This June, DePaul University’s Arditti Center for Risk Management is hosting a two-day executive risk leadership program led by Dr. Mark Frigo, Director of the Center for Strategy, Execution and Valuation, and Director of the Strategic Risk Management Lab in the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business; and Steve Lindo, an industry expert and educator with more than 20 years of risk management practice in the U.S. and internationally. The program—offered with both one and two day options—will be held Friday, June 13, 8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, June 14, 2014, 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.  DePaul recently held…...

The NIBA is now offering a premium service for its members and will be acting as a liaison between the association’s membership and the NFA.   Do you have something you want to bring to the NFA but are hesitant to do so directly, let the NIBA do it for you.  The NIBA is your advocate in the industry. We encourage all members to bring their issues to us. In turn, we will address each and every concern anonymously with the NFA.   We have found all registrants periodically have questions on business practices, compliance, registrations, etc on which they…...

Thanks to everyone who helped make the May 1 event in New York City a success. We hit a new attendance high for our NYC meetings – 135 IBs, CTAs, and FCMs. Thank you to our first panel speakers: Al Helmig, Jim Steel, Fred Penha, and Howard Hopkins. Their review and outlook for the energy and metal markets was comprehensive  – they are all experts in the field. Thank you to our second panel speakers: Susan Osmanski, Brian Clark and John Brand. They presented a very complete update on where swaps registrants stand with regard to compliance with current rules…...

Dear Members – The NIBA submitted our comment letter to the NFA regarding its capital requirement proposal for CTAs and CPOs and other changes to the CTA registration status. We are firmly opposed to capital requirements for CTAs and to the elimination of registration status for the group of current CTAs which NFA refers to as “inactive.”  NIBA believes CPO criteria may be quite different than that for CTAs, and should be considered separately. The full text of our submission is found in this newsletter. We understand the NFA is considering all the submissions — we hear there were many.…...

Dear Members – Here’s a partial list of all the events NIBA will be involved in during the next thirty days:  March 25: Risk Management Breakfast Meeting at Arditti Center, DePaul University in Chicago  April 3: CFTC Roundtable in Washington DC for end users, including discussion of issues surrounding Recording Requirement 1.35  April 15: NIBA Opinion Letter Regarding the NFA Proposed CPO/CTA Capital Requirements  May 1: NIBA Spring Member Meeting at the New York Athletic Club in New York City.  Yes – this is a typical schedule! Every month the NIBA participates in or presents at least four or five…...

In Re: Notice to Members I-14-03, Request for Comments – CPO/CTA Capital Requirement and Customer Protection Measures For the past seven years, NIBA membership has been open to CTAs and CPOs. Nearly one-quarter of current members are registered as CTAs – – either as their primary registration or in addition to the IB registration. We count among them established CTAs, as well as emerging managers. During the past couple of weeks we have had numerous comments from members regarding the NFA proposal for capital requirements, and additional customer protection measures for CPOs and CTAs.  Virtually 100 percent of the comments…...

The NIBA spring meeting is scheduled for the afternoon of May 1, 2014 at the New York Athletic Club. The full agenda will be available on the NIBA’s website, and will include presentations on product as well as compliance. This meeting is free to all NIBA members – you can register online. NYAC dress requirements (jackets for men, no sneakers) observed. Questions or suggestions, please contact NYC Conference Committee, Rich Strait – [email protected] or Kristie Aupperle, [email protected]....

We are proud to announce our professional relationship with The Fred Arditti Center for Risk Management at DePaul University in Chicago. Earlier this year, NIBA met with members of the DePaul facility to learn about several initiatives recently developed in their financial services department, and DePaul hosted the January meeting of our Board of Directors. We felt several of their newly developed programs would be of interest and value to NIBA members. The Arditti Center hosts a risk management-oriented breakfast meeting once a month on the downtown-Jackson Boulevard Campus. Those meetings are announced on the NIBA website and is free…...

The NIBA is now offering a premium service for its members and will be acting as a liaison between the association’s membership and the NFA.   Do you have something you want to bring to the NFA but are hesitant to do so directly, let the NIBA do it for you.  The NIBA is your advocate in the industry. We encourage all members to bring their issues to us. In turn, we will address each and every concern anonymously with the NFA.   We have found all registrants periodically have questions on business practices, compliance, registrations, etc on which they…...

The Arditti Center is pleased to announce the launch of the Risk Management Leadership Program—a two-day executive course in the heart of downtown Chicago that provides advanced risk management leadership skills to high-level executives and board members. Developing and maintaining superior performance in corporate risk management, which is both effective in taking high-stakes decisions and fail-safe in times of stress, requires executive leadership. This interactive program focuses on the critical areas of risk management infrastructure, strategy, and decision-making. Designed and taught by industry and academic experts Steve Lindo and Dr. Mark Frigo, the program provides senior leaders with greater understanding…...