THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO CREATING A POWERFUL STRATEGY FOR INVESTMENTS IN CREDIT HEDGE FUNDS Following the credit crisis that rocked the global markets, many investors were left with a great sense of unease. However, when faced with historically low interest rates in a world awash with liquidity, they flocked back into the credit market. But this wave of liquidity will soon come to an end. Investors are grappling with their need for return generation while trying to navigate an increasingly volatile credit market. Given its inherent flexibility, the hedge fund structure is ideal for investing in the credit market. In Investing in Credit Hedge Funds, PAAMCO credit strategist Putri Pascualy shows how to profit from a variety of credit-focused investments, including: HIGH-YIELD BONDS - Capitalize on the inefficiencies in the market for levered companies STRESSED / DISTRESSED MARKETS - Develop mastery of the bankruptcy and reorganization processes to spot your best opportunities BANK LOANS - Take advantage of loans' structural seniority and collateral while navigating credit, liquidity, and operational risk CONVERTIBLE BONDS - Apply trading acumen to invest in hybrid instruments that combine the best features of bonds and equities SOVEREIGN DEBT - Understand the difference between the corporate and sovereign bond market and manage the macroeconomic risks in a credit portfolio Investing in Credit Hedge Funds provides in-depth research on the most commonly used structuring vehicles, the legal rights and responsibilities of all parties, and the pros and cons of separately managed accounts. It provides practical, expert advice on conducting operational due diligence and best practices in mitigating counterparty risks to avoid the fates of those who suffered losses as Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and MF Global went down. And it reveals practical risk-management techniques unique to credit investing. Investing in Credit Hedge Funds provides a fully rounded education in creating a powerful credit portfolio that will instantly put you ahead of the investing pack. PRAISE FOR INVESTING IN CREDIT HEDGE FUNDS "Read this book if you want to understand how a leading hedge fund-of-fund investor evaluates distressed credit opportunities in the aftermath of the financial crisis." --Bruce Brittain, Executive Vice President, Product Management Group, PIMCO "Arms the institutional investor with the tools to conduct a more robust evaluation of a credit hedge fund's strategy, structure, and operational credibility. It is a practical resource for the diversified institutional investor." -- Susan Ridlen, Assistant Treasurer, Eli Lilly and Company "Provides insight for investors to become more equipped to deal with the ever-evolving credit markets in the future." -- Lorraine Spurge, CEO of Maplestone Capital Advisors, LLC

In-depth Level II exam preparation direct from the CAIA Association CAIA Level II is the official study guide for the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst professional examination, and an authoritative guide to working in the alternative investment sphere. Written by the makers of the exam, this book provides in-depth guidance through the entire exam agenda; the Level II strategies are the same as Level I, but this time you'll review them through the lens of risk management and portfolio optimisation. Topics include asset allocation and portfolio oversight, style analysis, risk management, alternative asset securitisation, secondary market creation, performance and style attribution and indexing and benchmarking, with clear organisation and a logical progression that allows you to customise your preparation focus. This new third edition has been updated to align with the latest exam, and to reflect the current practices in the field. The CAIA designation was developed to provide a standardized knowledge base in the midst of explosive capital inflow into alternative investments. This book provides a single-source repository of that essential information, tailored to those preparing for the Level II exam. Measure, monitor and manage funds from a risk management perspective Delve into advanced portfolio structures and optimisation strategies Master the nuances of private equity, real assets, commodities and hedge funds Gain expert insight into preparing thoroughly for the CAIA Level II exam The CAIA Charter programme is rigorous and comprehensive, and the designation is globally recognised as the highest standard in alternative investment education. Candidates seeking thorough preparation and detailed explanations of all aspects of alternative investment need look no further than CAIA Level II.

You’re smart. So don’t be dumb about money. Pinpoint your biggest money blind spots and take control of your finances with these tools from CBS News Business Analyst and host of the nationally syndicated radio show Jill on Money, Jill Schlesinger. “A must-read . . . This straightforward and pleasingly opinionated book may persuade more of us to think about financial planning.”—Financial Times Hey you . . . you saw the title. You get the deal. You’re smart. You’ve made a few dollars. You’ve done what the financial books and websites tell you to do. So why isn’t it working? Maybe emotions and expectations are getting in the way of good sense—or you’re paying attention to the wrong people. If you’ve started counting your lattes, for god’s sake, just stop. Read this book instead. After decades of working as a Wall Street trader, investment adviser, and money expert for CBS News, Jill Schlesinger reveals thirteen costly mistakes you may be making right now with your money. Drawing on personal stories and a hefty dose of humor, Schlesinger argues that even the brightest people can behave like financial dumb-asses because of emotional blind spots. So if you’ve saved for college for your kids before saving for retirement, or you’ve avoided drafting a will, this is the book for you. By following Schlesinger’s rules about retirement, college financing, insurance, real estate, and more, you can save money and avoid countless sleepless nights. It could be the smartest investment you make all year. Praise for The Dumb Things Smart People Do with Their Money “Common sense is not always common, especially when it comes to managing your money. Consider Jill Schlesinger’s book your guide to all the things you should know about money but were never taught. After reading it, you’ll be smarter, wiser, and maybe even wealthier.”—Chris Guillebeau, author of Side Hustle and The $100 Startup “A must-read, whether you’re digging yourself out of a financial hole or stacking up savings for the future, The Dumb Things Smart People Do with Their Money is a personal finance gold mine loaded with smart financial nuggets delivered in Schlesinger’s straight-talking, judgment-free style.”—Beth Kobliner, author of Make Your Kid a Money Genius (Even If You’re Not) and Get a Financial Life

Over the past decade, credit derivatives have emerged as the key financial innovation in global capital markets. At end 2004, the market size hit $6.4 billion (in notional amounts) from virtually nothing in 1995. This rise has been spurred by the imperative for banks to better manage their risks, not least credit risks, and the appetite shown by institutional investors and hedge funds for innovative, high yielding structured investment products. As a result, growth in collateralized debt obligations and other second-generation products, such as credit indices, is currently phenomenal. It is enabled by the standardization and increased liquidity in credit default swaps – the building block of the credit derivatives market. Written by market practitioners and specialists, this book covers the fundamentals of the credit derivatives and structured credit market, including in-depth product descriptions, analysis of real transactions, market overview, pricing models, banks business models. It is recommended reading for students in business schools and financial courses, academics, and professionals working in investment and asset management, banking, corporate treasury and the capital markets. Highlights include: Written by market practitioners and specialists with first-hand experience in the credit derivatives and structured credit market A clearly-written, pedagogical book with numerous illustrations Detailed review of real-case transactions A comprehensive historical perspective on market developments including up-to-date analysis of the latest trends

Praise for SYSTEMATIC INVESTING in CREDIT "Lev and QPS continue to shed light on the most important questions facing credit investors. This book focuses on their latest cutting-edge research into the appropriate role of credit as an asset class, the dynamics of credit benchmarks, and potential ways to benefit from equity information to construct effective credit portfolios. It is must-read material for all serious credit investors." —Richard Donick, President and Chief Risk Officer, DCI, LLC, USA "Lev Dynkin and his team continue to spoil us; this book is yet another example of intuitive, insightful, and pertinent research, which builds on the team's previous research. As such, the relationship with this team is one of the best lifetime learning experiences I have had." —Eduard van Gelderen, Chief Investment Officer, Public Sector Pension Investment Board, Canada "The rise of a systematic approach in credit is a logical extension of the market's evolution and long overdue. Barclays QPS team does a great job of presenting its latest research in a practical manner." —David Horowitz, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, Agilon Capital, USA "Systematization reduces human biases and wasteful reinventing of past solutions. It improves the chances of investing success. This book, by a team of experts, shows you the way. You will gain insights into the advanced methodologies of combining fundamental and market data. I recommend this book for all credit investors." —Lim Chow Kiat, Chief Executive Officer, GIC Asset Management, Singapore "For nearly two decades, QPS conducted extensive and sound research to help investors meet industry challenges. The proprietary research in this volume gives a global overview of cutting-edge developments in alpha generation for credit investors, from signal extraction and ESG considerations to portfolio implementation. The book blazes a trail for enhanced risk adjusted returns by exploring the cross-asset relation between stocks and bonds and adding relevant information for credit portfolio construction. Our core belief at Ostrum AM, is that a robust quantamental approach, yields superior investment outcomes. Indeed, this book is a valuable read for the savvy investor." —Ibrahima Kobar, CFA, Global Chief Investment Officer, Ostrum AM, France "This book offers a highly engaging account of the current work by the Barclays QPS Group. It is a fascinating mix of original ideas, rigorous analytical techniques, and fundamental insights informed by a long history of frontline work in this area. This is a must-read from the long-time leaders in the field." —Professor Leonid Kogan, Nippon Telephone and Telegraph Professor of Management and Finance, MIT "This book provides corporate bond portfolio managers with an abundance of relevant, comprehensive, data-driven research for the implementation of superior investment performance strategies." —Professor Stanley J. Kon, Editor, Journal of Fixed income "This book is a treasure trove for both pension investors and trustees seeking to improve performance through credit. It provides a wealth of empirical evidence to guide long-term allocation to credit, optimize portfolio construction and harvest returns from systematic credit factors. By extending their research to ESG ratings, the authors also provide timely insights in the expanding field of sustainable finance." —Eloy Lindeijer, former Chief of Investment Management, PGGM, Netherlands "Over more than a decade, Lev Dynkin and his QPS team has provided me and APG with numerous innovative insights in credit markets. Their work gave us valuable quantitative substantiation of some of our investment beliefs. This book covers new and under-researched areas of our markets, like ESG and factor investing, next to the rigorous and practical work akin to the earlier work of the group. I'd say read this book—and learn from one of the best." —Herman Slooijer, Managing Director, Head of Fixed Income, APG Asset Management, Netherlands

In this book, a hedge fund manager and an option trading coach show you how to earn steady, reliable income selling options by managing your option trades and running your option portfolio as a real business with consistent, steady returns. Packed with real-world examples, the authors show you how to manage your own “one man” hedge fund and make consistent profits from selling options by applying the basic framework and fundamental business model and principles of an “insurance company”. This framework helps you to apply your option trading strategy to a solid, predictable, business model with consistent returns. For someone who has some knowledge of trading options and wants to become a consistent income earner. The authors provide a complete “operations manual” for setting up your business. Gain pearls of wisdom from both a professional options trader and coach, and from a hedge fund manager focused on managing an options based portfolio.

The essential resource for navigating the growing direct loan market Private Debt: Opportunities in Corporate Direct Lending provides investors with a single, comprehensive resource for understanding this asset class amidst an environment of tremendous growth. Traditionally a niche asset class pre-crisis, corporate direct lending has become an increasingly important allocation for institutional investors—assets managed by Business Development Company structures, which represent 25% of the asset class, have experienced over 600% growth since 2008 to become a $91 billion market. Middle market direct lending has traditionally been relegated to commercial banks, but onerous Dodd-Frank regulation has opened the opportunity for private asset managers to replace banks as corporate lenders; as direct loans have thus far escaped the low rates that decimate yield, this asset class has become an increasingly attractive option for institutional and retail investors. This book dissects direct loans as a class, providing the critical background information needed in order to work effectively with these assets. Understand direct lending as an asset class, and the different types of loans available Examine the opportunities, potential risks, and historical yield Delve into various loan investment vehicles, including the Business Development Company structure Learn how to structure a direct loan portfolio, and where it fits within your total portfolio The rapid rise of direct lending left a knowledge gap surrounding these nontraditional assets, leaving many investors ill-equipped to take full advantage of ever-increasing growth. This book provides a uniquely comprehensive guide to corporate direct lending, acting as both crash course and desk reference to facilitate smart investment decision making.