CAIA, IMCA Team on Alts Certification

The program, from the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association and the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA), aims to deepen understanding of alternative investments for investment advisers and other financial professionals in response to the strong global growth of the products.

The course consists of 20 one-hour modules taught by CAIA’s experts in investment education and is offered through IMCA’s education platform. The program covers an overview of portfolio construction, risk management and due diligence, along with in-depth sections on hedge funds, real assets, private equity, commodities and structured products.

Alternative investments represent about $10 trillion in assets under management, according to an estimate from the organizations. They forecast assets held in liquid alternatives to triple by 2017, citing research from Citi Prime Finance.

“The landscape for alternatives has changed dramatically, and it is imperative that the professionals charged with managing, analyzing, distributing and regulating these products keep pace,” says William Kelly, chief executive of the CAIA Association. “The fundamentals program is meant to be an answer to the continued quest for this knowledge coming from so many newer and more retail-oriented intermediaries and end-clients.”

The CAIA Association is a global provider of alternative investment education programs.  IMCA specializes in investment consulting and wealth management credentials and education.

Online enrollment is available at www.CAIA.org/fundmentals or www.IMCA.org/pages/Fundamentals-Alternative-Investments-Certificate.