Benefits of the Residential version:

Face-to-face tuition – highly qualified professionals from the ICMA Centre at the University of Reading and from leading financial institutions coach students through the material and answer questions on the spot. Note that the residential training seminar is intended to complete a full period of self-study of the course material.

Networking with peer group – establishing life-long friendships and contact for the future as well as the unique opportunity to work in study groups with fellow professionals from other institutions, thus enhancing the learning experience.
 

Programme Content

The training material is provided with a fully bound book covering the entire IFID content.  In addition, the On-Line Campus, hosted on the University of Reading’s “Blackboard” On-Line learning system provides a variety of other resources including the Discussion Board to post questions and debate issues with both the On-Line Campus Tutor and other candidates.

Detailed Programme

The IFID Certificate is a professional training qualification that places strong emphasis on practical skills based on a thorough understanding of valuation principles and the relationships between the cash and the derivatives markets. The current outline of the seminar structure is as follows:

Day 1. Fixed Income Analysis
1.1. Bond markets, pricing and yield
1.2. Yield curve dynamics
1.3. Spot and forward yields
1.4. Interest rate futures
1.5. Interest rate risk

Day 2. Rates, Trading And Hedging
2.1. Securities financing
2.2. Outright and spread trading
2.3. Bond futures
2.4. Swaps
2.5. Options – structures, pricing and risks
2.6. Introduction to exotic options

Day 3. Structured Securities
3.1. Callable/putable bonds
3.2. Convertible bonds
3.3. Inflation-linked bonds
3.4. OTC structures

Day 4. Credit Analysis And Products
4.1. Corporate bond analysis
4.2. Credit derivatives
4.3. Structured credit products

Day 5. Portfolio and Risk Management
5.1. Portfolio Construction
5.2. Risk Management

Note that there are four 90 minute sessions a day, Monday to Thursday, with a one hour review period at the end of the day. On Friday there are two 90 minute sessions with a full afternoon study session with the OnLine Tutor present to answer all questions from the various topics.

Day 6
Exam (candidates may choose to defer to a later time*)

*Note that candidates close to the end of their six month registration period can sit the exam on the final morning. However, for those who have registered just before the seminar they are free to sit the week but defer taking the exam (within the six month time limit) at a Prometric Centre (www.prometric.com) in their City. Thus, this is a valuable course whether taken at the end or the beginning of one’s study.
 

Speakers/Teachers on the Residential Programme

We pleased to announce a diverse and well-qualified group teaching at the training seminar, all of whom have been involved with the Programme for many years, thus, knowing the course content in great detail.

Programme Director – Mr. John D. Evans, CFA
John is a full-time member of the academic staff of the ICMA Centre,
University of Reading and is also Program Director for the Centre’s MSc Investment Management. Prior to academia, John spent twenty years in the fixed income market in Toronto, New York and London in areas of research, origination and sales and trading.

OnLine Campus Tutor – Gail Rolland
Gail has ten years of fixed income experience in London and New York in the areas of sales and trading and new product structuring. Since the mid-1990s she has worked with ICMA Executive Education in addition to running her own financial markets training firm and has particular expertise in advising to the insurance industry on capital market investment strategies.

Mr. David Oakes
David trained as an economist at the London School of Economics and was lecturer in finance at the University of Exeter and Warwick Business School before joining the ICMA Centre at the University of Reading as Director of Academic and Executive Education in 1998. He co-ordinated ICMA Executive Education programmes from 1994-2004. David left the Centre in 2004 to set up Dauphin Financial Training Limited, which specialises in advanced financial markets training to investment banks in New York.

 

Details of the Next Seminars:

Costs:

Sitges, Barcelona

Included in the course fee is accommodation in a private room at the Meliá Sitges Hotel from Sunday, 22 April with check-out on Saturday, 28 April. Also included is all meals, coffee breaks and materials and supplies. There is a welcome reception on Sunday the 1st starting at 18:00, just before dinner.

£3,500.00 for Members and £4,550.00 for non-members
2 to 4 candidates – 5% discount each*
5 to 9 candidates – 10% discount each*
10+ candidates - 15% discount each*

*Please note that discounts are applied by way of a refund to the organisation when registration has closed and the final number of candidates from the firm has been determined.

Payment can be made by secure online credit card or by invoice.  Please note that selecting the invoice method will add £50 (administration fee) to the course price.

Please use our online registration to register for this seminar.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hong Kong, China
The course fees for the IFID programme in Hong Kong will be listed here shortly.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Should you have any queries about the training seminars please contact David Senior on +44 (0)20 7213 0329 or e-mail education@icmagroup.org.