Increase Your Portfolio Management Knowledge
Learn the latest strategies for building client and institutional portfolios, as well as the knowledge to establish and maintain an institutional investment firm.
Learn About:
- Details on the new investment product development process
- The use of ETFs in portfolio management
- Advanced fixed income strategies
- Fixed income trading operations
- The use and structure of credit derivatives and asset backed securities
- Advanced portfolio building techniques
- Creating ownership and compensation structures
- Best practices to run effective front, middle and back offices
- Regulatory landscape and fiduciary responsibilities
- Use of alternative investments in institutional portfolio management
Learning Experience
CSI's online learning system helps you meet your study goals. You'll benefit from:
- Learning objectives that keep you focused
- Online post-chapter review questions to assess your progress
- Course updates to ensure you’re learning the most current and up-to-date practical material in your studies
- Assistance from CSI's academic support specialists
What's New
- Chapter 4: Revised the socially responsible investing section.
- Chapter 10: Revised the mutual funds regulation section.
- Chapter 12: New bitcoin content added to the current trends and developments in alternative investing section.
What You'll Learn
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Syllabus Click Here to Expand
Chapter 1 - Portfolio Management: Overview
Topics covered in this chapter are:
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What is a Portfolio Manager?
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Registration Categories Under National Instrument (NI) 31-103
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Investment Industry Regulations
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Best Practices
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Discretionary Management Within an IIROC Dealer Member
Chapter 2 - Ethics and Portfolio Management
Topics covered in this chapter are:
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Ethics
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Code of Ethics
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Trust and Fiduciary Duty
Chapter 3 - Institutional investor
Topics covered in this chapter are:
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Financial Intermediation
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Governance
Chapter 4 - The Investment Management Firm
Topics covered in this chapter are:
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Ownership and Compensation Structures
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Regulations and Licensing
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Organizational Structure
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Investor Types
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Service Channels
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Investment Mandates
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Roles and Responsibilities of Institutional Investment Managers
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Investment Management Fees
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Industry Challenges
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Corporate Governance
Chapter 5 - The Front Office
Topics covered in this chapter are:
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An Overview of the Front Office
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The Four Areas of the Front Office
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Information Flow Among Front Office Staff
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Front Office Best Practices
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Getting Clients
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Losing Clients
Chapter 6 - The Middle and Back Offices
Topics covered in this chapter are:
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Overview of the Middle Office
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The Middle Office
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The Back Office
Chapter 7 - Managing Equity Portfolios
Topics covered in this chapter are:
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Bottom-Up and Top-Down Approaches
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Portfolio Management Styles
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The Use of Derivatives in Equity Portfolio Management
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Tax Considerations
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The Use of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) in Equity Portfolio Management
Chapter 8 - Managing Fixed-Income Portfolios: Trading Operations, Management Styles, and Box Trades
Topics covered in this chapter are:
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Fixed-Income Trading Operations
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Bond Management Styles
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Box Trades
Chapter 9 - Managing Fixed Income Portfolios: Other Bond Portfolio Construction Techniques, High Yield Bonds, and ETFs
Topics covered in this chapter are:
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Other Bond Portfolio Construction Techniques
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High-Yield (Junk) Bonds
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Fixed Income Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)
Chapter 10 - The Permitted Uses of Derivatives by Mutual Funds
Topics covered in this chapter are:
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The Types of Mutual Funds that Use Derivatives
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Mutual Fund Regulations
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How Mutual Funds Use Derivatives
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The Advantages of Derivatives
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The Potential Risks of Derivatives
Chapter 11 - Creating New Portfolio Management Mandates
Topics covered in this chapter are:
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New Investment Product Development Process
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Investment Guidelines and Restrictions
Chapter 12 - Alternative Investments
Topics covered in this chapter are:
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Definition of Alternative Investments
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Reasons to Invest in Alternative Investments
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Issues and Challenges with Alternative Investments
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Performance Attribution
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Unique Risks of Alternative Investments
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Due Diligence
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Current Trends and Developments in Alternative Investing
Chapter 13 - Client Portfolio Reporting and Performance Attribution
Topics covered in this chapter are:
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Client Portfolio Reporting
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Portfolio Management Reports
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Performance Attribution
| Approximate Hours of Study** | |
|---|---|
| Hours of Study | 70 - 95 hours |
** In order to provide some guidance to course participants as to the length of time it will take to be sufficiently prepared to write the final examination, CSI has prepared this estimate of the number of hours an average participant could possibly expect to spend studying for a course. Please note that these are only recommended hours of study developed based on research and our course content, however, this does not mean that some students with exceptional backgrounds would not take less time than recommended or that students with no background at all in finance or economics would not take longer than the maximum.
| EXAM WEIGHTINGS | |
|---|---|
| Regulation and Ethics | 10% |
| The Institutional Portfolio Management Process | 8% |
| Portfolio Management Organization and Operations | 18% |
| Managing Equity Portfolios | 15% |
| Managing Fixed Income Portfolios | 19% |
| Permitted Uses of Derivatives in Mutual Funds | 5% |
| Creating New Portfolio Management Mandates | 10% |
| Alternative Investment Management | 10% |
| Client Portfolio Reporting and Performance Attribution | 5% |
| ENROLMENT PERIOD | |
|---|---|
| Enrolment Period | 1 year† |
| COURSE COMPLETION NOTICE AND WALL CERTIFICATE | |
|---|---|
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On successful completion of this course you will be able to download a Notice of Course Completion available through your student profile. This will remain on your profile as formal indication of course completion. CSI will mail you a wall certificate within 4 - 6 weeks of course completion. Frames to display your certificate are available. Please ensure that your First and Last Name on your profile match your First and Last Name on your Government Issued Photo identification - this will ensure you receive an accurate certificate. CSI will be pleased to issue an Honors Certificate to all students who obtain a final course mark of 85% or higher. |
*There is no charge for your first attempt at a paper-based exam within Canada, as long as it's at a regular exam center and you provide a minimum of 14 days notice before the date that you want to write the exam. If you would like to write a computer-based exam, an additional fee will be required.
Each subsequent paper-based exam attempt at a regular exam centre within Canada will also require an additional fee. This fee is in addition to any special, computer-based or international fees that may apply. You must provide a minimum of 14 days notice within Canada at a regular exam centre and 4 weeks notice for all other centres. Please note that the date of the exam is not part of any notice period.
†Please note: Access to your online materials will close 2 weeks after successful course completion or course expiry (whichever comes first). This course can be extended by 1 year provided you have not exceeded the attempts allowed for each exam. Extension fees apply. Your enrolment period can only be extended one time.
Important: During a student's enrolment period, CSI may update this course. In that case, details about the update and how it may affect students will be posted online via My CSI. Students are held responsible for and are examinable on the content in the course textbook(s) provided at the time of enrollment unless stated otherwise in My CSI. Students are encouraged to check My CSI regularly throughout their enrolment period.
Continuing Education (CE) Credits
Click the links below or the buttons at the top of the page on the right side to access CE accreditation information. To search for specific course information, press Ctrl + F and then enter the course name to search the document for the information you are interested in.
National/Provincial (Excluding Quebec)
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Quebec (IQPF/CSF)
Download IQPF/CSF Chart (PDF, 182 kb)
Please note: While CSI makes every effort to ensure that the information is up-to-date, we are unfortunately unable to fully guarantee its accuracy. The information listed in the charts above may be subject to change.
More detailed information on CE Credits are available.