A Primer For Investment Trustees Understanding Investment Committee Responsibilities

This "primer," written as if addressed to a new investment trustee for a university, is a comprehensive discussion of investment issues relevant not only to investment trustees but also to investment professionals who work with trustees. Taking an individual step by step through the process of responsible trusteeship, it offers a solid introduction to basic investment principles.

This “primer,” written as if addressed to a new trustee for a university, is a comprehensive discussion of investment issues relevant not only to investment trustees but also to investment professionals who work with trustees. Taking an individual step-by-step through the process of responsible trusteeship, it offers a solid introduction to basic investment principles.

Comprehensive coverage of what it takes to be a responsible member of an investment committee In a clear, organized, and easy-to-understand manner, this handbook explains the responsibilities and expectations of investment committee fiduciaries for pension funds, endowment funds, and foundations. Emphasizing all the do's and don'ts to follow for prudent investment management, this invaluable resource covers topics ranging from investment policy, asset allocation, and risk assessment to understanding information presented at committee meetings, asking meaningful and productive questions, and voting on recommendations knowledgeably. This book will empower readers with all the knowledge they need to feel confident in the investment decisions they make for their organizations

Crucial methods, tactics and tools for successful pension fund management Achieving Investment Excellence offers trustees and asset managers a comprehensive handbook for improving the quality of their investments. With a stated goal of substantially and sustainably improving annual returns, this book clarifies and demystifies important concepts surrounding trustee duties and responsibilities, investment strategies, analysis, evaluation and much more. Low interest rates are making the high cost of future pension payouts fraught with tension, even as the time and knowledge required to manage these funds appropriately increases — it is no wonder that pensions are increasingly seen as a financial liability. Now more than ever, it is critical that trustees understand exactly what contributes to investment success — and what detracts from it. This book details the roles, the tools and the strategies that make pension funds pay off. Understand the role of pension funds and the fiduciary duty of trustees Learn the tools and kills you need to build profound and lasting investment excellence Analyse, diagnose and improve investment quality of funds using concrete tools and instruments Study illustrative examples that demonstrate critical implementation and execution advice Packed with expert insight, crucial tools and real-life examples, this book is an important resource for those tasked with governing these. Achieving Investment Excellence provides the expert insight, clear guidance and key wisdom you need to manage these funds successfully.

An informative guide to selecting and evaluating external investment professionals This book-one of the very few of its kind-is an invaluable aid to trustees of pension plans, endowments, and trusts who seek to chart and navigate courses for governing and overseeing the investment of the trillions of dollars under their care. It covers many aspects of this essential endeavor, including return measures, fixed income and duration, manager searches, committee meetings, and much more. G. Timothy Haight (Atherton, CA) is President of Menlo College in Silicon Valley. Stephen O. Morrell, PhD (Coral Springs, FL) is Professor at Andreas School of Business of Barry University. Glenn Ross (Baltimore, MD) is a Managing Director and cofounder of Archstone Portfolio Solutions.

JJ's investment career spans more than five decades. He has been the chief investment strategist for a pension plan sponsor, a managing director and senior consultant within a global investment planning consultant firm, and a managing director and chief operating officer of an investment management organization. Over his career, JJ has attended well over a thousand investment committee meetings as a plan sponsor, a consultant, and a money manager. In the majority of these meetings, he has found that committee members lack three things: in-depth investment expertise to effectively carry out their fiduciary responsibilities, the necessary time allocation to administer and manage the investment program in the best interests of the beneficiaries, and the ability to develop an efficient monitoring system to hold all service providers accountable for the products and services they provide. This book outlines the steps to be taken in establishing investment policy; formulating asset mix strategy; creating an appropriate investment management structure; undertaking investment manager searches; and highlighting the conflicts of interest, biases, and self-interests of the various service providers. This book is designed to assist members of investment committees in their role as fiduciaries/trustees/administrators.

The Research Foundation Review 2017 summarizes the offerings from the CFA Institute Research Foundation over the past year—books, literature reviews, workshop presentations, and other relevant material.