IMCA Announces Call for Papers
The Journal of Investment Consulting provides a forum for examining the most recent research and developments in the field of investment consulting. Click here for more.

IMCA Attracting More Independent Planners, Advisers
The Investment Management Consultants Association has been attracting more independent planners and advisers. Click here for more.

Mutual Funds Set Reopening Record
In a bid to take advantage of the stock market's volatility, mutual fund companies are reopening closed funds at a record pace. Click here for more.

Market’s Woes Complicate Retirement Planning
Some investors will take less from their nest eggs—or keep working. Click here for more.

Tax Plan Could Open Investment Door
A provision in the economic-stimulus plan would raise the volume cap on mortgage bonds and exempt them from exposure to the alternative minimum tax, creating an opportunity for retail investors. Click here for more.

Younger Millionaires Drawn to Alternative Investments
But older investors prefer more yield and better liquidity. Click here for more.

Live Audio Broadcast: Government Update
Presented: March 6, 2008, 4:15 p.m. EST

Join Ann Combs, head of Vanguard Institutional Strategic Consulting, and former assistant secretary of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), U.S. Department of Labor, for a review of current and future legislation as well as a discussion of the potential effects of the upcoming election on the investment industry. Click here for more information or to register.

Live Audio Broadcast: Opportunities to Provide Investment Consulting Services to Small- and Mid-size Private Foundations and Endowments
Presented: April 17, 2008, 4:15 p.m. EST

Robert L. Finder Jr., CIMA^®, CIS^®, J.D., will examine the best ways to identify opportunities in the institutional marketplace, briefly cover some of the technical rules applicable to institutions, and provide insight on common issues faced by institutions and best practices for dealing with them. Click here for more information or to register.

Chartered Private Wealth Advisor^SM (CPWA^SM) Program
The CPWA class that commences with pre-study in February 2008 and the in-class program September 22–26, 2008, at The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business is SOLD OUT! Click here to download an application for future CPWA programs.

Endowments and Foundations Certificate Program
Program Dates: April 28–May 2, 2008
Registration deadline is March 31, 2008.

Register today for the Endowments and Foundations Certificate Program. This five-day course held on the campus of The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA, is designed to enhance an advisor's knowledge of the distinct needs of clients in the nonprofit sector. Click here for program information or to download the application.

IMCA 2008 Professional Development Conference
Conference Dates: May 18–20, 2008
Early-bird registration deadline is April 18, 2008.

This conference, held at The New Orleans Marriott in New Orleans, LA, offers 20 continuing education credits (including one hour of ethics CE credit). Keynote speakers include William Sharpe, Ph.D., economist Marci Rossell, Wharton Professor Kathy Pearson, Ph.D., and an overview of how the upcoming presidential election will affect our industry by strategist Greg Valliere. You will also be able to customize your learning experience with concurrent educational tracks focusing on the tools that you need to succeed in your business: practice management, wealth management, investment consulting, and more! Click here for program information or to register.

IMCA's Performance Reporting Standards Provide Guidance
IMCA’s Performance Reporting Standards Committee, chaired by Ron Surz, CIMA^®, would like to remind members of IMCA's Performance Reporting Standards. These standards, adopted in 1993, cover the collection, analysis, and reporting of performance information related to manager search and analysis, and the reporting of performance results to clients. These standards can be reviewed in the “Resources” section of the Web site by clicking here. The committee will be revisiting these standards in the near future, so if you have any feedback or comments regarding the existing standards, or would like to volunteer to assist in this process, please e-mail IMCA’s executive director, Dede Pahl.

IMCA Monitor Unveils New Name, New Look
Formerly known as the IMCA Monitor, the newly redesigned January/February 2008 issue of the Investments & Wealth Monitor should arrive in your mailbox this week. The publication still has the sophisticated, high-level, practical articles that you expect, in a package that projects IMCA’s desire to serve as an ethical and trustworthy conduit to cutting-edge investment strategies that maximize wealth potential. We believe the new name and design better-reflects this positioning. Enjoy!

IMCA Hires Business Development Manager
Glenn Holly, MS, AAMS^®, was recently hired as IMCA’s business development manager and will be responsible for developing IMCA’s corporate relationships within the financial services industry. After years of explosive growth, IMCA has created this position to coordinate and manage relationships with key training contacts and decision-makers within firms who support and encourage their advisors to attain the CIMA designation and the new CPWA^SM designation.

Glenn previously worked in business development for the College for Financial Planning where he was responsible for growing their corporate client base, in addition to individual enrollments into their various program offerings. The College is one of the top education providers of the CFP^® curriculum along with a number of other professional development offerings. Prior to that, Glenn worked as a financial consultant for A.G. Edwards in Colorado. If you are interested in helping IMCA to grow the number of CIMA and CPWA professionals within your firm, please feel free to e-mail Glenn, or contact him at 303.850.3081.

IMCA in the News
Sessions from IMCA’s New York Consultants Conference were featured in a story last week by Dow Jones Newswires reporter Kristen McNamara. The story appears on a variety of Web sites, most notably CNNMoney.com, SmartMoney.com, and WSJ.com. The combined Web traffic for these three sites amounts to nearly 16 million unique visitors each month.

In addition, IMCA gained exposure in the February 18 issue of InvestmentNews with “IMCA Attracting More Independent Planners, Advisers” and in the February 4 issue with “The ‘Schmeek’ Shall Inherit the Wholesaling World”. InvestmentNews reaches 60,000 readers each week.

Earlier this month, IMCA president Garry Bridgeman, CIMA^®, was featured in The Clarion-Ledger. Based in Jackson, MS, The Clarion-Ledger reaches about 100,000 readers. You can read the article online.

IMCA Makes the Big Time!
On Thursday, February 7, Claudia Bieschke, IMCA’s conferences and meetings coordinator, was featured on The Late Show with David Letterman. Claudia was in the audience following IMCA's 2008 New York Consultants Conference and was interviewed during Dave's "Know Your Current Events". She was a great sport! Click the image to the left to view the segment on YouTube or click here.