IMCA Announces New Board Leadership for 2010–2011
IMCA has named John C. Granzow, CIMA^®, president for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2010. Learn more.

Feds Tweak Data to Keep Inflation Low, Hurting Seniors and Investors, Critics Say
Methodology distorts Consumer Price Index, costing retirees their COLAs, they contend. Learn more.

ETF Sponsors can't Resist Latest Trend
But some express concern about jump into emerging markets. Learn more.

Report: Target Date Funds Expected to Boom by 2018
$2.6T mother lode will be nearly half of all DC assets. Learn more.

Complete Brief Readership Survey to Shape IMCA’s Publications
To help us make IMCA publications more valuable for you, we invite you to complete this readership survey for the Journal of Investment Consulting and Investments & Wealth Monitor. The survey should take 10–15 minutes to complete and the deadline is Friday, December 11. Take the survey.

IMCA Membership Grows into New Segments
Advisor ranks trend toward regional and independent broker-dealer firms. Learn more.

EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 11!
IMCA 2010 New York Consultants Conference
Conference Dates: January 11–12, 2010
CE Credit: 12.5 hours, including one ethics hour

This conference, held at the Grand Hyatt New York, features keynote addresses by MIT professor Andrew W. Lo, a leading authority on hedge funds; Barry Ritholtz, editor of The Big Picture Blog and author of the popular book, Bailout Nation; Nouriel Roubini, PhD, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University, and chairman of Roubini Global Economics, and more. Click here for more information and to register.

LIVE WEBINAR
Ten Essential Elements of a Well-Crafted Investment Policy Statement
Presented Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 2 PM EST
Registration deadline for live Webinar is 1:45 PM EST, December 9
CE Credit: One IMCA-sponsored hour
Presented by Jim Harvey, CIMA^®, CPWA^®

In today's litigious environment, every advisor should learn to document your methodology for the management of money for wealthy individuals, families, ERISA plans, foundations, and endowments if you want to protect your business and personal assets. Attendees will learn practical guidelines for helping their clients write investment policy statements (IPS), which are practical, simple, and direct. The session will cover the basics of clarifying the mission and purpose of the IPS, its scope, the general investment principles, spending policy, asset allocation guidelines, manager search and selection, and performance monitoring criteria. For more information or to register visit FPA’s Web site.

LIVE AUDIO BROADCAST
Economic and Investment Outlook
Presented Thursday, December 17, 2009, 4:15 PM ET
Registration deadline for live broadcast is 4 PM ET, December 17
CE Credit: One hour
Presented by Milton Ezrati, Lord Abbett & Co LLC

Though no one can see the future, sophisticated analysis can assess probabilities and use them to dismiss unreasonable hopes and fears as well as to circumscribe the likelihoods. This session will: characterize the markets' current macro expectations; assess the macro likelihoods; and set a macro-based investment strategy on this basis. Click here for more information and to register.

IMCA Sponsors AICPA Personal Financial Planning Conference
Conference Dates: January 18–20, 2010
Early-bird registration deadline is December 3!
CE Credit: Up to 35.5 total hours, including 10 IMCA-sponsored hours

IMCA is partnering with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) to power the investment management track at the upcoming AICPA Advanced Personal Financial Planning Conference in Lake Buena Vista, FL. This comprehensive program provides key updates, advanced strategies, best practices, and innovative ideas to meet the needs of your clients in an ever-changing environment. Session topics cover: how to build, grow, and structure a practice; how to expand your knowledge in niches such as retirement planning and wealth management; advice on advanced financial planning subjects; and updates on technical issues. AICPA is offering $200 off regular registration packages for IMCA members. Click here for more information.

IMCA 2010 Specialty Conference—Asset Allocation
Conference Dates: February 22–23, 2010
Early-bird registration deadline is January 22!
CE Credit: 12.5 hours, including one ethics hour

You won’t want to miss this conference, held at The Fairmont Scottsdale, Scottsdale, AZ, where Justin Fox, 2009 Financial Times nominee for best business book, The Myth of the Rational Investor, documents the history of the efficient markets that led many to their doom in the latest crisis. Hear real-world perspective from James J. Dunn, chief investment officer at Wake Forest University, on whether or not the critique of the endowment model holds merit. Find out what Mark Taborsky, executive vice president of asset allocation at PIMCO, thinks about the economic recovery leading to a new normal of de-risking, de-leveraging, re-regulation, and ultimately to reduced GDP expectations. Learn from F. John Mathis, PhD, director of Global Financial Services Center and professor of global banking and finance at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Additional sessions focus on sustainable investing, allocating to Asia, asset dedication and asset management liability, real estate and REIT investing, endowment models, and more. Click here for more information and to register.

IMCA 2010 Annual Conference
Conference Dates: May 17–19, 2010
Early-bird registration deadline is April 16!
CE Credit: 20+ hours, including one ethics hours

This conference, held at the brand-new Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek and Waldorf Astoria in Orlando, FL, offers an unparalleled opportunity to network, attend first-class workshops, attain continuing education credits, and more. Plan to attend the event of the year for advanced investment and wealth management professionals, featuring keynote presentations from Erin Arvedlund, financial writer and author; William L. Fouse, MBA, co-founder and chairman emeritus of Mellon Capital; Harvard Divinity School professor Peter J. Gomes; Michael Lewis, financial journalist and author; Joseph Stiglitz, PhD, Columbia University professor; Marvin Zonis, PhD, economist and professor at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business; and many more. Click here for more information and to register.

If your company needs more exposure in the industry, this conference is the perfect opportunity to showcase your offerings to advanced investment and wealth management experts. Space is limited! Click here for more information.

IMCA Announces New Board Leadership for 2010–2011
IMCA has named John C. Granzow, CIMA^®, managing director of investments at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, president for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2010. Joining Mr. Granzow are John Nersesian, CIMA^®, CIS, CPWA^®, CFP^®, managing director of wealth management services at Nuveen Investments, as vice president; Elizabeth Piper/Bach, JD, CIMA^®, CFP^®, vice president of National Automobile Dealers Association Retirement Administrators, Inc., as treasurer; and Margaret M. Towle, PhD, CPWA^®, managing director of Greycourt & Co., Inc., as secretary. In addition, two new members were appointed to IMCA’s board of directors: David Archer, CIMA^®, AIFA^®, national director of sales for managed accounts and alternative investments at Schwab Advisor Services, and Bruce B. Curwood, CIMA^®, CFA^®, director of investment strategy at Russell Investment Group. Both new board members will serve a two-year term that will begin January 1, 2010.

In addition, three board members will complete a second two-year term: Jeffrey Carlin, CFA^®, senior vice president and national sales manager, IndexIQ; Claudia Cypher, CIMA^®, CFP^®, senior vice president–investments, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC; and Scott Thayer, CIMA^®, institutional consulting director, Graystone Consulting. More information about the 2010 board of directors will appear in the November/December 2009 issue of Investments & Wealth Monitor.

Special thanks to the following individuals who completed their board service: Jeffrey B. Thomas, CIMA^®, CPWA^®, who served on the board for eight years, most recently as past president; he will continue to serve IMCA as chair of the Professional Review Board; and Saverio Paglioni, CIMA^®, who served on the board for six years, most recently as secretary.

CPWA Designees: Important Notice Regarding Renewal Requirements
Many Certified Private Wealth Advisor^SM designees will be approaching their first designation renewal period deadline in 2010. Designation renewal reminder notices will be sent to designees 90, 60, 30, and 15 days before the CPWA^® designation renewal period expires. In addition, IMCA is changing the terms used to categorize CE from “non-investment” to “core topic” and adding a second grouping, “non-core topic” as related to CPWA continuing education credit. Therefore, CPWA designees will begin to see “core topic” referenced in place of “non-investment” in the forthcoming renewal notices, and effective January 1, 2010, CE submitted by CPWA designees to IMCA will be classified as either CPWA curriculum “Core Topic” or “Non-Core Topic”. For more information regarding CPWA designation renewal requirements, click here. In addition, a listing of “Core Topics” and “Non-Core Topics” can be accessed on page two of the CPWA Designation Renewal Requirements guide.

IMCA Conferences Deliver Leading-Edge Content
IMCA prides itself on delivering the premier investment consulting and wealth management content through its conferences. Many of the sessions from IMCA’s 2009 conferences were recorded and are available for purchase. Click here to learn more. Please note that conference recordings do not qualify for continuing education (CE) credit.

Join the Conversation and Get Connected
IMCA's LinkedIn group offers an online gathering place for IMCA members to discuss current issues, post jobs, and network. The group is open only to IMCA members and currently is home to more than 740 of your peers. To join click here.

IMCA Board Member Featured in BusinessWeek Article
IMCA board member Anthony Davidow, CIMA^®, vice president of IndexIQ, was featured in “Hedge Funds for Everyone” in the December 7, 2009, issue of BusinessWeek. IMCA members receive a complimentary issue of BusinessWeek each week as an IMCA member benefit. To update your mailing preferences for the magazine or to otherwise manage your subscription, click here.

IMCA’s Office Will be Closed for the Holidays
In observance of the holidays, IMCA’s office will be closed Friday, December 25, 2009, and Friday, January 1, 2010. Please be sure to submit any continuing education hours as early as possible in order for them to be processed before your certification renewal deadline.