CFA Institute survey reveals ethical vacuum leads to lack of trust

An absence of appropriate ethical culture at financial services firms has been the biggest contributor to the lack of trust in the finance industry, according to a global survey of CFA Institute members, which attracted more than 6000 responses. Matt Orsagh, director of capital markets policy at CFA Institute, says to restore integrity in global … Read more

EDHEC: a bridge to practical portfolio construction

The new chairman of EDHEC-Risk Institute’s international advisory board, chief investment strategist at Swedish pension fund AP2, Tomas Franzen, says institutional investors should embrace academia and be open to applying research in the implementation of practical portfolio construction. He says that while investing is part art and part science, it is important to employ science … Read more

Fund “heads in sand” on climate risk

An Australian superannuation fund with A$6.6 billion ($6.9 billion) under management has achieved number-one ranking in a global survey of how the world’s top 1000 retirement funds, insurance companies and sovereign wealth funds are responding to climate risk. Sydney-based Local Government Super (LGS) has received the top ranking in the inaugural Climate Index of the … Read more

BFP to boost UK economy

In a policy to galvanise pension fund assets to help boost its ailing economy, the UK government wants funds to invest in small and medium-sized businesses. As part of its Business Finance Partnership (BFP), it has named four asset managers to run specialist funds backed by pooled government and private capital. The funds will invest … Read more

What it is to lead

In reading the superb editorial that backgrounds the naming of Barrack Obama as Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2012, it is clear one of the reasons he was chosen was his ability to embrace change. In particular he shows leadership of the new America, namely people under 30, Hispanics and African Americans. Adapting … Read more