NEWS
10 Aug 2014 - Continuing Professional Development
Continuing Professional Development
AFM have been accredited by the Financial Planning Association of Australia to issue CPD points.
What you need to do:
Read the most recent Fund Review for any of our research clients, and then answer 5 straightforward questions, these are presented in multiple choice format. An 80% or more success score will provide 0.5 CPD points, with a certificate provided as proof of completion. There is no cost for this service.
Reading the review and answering the questions will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
Certified Financial Planner (CFP) professional members are required to keep up to date with industry knowledge to maintain their professional proficiency and status. This continuing professional development translates to CPD points which are to be maintained and recorded over a three year period (triennium). The current triennium runs from 1 July 2012 - 30 June 2015. CFP professionals must achieve a total of 120 CPD points during each three year period. The breakdown of these points needs to be as follows:
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at least 50% accredited,
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50% non-accredited
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including 3 ethics points.
CFP professionals must accumulate a minimum 35 points each year.
31 Jul 2014 - Alternative Investments Conference
ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS CONFERENCE
14-15 August 2014 at the Grace Hotel, Sydney
Investigating the rise and rise of non-traditional high yield and low risk investment products, strategies and allocation in an era of prolonged volatility and low returns. Conference topics include:
- Global Economic Trends and Future Outlook
- Asset Allocation portfolio strategies
- Institutional Investors perspectives on alternative investment
- A retail perspective in allocating to alternatives
- Partnership alignment and manager selection
- Regulatory, compliance and reporting requirements
- Hedge fund investment options and opportunities
- Investment timing indexes
- Alternative fixed interest as a ?better source of risk premium?
- Strategic allocation of commodities
- Infrastructure asset portfolio design and global opportunity
- The rise and rise of Impact Investing
- Understanding the True Scope of Private Equity Investing
- Tapping into the world of Niche Alternatives
Dates: 14th-15th August 2014
Time: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Location: Grace Hotel, Sydney
Click here to view the Agenda and for more information on the event.
To register for the conference please download the brochure and fax the form to us or you can email us on register@ibrc.com.au or give us a call:
Registrations Manager
IBR Conferences Pty Ltd
Tel: +61 (0) 2 9896 0776 | Fax: +61 (0) 2 9896 0796 | register@ibrc.com.au | http://www.ibrc.com.au
30 Jul 2014 - Chris Gosselin on Switzer TV
In this Switzer TV interview on Monday 28 July 2014, Chris discusses:
- 6-12 month performance of Australian hedge funds.
- New product release - Prism Select portal.
- Prism Select has launched with comprehensive information and performance on a range of 14 boutique funds, enabling investors to compare and research each one, while also providing a new online application tool that revolutionises the currently confusing and time consuming paper based process of applying for managed funds.
- Prism Select also provides access to each fund's offer documents and application forms through OLIVIA123, an online application service developed by AFM which provides a customised and interactive application form for each fund, reducing the time and frustration often experienced by investors when completing paper based application forms, and cutting the errors and omissions which often delay the processing of their applications.
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OLIVIA123 consists of three modules - Data Collection, Identity Verification (AML&KYC), and Online Execution - assisting fund managers and their administrators by reducing the time and costs of processing paper based applications, including compliance with new anti-money laundering legislation.
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OLIVIA123's online, interactive system is estimated to cut the time taken to complete and process a paper based application by up to 70 per cent.
Click here to view the TV Interview.
Chris Gosselin has been in the financial markets since 1986, initially in equities broking in Sydney and Melbourne prior to focussing on information distribution. He has been in the hedge fund sector since 2003, and established Australian Fund Monitors in 2006. Australian Fund Monitors provides a range of research services including due diligence, analytics and fund rankings, servicing both local and offshore investors.
2 Jun 2014 - Supervised High Yield Fund AFM Review May 2014
We would like to highlight the following aspects of the Fund;
- The Supervised High Yield Fund (SHYF) has a 5 year track record investing in fixed interest investments. The Investment strategy aims to deliver returns with zero correlation to equity markets by investing in debt securities with minimal default probability and offering a premium return above the risk free rate.
- The Fund is managed by Philip Carden whose experience in debt and capital markets spans 32 years, including time with JB Were's Capel Court Securities and Macquarie Bank, where he was the Executive Director responsible for the Debt Markets Division.
- SHYF is an Alternative Income fund which invests in Global and Australian debt markets, with all foreign currency receivables hedged back to Australian dollars.
- The Fund utilises a top down analysis of the economic environment and market to screen and identify debt market opportunities which it believes offer low risk with high yield. The next stage is the development of a risk matrix and investment strategy, following which detailed research is undertaken on specific investment opportunities which meet the pre-defined criteria established in the investment strategy.
- Prior to approving an investment for the Fund each potential investment is subject to two stress tests. The first of these is for credit and default risk, in which the investment is stress-tested to ensure that in a worst case economic environment it can repay 100% of its principal and interest obligations case scenario for the asset by examining the highest margin over the risk rate that the investment has previously experienced in a crisis situation. Any decline in value under the stress test that exceeds 10% of the Fund's value is avoided The second test examines market risk. In this case Carden looks at the worst case scenario for the asset by examining the highest margin over the risk rate that the investment has previously experienced in a crisis situation. Any decline in value under the stress test that exceeds 10% of the Fund's value is avoided.
- Annualised return since inception is 11.07% with a very low standardised standard deviation of 2.21%. Other risk statistics are impressive and show the Fund's risk philosophy; over 98% of monthly performances have been positive, the Fund's largest drawdown is -0.12% and the Sharpe ratio 3.18.
Sean Webster
Research and Database Manager
26 May 2014 - Hedge Fund Marketing and Fund Raising in 2014 and beyond
Hedge Fund Marketing and Fund Raising in 2014 and beyond
AIMA Australia is pleased to invite you to AIMAs next education event - Hedge Fund Marketing and Fund Raising in 2014 and beyond.
Date and Time: Wednesday 28 May 2014, 12:30 - 2pm.
Session Overview:
The panel will explore topics such as:
- Marketing and fund raising for Australian hedge funds & boutiques;
- Maintaining independence vs aligning with fund incubators / investment partners; and
- What investors are looking for?
Speakers:
Jarrod Brown - CEO, Bennelong Funds Management
John Corr - CIO, Aurora Funds
Nelson Lam - Director, Chase Corporate Advisory
Moderator:
Zarmeen Pavri, Pengana Capital
Speaker biographies:
Jarrod Brown - Jarrod joined Bennelong in September 2007 and has over 20 years experience in banking and funds management. He has worked across all elements of the funds management value chain in various executive positions with Standard & Poor's, IOOF Investment Management Limited and ING Australia. As Chief Executive Officer, Bennelong Funds Management, Jarrod is charged with developing Bennelong Group's asset management capability and is both the Responsible Manager and Director of various Bennelong Group companies. Jarrod holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting), Graduate Diploma (Banking & Finance), Master of Business Administration and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
John Corr - John is Chief Investment Officer of Aurora and sits on the Board of the listed Aurora Funds Limited. He has over 27 years experience in financial markets. Prior to establishing Fortitude Capital (now part of Aurora Funds Limited), John was a Director at Citigroup Global Markets Australia. He worked in proprietary trading for eight years, trading local and overseas equities and equity derivatives, and was responsible for the management and development of a team of equity proprietary traders. From 1986 to 1995 John worked on the derivatives sales desk as a senior institutional dealer for a number of major investment banks, advising and executing for local and offshore institutions, corporates and trading houses. John is responsible for the investment management team at Aurora. He determines the appropriate portfolio structure and investment process for the investment strategies that Aurora manages. John works closely with all portfolio managers, providing direction and assessment of optimal risk opportunities. John has and continues to conduct a risk management program in Market Neutral and Derivative Strategies. The objective is to educate and implement a systematic, repeatable process for disciplined trading strategies and portfolio management. The Aurora Fortitude Absolute Return Fund, which John established in 2005, was awarded hedge fund of the year in 2008 and 2009 by AIMA. John holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Wollongong.
Nelson Lam - Nelson Lam is a Director at Chase Corporate Advisory, an independent financial services specialist advisory firm, and heads up the funds management advisory practice in Chase. Prior to Chase, Nelson was Head of Investments for Ascalon Capital Managers Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Westpac Banking Group and more recently held the position of Chief Operating Officer for H3 Global Advisors, a successful Australian based hedge fund. At Ascalon, Nelson completed numerous investments and divestments of funds management business and funds and was the Chief Investment Officer for the Ascalon Seed Pool between 2006 and 2012. Nelson has held numerous Directorships on various funds management businesses and has been a member of the Australia Institute of Company Directors since 2006.
RSVP procedures
Space is limited so we recommend that you register early to avoid disappointment. Tickets are open to AIMA members and non member managers only and will be intially limited to 2 per organisation.
Please follow the link to register.
23 May 2014 - Asset Allocation Conference
Asset Allocation 2014 Forum: 28th-30th May, Grace Hotel, Sydney
A timely landmark event designed to uncover the best approaches to asset portfolio management in an industry treading cautiously through uncertain and increasingly constrained times. This event has been designed to both update and educate investors by taking an in-depth look at these more adaptive asset allocation strategies and practices and where the best opportunities for high return lay in the current climate.
- Current and forecasted macro and micro economic outlook
- Investment opportunities in emerging markets
- Investigation of new theories and drivers in asset allocation
- Adapting to the industry's "new normal" in living with and managing risk
- Trustees perspectives in managing diversified asset portfolios
- Post-retirement portfolio development
- Reassessing the allocation mix for endowment and not-for-profit organisations
- Influence of a changing demographic landscape and how money, wealth and investment is perceived
- Fail proof guide to building and retaining investors through effective relationship management
- A close-up examination of individual asset classes and where opportunities lay and how challenges can be overcome
- General law, statute, regulation and prudential standards impacting on a superannuation funds investing in unlisted assets
Dates: 28th - 30th May 2014
Time: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Location: Grace Hotel, Sydney
Click here to download the brochure for more details.
To register for the conference please download the brochure and fax the form to us or you can email us on register@ibrc.com.au or give us a call:
Registrations Manager
IBR Conferences Pty Ltd
Tel: +61 (0) 2 9896 0776 | Fax: +61 (0) 2 9896 0796 | register@ibrc.com.au | http://www.ibrc.com.au
19 May 2014 - HFA Sydney Symposium
HFA Symposium
Sydney - Wednesday 21 May 2014; 12:00 - 2:00 pm
The Hedge Fund Association, in conjunction with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, is pleased to present an update on key regulatory matters currently affecting the alternative investment industry. A panel of Pricewaterhouse Coopers senior executives will provide a detailed overview of the following topics, as well as allowing for questions and commentary from attendees:
- Introduction: Ken Woo
- Market trends and insights: Joe Sheeran
- Hot topics - Regulatory framework for an inbound hedge fund manager in Australia: Andrew Wheeler
- Other regulatory updates, including IMR, FATCA and GATCA: Darren Mack/Jodie Bosler
Attendees will enjoy a light lunch, an informative and interactive panel discussion on important regulatory matters, as well as being provided with the opportunity share experiences with industry peers.
Space is limited, please select a link below and RSVP now:
Please direct any questions regarding this event to Adriana Kostov, Australian Regional Director, HFA
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
- 12:00pm-12:30pm Registration, Light Lunch and Introduction
- 12:30pm-1:30pm Panel Discussion
- 1:30pm-2:00pm Q&A/Concluding Remarks
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Darling Park 201 Sussex Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia
EVENT SPEAKERS |
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Ken Woo is a specialist financial services tax partner and is also PwC's national Asset Management Industry leader. He has been with PwC for over 25 years, 15 as a partner. Ken is actively involved in PwC's global thought leadership and policy initiatives. He was a member of the Asia Funds Passport Working Group of the former Financial Centre Taskforce, the Board of Taxation's Advisory Panel, the ATO Trust Consultation Group and has been involved in the development of the Investment Manager Regime. Ken advises a range of Australian and global hedge fund managers on both domestic and international tax aspects including setting up operations in Australia, inbound and outbound investment structuring, product development and tax management. Ken is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and a Fellow of the Tax Institute and Chartered Tax Adviser.
Joe Sheeran is a Partner in PwC Sydney's Asset Management practice. Having worked for PwC in Dublin, Sydney, Mumbai and Tokyo, Joe has 18 years' experience in the financial services sector. During that time he has worked on the IPO, capital raisings and audits of a number of listed and unlisted investment funds as well as providing assurance and advisory services to global banking and brokerage clients. Since returning from a secondment to PwC Tokyo, Joe has been acting as auditor and advisor to a range of Australian, US and Asian based hedge fund managers including assisting on the implications of offshore managers establishing operations in Australia. Joe graduated from University College Dublin with a Bachelor of Commerce and Masters of Accounting and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and Australia.
Andrew is the Legal Services Leader for PwC Australia and specialises in corporate and commercial law. Services provided by Andrew and his team include advice in relation to group and transaction structuring, business establishment and mergers and acquisitions in the financial services industry, equity capital markets advice, corporate re-organisations, financial services licensing, fund establishment, funds management and commercial documentation.
Darren is a specialist investment management tax Director with over 14 years experience and over 11 years experience with PwC. He also spent 2 years on secondment to PwC Boston's asset management practice. Darren has extensive experience in advising on funds management tax related matters including offshore investments, FATCA assessments, constitution matters and assisting clients with their compliance obligations such as tax returns and tax distribution reviews. He is also active in the industry in respect of various consultations with Treasury and the ATO on the Investment Manager Regime, taxation of limited partnerships, and the Asia Region funds Passport. He is a Chartered Accountant and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
Jodie is a Director in the Sydney Tax practice specializing in the funds management and custodial industry. Jodie is an operational tax expert, currently engaged in a number of FATCA, regulatory remediation and new market entrant projects. Jodie has 18 years funds management and custodial industry experience from various roles at BT, Perpetual and RBC. Jodie has a B.Comm (Accounting & Legal Studies) from the University of NSW, is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the FSC FATCA and Unit Pricing working groups |
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Speakers may change at any time due to unforeseen circumstances. |
HFA Contacts:
Global Executive Director - Lara Block
lblock@thehfa.org
Global President - Mitch Ackles
mitch@hedgefundpr.net
Australia Chapter Director - Adriana Kostov
akostov@thehfa.org
16 May 2014 - Unit Pricing Forum
UNIT PRICING 2014 FORUM, 19th - 20th May, Sydney
This 2 days forum will be exploring Unit Pricing operational challenges for 2014 & beyond
- New APRA reporting requirements & implementation: impacts on unit pricing reporting
- Comparison of unit pricing in Australia to Europe
- Tax benefits of rolling from accumulation to pension phase - How to pass these to the members
- Unit Pricing operational risks & unit pricing errors
- Custodial unit pricing embracing change whilst driving improvement in the client experience
- Trustees new after-tax investing responsibilities under stronger super and the fund operations can help.
- Bottom up Versus top down tax provisioning
- Juxtaposition between an increase in unit pricing complexities alongside the desire for more simplified unit pricing process
- Internal Controls - How to minimise the risk of a unit pricing error & operational efficiency
Dates: 19th-20th May 2014
Time: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Location: Grace Hotel, Sydney
Click here to view the Agenda and more information on the event.
To register for the conference please download the brochure and fax the form to us or you can email us on register@ibrc.com.au or give us a call:
Registrations Manager
IBR Conferences Pty Ltd
Tel: +61 (0) 2 9896 0776 | Fax: +61 (0) 2 9896 0796 | register@ibrc.com.au | http://www.ibrc.com.au
1 Apr 2014 - Advent Connect Melbourne 2014
Advent Connect, 2014
3 April 2014 - Taxi Kitchen, Melbourne
Stay up to date on industry trends with fresh insights from industry thought leaders, your peers, and Advent¹s executive management team.
Event highlights include:
- Advent Overview with Chris Momsen, Executive Vice President, Global Sales & Solutions Management
- Panel on Cloud Computing and the Future of Financial Services, moderated by Alex Wise, Select Funds
Panelists include:
- Brian Smith, Risk Metrics and Chris O¹Connor, Eze Castle Software
Keynote presentations on:
- Regulatory issues by Nikki Bentley, Partner at Henry Davis York
- Current economic conditions in the region by Savanth Sebastian, Equities Economist at Commonwealth Bank
- Regional Advent Community and Global Services Update
Being held in MELBOURNE on Thursday 3 April 2014: 5-9pm at the Taxi Kitchen. Register Here.
29 Mar 2014 - Advent Connect Sydney 2014
Advent Connect, 2014
1 April 2014 - The Establishment Hotel, Sydney
OR
3 April 2014 - Taxi Kitchen, Melbourne
Stay up to date on industry trends with fresh insights from industry thought leaders, your peers, and Advent¹s executive management team.
Event highlights include:
- Advent Overview with Chris Momsen, Executive Vice President, Global Sales & Solutions Management
- Panel on Cloud Computing and the Future of Financial Services, moderated by Alex Wise, Select Funds
Panelists include:
- Brian Smith, Risk Metrics and Chris O¹Connor, Eze Castle Software
Keynote presentations on:
- Regulatory issues by Nikki Bentley, Partner at Henry Davis York
- Current economic conditions in the region by Savanth Sebastian, Equities Economist at Commonwealth Bank
- Regional Advent Community and Global Services Update
Seats are limited. RSVP for the Sydney Event here. We look forward to seeing you!
Also being held in MELBOURNE on Thursday 3 April 2014: 5-9pm at the Taxi Kitchen. Register for Melbourne Here.
