource #1 (7.8.09) Raife Neuman, of Bonner & Partners Family office, continues his campaign on the injustices of the American education system.

As we all know, often the better you do the more the government wants to penalize your success. Families and college students often pay exorbitant costs for education. And, as I wrote last week, students who go on to get a professional degree are often saddled with loads of debt – creating a new class of indentured servants. You’d think the IRS could cut them a bit of a break. But you’d be wrong.The tax code says “all or part” of a scholarship or fellowship “may be tax free.” The emphasis should be on “may” because you have to meet these strict conditions to avoid taxes Read more...

Resource #2: Simon Mellon, who’ll be heading up Bonner & Partners Family Office, our soon-to-be-launched money management and tax optimization service, is keeping in close contact with Notes HQ.

Simon is a global finance insider with a decade’s worth of experience working in capital markets. And right now he’s advising investors to remain cautious until a clearer picture emerges about the market’s direction. Read more...

Related Resources
Tags: Bonner and Partners, Bonner and Partners Family Office, Family Office, Family Offices, Wealth management, wealth

Family Office Investors | Family Offices Database Tool

Family Office Investors

Below is a short video on the Family Offices Database, a capital raising resource ran by the Family Offices Group.



Learn more at http://www.FamilyOfficesDatabase.com.



Tags: Family Office Investors, Institutional investors, institutional hedge fund investors, institutional private equity investors, CTA Fund Investors, Top hedge fund investors, family office

Fund Marketing Strategies Speech | Mp3 Audio File

Last week I gave a speech entitled, "Top 5 Fund Marketing Best Practices" in Boca Raton at a conference put on by Marcus Evans.

Today we are making the first 25 minutes of the speech available via MP3 Audio File Download. This file may be uploaded to your Ipod, saved to your computer or emailed to others on your team. Please always consult with expert compliance and legal advisors before putting in new marketing strategies or materials into place. To receive the download link for this resource please complete your name and email address below:




Tags: hedge fund marketing, hedge fund sales, capital raising for hedge funds, richard wilson speech, hedge fund marketing audio file download, alternative investment marketing

Latticework-A New Way of Investing by Robert Hagstrom (Book Review)


Lattice work is the blinder presented by one of the Wall Street greats Robert Hagstrom, by going through this book one can clearly understand how a complex financial markets work and can explore new ways of investing. Hagstrom takes the reader to a pleasant ride where he introduces basic concepts from physics, biology, social science, literature, psychology, philosophy etc. and explains how one can make effective decisions by broadening their horizons.

LATTICE WORK OF MENTAL MODELS

process2

This hierarchy may look good but it’s upto the individual to find a right correlation exists that between them.He means to say that an individual may posess tons of cognizance but at the end of the day if he cannot find the right connectivity or match that exixts between whatever he read and whatever he may be doing then he should be ready to face the music.

PHYSICS

In this chapter the author has a traditional view about the financial markets and introduces the concept of equilibrium to justify his stands.

BIOLOGY

It’s all about evolution which is happening consistently thus presenting the undying fact that complex adaptive system outweighs the concept of equilibrium.

SOCIAL SCIENCE

One can understand about the behavior which an investor exhibits in a group and what adverse effects that it would bring in to an economy because of collectivism.

PSYCHOLOGY

It is the sentiments that take the center stage where the author describes the global financial system to a network of nodes connected together and states that a failure in a node would cause dynamic changes to the entire system.


LITERATURE & PHILOSOPHY

Both these chapters share some common views, Hagstrom emphasizes the important aspect of thinking in order to gain worldly wisdom and lets the reader to know that apart from the learning’s imparted through curriculum it is increasingly important to develop profound diversified basket of knowledge.

DECISION MAKING

For an individual to come up with an effective decision in this rapidly changing ambience he should possess eclectic mix of knowledge so that the model he builds is robust and reliable. We can see from the graph that decision making overlays all the other concepts discussed in this book.

spoke-wheel1

I have also shown in nutshell what this book would be all about.


table-summ2


Tags: a new way of investing, book review of Lattice Works, investment book review, lattice work, lattice work book, robert hagstrom

Core-Satellite Portfolio Management by J. Clay Singleton


This book “Core-Satellite Portfolio Management “by J.Clay Singleton discusses about the asset allocation. One can understand that there two phases in portfolio management that is the core (passively managed) and the satellite (actively managed) portions. In addition to that the components of core-satellite ring are introduced to the reader and how can one coordinate these components to balance one’s portfolio. He makes the reader understand how important is to rebalance a portfolio and allocate risks accordingly so that they are not missing the bus.


A Core Satellite Approach to Portfolio Management

In this chapter the author drives home the vital concept of portfolio management i.e. asset allocation, by explaining how the components in the core as well as in satellite should complement each other in order to generate magic Greek letter –Alpha.

Quantitative Finance

The author throws some light on some of the basic quantitative concepts which would help the reader to understand the concept of correlation and also how diversification would be phenomenal in reducing the portfolio’s risk. Moreover the concepts like efficient frontier are reviewed and explains those underlying assumptions are not perfect reflections of reality. Finally the author stresses on the importance of risk measures and risk monitoring.

Core Equity

In this chapter James A.Pupillo explains the following:

  • How to construct the core portion of a core-satellite portfolio for equity holdings
  • What factors which one should consider in choosing indices
  • Summarizes the key features of popular equity indices from which benchmarks can be customized on weighted basis
  • How risk budget is used as a tool for allocating risk between core and satellite positions

Core Fixed –Income Management

In this chapter Kenneth E.Volpert explains the following:

  • How one can pick higher quality liquid sectors in the core at low costs
  • Explains the different kinds of fixed income risks and suggests tracking error associated with each in various strategies

Satellite Bonds- High Yield and Distressed Debt

By going through this chapter the reader will be exposed to market history and historical correlations of all kind of debt instruments like high yield debt, junk bonds, private placements, collateralized debt obligations (CDO’s) and distressed securities. In addition to that Clifford A. Sheets explains the reader what special skills are required for one to manage these assets and the fee structure expected to manage the same.

Management of currency fluctuations associated with International Investments

The author (Ranga Nathan) deals which the currency fluctuation exposures, how can one handle and manage the same by using currency overlay management techniques. It also focuses on the kind of arithmetic which one should understand about how foreign currency exposure arises and how it’s influenced by economic factors.

Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities

The author (Peng Chen) justifies to the reader why TIPS should be included in satellite portfolio compared to other financial asset classes. It helps us to understand how it works, their return patterns, relationships with those of other asset classes and reviews their history. It also explains how the difference between nominal bond yields and TIPS yields provides a good indicator of market’s aggregate forecast for future return.

Hard Assets

The authors (Pen Cheng, Jeffrey M.Antonacci and Joseph P.Pinsky) focus on hard assets and soft assets which are typically not traded in the exchanges and frequently have a lower liquidity. Moreover direct energy asset classes (oil and gas) are discussed thereby one can understand how this would be beneficial to enhance the risk/return profile.

Finding value in Small Stocks

In this chapter Gary G. Schlarbaum and Bradley S. Daniels give the reader insights about the tools and valuation methodologies required to manage the small capitalization stocks in satellite portfolio.

Risk Measurements of Investment in the satellite Ring of a Core-Satellite Portfolio

In this chapter Hilary Till discusses the following

  • Helps the reader to understand the risk return trade-offs that may be present in the satellite ring
  • Why sharp ratio has become the main performance evaluation metric for investments and it’s shortcomings
  • Several alternative metrics needed for performance evaluation and also helps one to understand the source of returns for satellite investment strategy rather than relying on the performance numbers

Identifying and Adopting Best Practices for Institutional Investors

Here Samuel W.Halpern and Andrew Irving explain some of the best practices like legal, professional, regulatory, operational overview which is followed in the industry and one has abide to all these regulations to be best in the business.

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