By: CFA Institute Contributor

These are articles written by professionals for investment professionals. They are contributions from external subject matter experts who do not work for CFA Institute, but may be a CFA charterholder as well as a member of a CFA Society. All are experts in their field and strive to deliver useful insights that help investment professionals make better decisions.

Your career in finance – what really counts

City Talk

The finance industry is booming. With the purpose-driven gen-z entering the workplace, the finance industry provides an opportunity to make a difference whilst forging a professional career. The recent Future of Skills report published by CFA Institute digs into the priorities of employers and employees in the investment sector and the challenges the industry currently [...]
‘The Future of Money’: book review

City Talk

Are cryptocurrencies the next big investment, a fad or a currency that will transform the economic and financial landscape? What are some of the advantages and shortcomings of digital currencies? Who will benefit from them? Eswar S. Prasad attempts to address these questions in The Future of Money: How the Digital Revolution Is Transforming Currencies [...]
Digital gold or fool’s gold: is crypto really a hedge against equity risk?

City Talk

Crypto enthusiasts often claim that digital coins and tokens are uncorrelated with equities and can provide a safe haven amid stock market crashes. The assumption is that cryptoassets will act like “digital gold,” serving as a hedge against equity risk and helping investors ride out such downturns. Such bold claims beg for examination, especially amid [...]

Gritty business: the power of passion and perseverance

August 10, 2022

What’s more important to success — talent or effort? Most of us would say talent. But according to psychologist and best-selling author Angela Duckworth, most of us would be completely wrong. That’s one of the main takeaways from her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. In an interview at Alpha Summit GLOBAL from [...]
The financial adviser value proposition: the five components

August 2, 2022

What can we do for our clients that they can’t do on their own? What can make us better at managing their money than they are? These aren’t always easy questions to answer as a financial adviser. But modesty aside, we need to be able to explain to potential clients how we can help them [...]
From No to Yes: persuading clients with the 3Ps method

July 26, 2022

Nobody likes rejection. This is why, over the years, I’ve developed a three-step process to transform situations from hopeless to hopeful. I call it the 3Ps approach: Perseverance, Perspective, Positivity. Let me give you some examples of how to put the 3Ps into action. Leaving by 7 pm Getting a table on a weekend at [...]
Scenario planning on the ‘net zero’ energy transition

July 19, 2022

For investment managers, prioritising one scenario over all others can have far-reaching consequences. This is especially true when it comes to the energy transition to ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions – achieving a balance between carbon emitted into the atmosphere and carbon removed from it – quite literally a hot topic at present as a [...]
DeFi-ing the rules: five opportunities and five risks of decentralised finance

June 29, 2022

In the Star Wars universe, the Force is a mystic energy field generated by living beings that binds the galaxy together. The ability to wield the Force gives Jedi Knights their superhuman abilities, making them peacekeepers of the galaxy. But how powerful would the Jedi be if every ‘transaction’ that used the Force had to [...]
Nuclear conflict: why we must consider the risks

June 21, 2022

In the wake of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the risks of nuclear conflict have become clearer both inside and outside the world of finance. Yet many market watchers have simply thrown up their hands under the mistaken assumption that when it comes to nuclear weapons, nothing they do will matter. Such a philosophy is inadequate on [...]
Extremely successful? Extremely lucky!

June 14, 2022

People who are extremely successful in business or investing tend to think of themselves as more skilled and hard working than the average person. No doubt they are on some level, but the more extreme their success, the greater the role luck plays in achieving it. Luck is so critical to extreme success, in fact, [...]

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