ISFB Certificate
Investment Advisor

Catalog | Wealth Management

"A program delivered by employment specialists,
with a high level of seniority and expertise in 
investment investment."

Context

Regardless of the structure and environment of the banking and financial industry, financial advice and optimal management of the client's assets will always be the foundation of the business. Whether the relationship is advisory, execution or discretionary management, whether the client is private or institutional, a solid mastery of the investment process, portfolio management and investment risks constitutes a decisive competitive advantage for banks as well as for asset managers and client advisors. This training will allow the participant to acquire the essential foundations of modern finance as well as the understanding of the key mechanisms that constitute the essential cornerstone of any investment decision.

Key objectives

  1. Selecting and monitoring securities and investment funds
  2. Implement and define a client-specific investment strategy
  3. Designing products and generating investment ideas

Target audience

  • Industry professionals (banks, CMIs) active in the field of investment (asset management, advisory for private clients, portfolio management) who do not have a CFA/CIWM type of training
  • Industry professionals working with private or institutional clients who wish to strengthen their investment skills

Stakeholders

ISFB lecturers have been working in the banking and financial world, or in their respective fields, for many years and are recognized as some of the best experts in our ecosystem in French-speaking Switzerland.

Organization

Program manager: Sébastien Leutwyler

Product Manager: Oscar Marano

Certifications

 
  • 8 non-consecutive days 
  • In person at the ISFB premises
  • Weekdays, from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
  • Language : French

The certificate is composed of 8 one-day modules:

Module 1: Selecting and monitoring equities
(CWMA-ISFB-24-1158)

  • Typology of actions and market behaviors
  • Developed, emerging and frontier markets
  • Method of evaluating actions
  • IPO, SPO and SPACS
  • Equity management strategies

Module 2: Selecting and monitoring fixed-income securities
(CWMA-ISFB-24-1159)

  • Special bond instruments (high yield, leveraged loans, asset backed...)
  • Yield curve and link to business cycles
  • Interest rate risk and measures
  • Credit risk and measures
  • Bond management strategies

Module 3: Creating an adapted structured product
(CWMA-ISFB-24-1160)

  • Nomenclature of structures
  • Construction of a structured product (leverage, barrier)
  • Selecting a product according to the market situation
  • Product-specific risks
  • Pricing

Module 4: Selecting and monitoring alternative investments
(CWMA-ISFB-24-1161)

  • Special features of hedge funds
  • Nomenclature of alternative asset classes
  • Yale model
  • Specific risks and sources of performance
  • How to select a fund

Module 5: Analyze, build and optimize a portfolio
(CWMA-ISFB-24-1162)

  • Choose your market vs. choose your securities
  • Identify and manage risks
  • Performance and risk measures
  • Performance analysis and benchmarking

Module 6: Selecting and implementing an investment strategy
(CWMA-ISFB-24-1163)

  • Active, passive and absolute return strategy
  • Strategic and tactical asset allocation
  • Other strategies (core satellite, lazy portfolio, minimum variance Yale etc)
  • Economic cycles and investment choices

Module 7: Evolving in the financial markets
(CWMA-ISFB-24-1164)

  • Technical analysis
  • Special situations: bubbles, corrections, consolidations etc.
  • Special strategies: convergence, short selling, leverage
  • Use of derivatives to protect a position or optimise performance

Module 8: Evaluating customer market behavior
(CWMA-ISFB-24-1165)

  • Definition of a risk profile
  • Risk profile and client typology models
  • Common behavioural biases
  • Impact of bias on investment decisions

Price

CHF 4'950.00 (member price)

CHF 6,600.00 (non-member price)

The member prices apply to all ISFB member institutes and their employees.

This Certificate can be financed by the State of Geneva up to CHF 750 via the Chèque Annuel de Formation (annual training voucher). To check your eligibility for this funding, go to Apply for an annual training voucher | ge.ch

Registrations

Please complete the online application form.

Your registration will then be considered as firm and definitive. 3 weeks before the beginning of the training, you will have access to our ISFB collaborative space, then a few days before the beginning of the training to the specific space reserved for the participants of this training.

The general conditions of the ISFB apply as soon as you validate our offer.

Opening of the next session

Kick-off: April 09, 2025 at 4 p.m.

The next session starts on May 09, 2025 at 8:30 am
The full training schedule will be available here.

Examination information

The validation of the certificate is done through a written exam of the QCS type (simple choice questionnaire, one and only one correct answer) of 120 minutes. The emphasis is on understanding, application and the ability to analyze and solve concrete cases using the tools and methods seen in training. Candidates are allowed to consult course materials, appendices and personal notes (open-ended exam concept)

Review - open-book - 09.07.2024

Examination schedule

Application for registration