What I’m learning

It’s been a while, I know. I took a break for the holidays, then I went on holiday. Now I’m here with no excuses to put off the second part of the Canadian Securities Course. It occurs to me though that an outline of the topics covered might be of interest, if only so you have an idea of what I’m learning about.

Volume 1 and the first exam covered:

The Capital Market
The Canadian Securities Industry
The Canadian Regulatory Environment
Economic Principles
Economic Policy
Fixed-Income Securities: Features and Types
Fixed-Income Securities: Pricing and Trading
Equity Securities: Common and Preferred Shares
Equity Securities: Equity Transactions
Derivatives
Financing and Listing Securities
Corporations and Their Financial Statements

Not a whole lot of everyday practical tips here, or anything I’d really consider personal finance. Volume 2 covers:

Fundamental and Technical Analysis
Company Analysis
Introduction to the Portfolio Approach
The Portfolio Management Process
Fundamentals of Managed and Structured Products
Mutual Funds: Structure and Regulations
Mutual Funds: Types and Features
Segregated Funds and Other Insurance Products
Hedge Funds
Exchange-Listed Managed Products
Fee-Based Accounts
Structured Products
Canadian Taxation
Working with the Retail Client
Working with the Institutional Client

Hedge funds – that sounds sexy. There are exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in my future too. I’m up to Chapter 15 and I’ve actually found some practical tips! But that’s a story for another post – I’m off for a study break to watch another episode of the TV show Bitten (based on a really good book series by Canadian author Kelley Armstrong).