rss

FX Initiative Blog

Actionable insights on foreign exchange risk management from FX Initiative.

Virtual Learning & Networking

WindyCityWebinars.org makes it simple to promote your brand and showcase your expertise with continuing professional education (CPE) webinars. We are a community of Chicago professionals and business students focused on educating peers and maximizing exposure to sell professional services. Our remote learning platform allows you to offer CPE credit webinars that comply with NASBA licensing regulations to meet the ongoing professional development needs of your employees, clients, and prospects.

Windy City Webinars was created in collaboration with DePaul University’s ICS 394 strategic entrepreneurship class during the spring of 2020. Our mission is to keep learning alive and accessible to all during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. We provide students unique opportunities to assist with webinar projects to gain work experience, explore a variety of career paths, develop and refine skills, network with professionals, and acquire knowledge and confidence as they transition into the workforce.

As a member of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) National Registry of CPE Sponsors, we are authorized to issue CPE credits in all 50 states. This allows our audience to safely and remotely attend learning sessions from anywhere in the United States. Windy City Webinars is an unparalleled resource to support you in creating and promoting CPE programs that share thought leadership and raise brand awareness. To get started, contact info@windycitywebinars.org.

Involving Student Interns

FX Initiative is pleased to welcome and support student interns in summer 2020. Internships are designed to help students add substantive and unique experience to their resumes. Our goal is to provide students with opportunities to gain work experience, explore career paths, develop and refine skills, network with professionals, and build confidence as they earn compensation and transition into the workforce.

To facilitate our internship program this summer, we are participating in DePaul’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center's Startup Internship Program, which gives undergraduate students hands-on experience working closely with founders on specific projects at a local Chicago startup. The 2020 summer internship program is a remote opportunity to help stay engaged in meaningful work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These internships are designed to be experiential learning opportunities for students and a chance to see first-hand the challenges that startups face. Interns will be working on significant tasks that contribute to the success of the organization. Areas of involvement include performing market research, creating educational content, developing marketing and sales strategies, and enhancing website functionality.

FX Initiative remains committed to keep learning alive and accessible to all with continuing professional education (CPE) programs that promote business best practices. With a focus on the Chicago community, we welcome business leaders and corporate sponsors to contact us about working with our student interns on innovative CPE training and marketing initiatives. To learn more, contact support@fxinitiative.com.

Windy City Summit Webinar

With the cancellation of the 2020 Windy City Summit, our originally planned live learning session will be held remotely. Registration for this program is open to the public. If you are a Windy City Summit sponsor or attendee and would like to learn more about remote learning opportunities, please contact us at support@fxinitiative.com.

Please join us for this educational webinar on Mastering Currency Risk Management, which addresses best practices on how to identify, analyze, execute, and optimize a foreign exchange (FX) risk management program. This informational session covers the fundamental concepts of corporate foreign exchange (FX) risk management, including how to assess a firm’s FX risk profile using a step-by-step analysis framework, the four approaches for managing FX risk, the impact FX risk has on the financial statements, and key terminology and takeaways for building a world class FX risk management program.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  1. Discover how leading multinational corporations identify foreign exchange (FX) risk, including transaction, translation, and economic risk.
  2. Explore how to analyze FX risk management strategies, including balance sheet hedging, cash flow hedging, and net investment hedging.
  3. Identify key considerations when executing FX risk management plans, including the importance of strategy, policy, and financial reporting.
  4. Recognize approaches to optimizing FX risk management plans by investing in personnel, resources, and operations to improve results.

We are a Chicago based organization, and similar to the Chicago Fire of 1871, we are committed to offering a rewarding “silver lining” experience by salvaging the summit’s valuable learning opportunities. Please join our webinar on Wednesday, May 20th 2020 on Mastering Currency Risk Management by registering here.

 

Supporting Student Portfolio Projects

WindyCityWebinars.org, a remote learning project in development with FX Initiative and DePaul’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center, is pleased to share our Student Application to complete a webinar portfolio project related to their academic major. Portfolio projects are designed to connect students with internship and employment opportunities by showcasing their learning abilities, skillsets, and work ethic to create educational programs presented to the Chicago business community.

Webinar portfolio projects are designed for ambitious students looking for a structured experience to help add something substantive and unique to their resumes and portfolios in summer 2020. With more and more internships cancelled, jobs on hold, and a summer in flux, this opportunity is meant to provide an approach for students to effectively use their summer and participate meaningfully in a community of professionals to gain experience and unlock potential opportunities in the future.

Students will be part of a robust and diverse community producing high quality continuing professional education (CPE) programs in business fields of study. WindyCityWebinars.org is focused on creating win-win-win outcomes that benefit our student contributors, corporate sponsors, and community of professionals as we fulfill our mission to keep learning alive and accessible to all during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All college students are welcome to apply. This interest form is designed to provide background information on student applicants to help identify and plan out each webinar project. Students should expect to spend 10-15 minutes answering the 10 questions. To get started, complete the application using the link below to be considered for this unique opportunity with WindyCityWebinars.org.

Student Application - Webinar Portfolio Project: https://forms.gle/NiQ1RAiTS3tKE6M69

Teaching Treasury Management Topics

To keep learning alive and accessible to all during the COVID-19 pandemic, WindyCityWebinars.org is an innovative student led and sponsor driven project in development with DePaul University and the Chicago business community.

As we plan our summer learning series, we are working with speakers and sponsors to create a training agenda focused on treasury management best practices. To participate, we are now accepting presentations on the following topics:

  • Banking & Relationship ​Management: Corporate banking challenges & opportunities.
  • Fraud & Compliance: Compliance, internal controls, regulatory requirements, etc.
  • Investments & Liquidity Management: Portfolio returns, investment goals, budgeting, funding.
  • Treasury Management Essentials: Treasury trends, best practices, and integration options.
  • Banker Topics: ​Banker and financial service provider best practices.
  • Insurance Solutions​: Business risk and insurance strategies for success.
  • Professional ​Development: Career planning and skills to enhance your marketability.
  • Treasury ​Technology: FinTech, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity, etc.
  • Corporate Finance: Financial planning & analysis, and capital structure.
  • International Treasury Management: Global payments, cash management, and trade.
  • Risk Management: Foreign currency & interest rate risk management.
  • Working Capital Management: Working capital efficiency and maximization tactics.

For credentialed professionals, learning sessions may be eligible for continuing professional education (CPE) credit. CPE credit is issued by FX Initiative, a member of the NASBA National Registry of CPE Sponsors, in fields of study including: 

  • Accounting
  • Auditing
  • Behavioral Ethics
  • Business Management & Organization
  • Business Law
  • Communications & Marketing
  • Computer Software & Applications
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Information Technology
  • Management Services
  • Personal Development
  • Personnel/Human Resources
  • Production
  • Regulatory Ethics
  • Specialized Knowledge
  • Statistics
  • Taxes

To share your treasury management thought leadership with our audience of students and professionals, we invite you to submit an outline of your presentation, proposed topic, or educational idea to our team at info@windycitywebinars.org.

We welcome business leaders and corporate sponsors to contact us about contributing the success of this student led learning initiative. To get involved in our project or learn more about how to help, please email support@fxinitiative.com.

 

Windy City Webinars

As our collaboration with DePaul University’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center (CEC) progresses, we are excited to announce our project titled WindyCityWebinars.org.  Led by students and supported by sponsors, this remote learning initiative is designed to teach best practices and provide unique industry insights to students, employees, clients, and prospects.

This collaboration is made possible by the support of the Chicago business community, universities, and sponsors that enable and empower this student driven mission to keep learning alive and accessible to all during the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us for professional development opportunities as we share valuable thought leadership to online audiences.

Whether you are a student seeking a job or internship, a professional looking to sharpen skills and generate leads, or a corporation committed to bettering your community through education and outreach, we invite you to attend, present, and/or sponsor an educational webinar. To learn more about supporting WindyCityWebinars.org, contact info@windycitywebinars.org.

 

Engaging Student Entrepreneurs

To help support students studying entrepreneurship strategy, FX Initiative is pleased to collaborate with DePaul University’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center. During the spring semester, we will be working with a team of student entrepreneurs to deliver a series of remote learning sessions designed to serve the professional development and networking needs of the Chicago business community. 

The Coleman Entrepreneurship Center (CEC) empowers students, alumni, and community members to build sustainable businesses that do good and do well in Chicago. The CEC is a premier hub to connect, advise, and inspire entrepreneurship and innovation. To learn about their experiential programs, vibrant ecosystem, and academic curriculum for entrepreneurial success, visit cec.depaul.edu.

Founded in Chicago by DePaul alumni in 2010, FX Initiative is a global foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE) provider of on-demand training, online tools, and webinar topics on currency risk management for corporate finance, accounting, and treasury professionals. We welcome the opportunity to provide real world experiences and support student growth opportunities.

In the weeks ahead, we will be announcing new projects and remote learning sessions that are open to the public and accessible online. We welcome business leaders and corporate sponsors to contact us about contributing the success of this student collaboration. To support initiatives between DePaul’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center and FX Initiative, please email support@fxinitiative.com.

FX Initiative is focused on foreign exchange, and our mission is to help your international business succeed abroad by teaching corporate currency risk management best practices. To learn more, start your FX risk management training today, which provides 24/7 365 access to our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples & events at FXCPE.com.

 

FX Strategy Simulation - Option Contracts

FX Strategy Simulation - Option Contracts: To illustrate the concept of option contracts, this FX strategy simulation uses the Foreign Exchange Derivative Speculator to model the economic and accounting aspects of a put and a call option. These examples demonstrate the economics and accounting of option contracts, and show how variables such as the option strike rate and implied volatility impact the premium or cost of the option at inception.

Additionally, the asymmetrical payoff profile of an option is highlighted using the economic chart, and the accounting is clarified using journal entries and t-accounts. From a cash flow perspective, emphasis is placed on the fact that options can finish "in the money" where a cash payment is received at maturity, or "out of the money" with a zero fair value where no further payment is required to settle the contract.

Overall, the three key distinguishing characteristics of vanilla option contracts, compared to forwards and option combinations, are (1) that a premium is paid upfront, (2) there is an asymmetrical payoff profile relative to the spot foreign exchange rate, and (3) there is no obligation to make a payment at maturity. For additional information and examples, explore our on-demand self-study CPE course titled FX Spot & Derivatives.

 

To learn more, start your FX risk management training today, which provides 24/7 365 access to our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples & events at FXCPE.com.

 

Windy City Summit Remote Learning Session

With the cancellation of the 2020 Windy City Summit, our originally planned live learning session will be held remotely. Registration for this program is open to the public. If you are a Windy City Summit sponsor or attendee and would like to learn more about remote learning opportunities, please contact us at support@fxinitiative.com.

As health and safety remains a top priority, we fully support the timely decision of the conference organizers. Following increased concerns about COVID-19 over the past few weeks, it was determined that canceling the event was the safest option for all involved. For additional information, visit the Windy City Summit website.

As many are shifting work routines and showing resilience, FX Initiative remains committed to our mission serving as a global foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE) provider of on-demand training, online tools, and webinar topics on currency risk management for finance, accounting, and treasury professionals.

We are a Chicago based organization, and similar to the Chicago Fire of 1871, we are committed to offering a rewarding “silver lining” experience by salvaging the summit’s valuable learning opportunities. Please join our webinar on Wednesday, May 20th 2020 on Mastering Currency Risk Management by registering here.

 

Remote FX Risk Management Resources

Whether you work remotely or are highly mobile, FX Initiative provides a suite of foreign exchange (FX) risk management training and tools to help treasury professionals and sales teams achieve their objectives inside and outside of the office. If you need to research a foreign exchange educational topic related to your global business, or want to simulate a foreign exchange risk management strategy using our interactive examples, we offer a wide array of quality informational topics and tools that can help you manage FX risk.

FX Initiative is designed to make complex foreign currency matters simple and manageable, and is accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week to meet your global business needs whenever and wherever a FX opportunity arises so you can make the right decisions to meet your FX objectives. Get acquainted with our educational topics and interactive examples, then review and test your knowledge with quizzes and CPE exams. Throughout your learning experience, visit our terms glossary and FAQ for help along the way.

Benefit from our currency risk management educational videos, review quizzes, CPE Exams, CPE Credits, and Certificates of Completion:

  1. Foreign Exchange (FX) Market Overview
  2. FX Risk Exposures
  3. FX Risk Management
  4. FX Spot & Derivatives
  5. Hedging FX Transactions
  6. Hedging Foreign Subsidiaries

Apply theory to practice with our suite of interactive examples to help reinforce learning concepts and model risk management strategies:

Our training is available 24/7 365 to help you with FX risk policies, FX accounting, FX hedge strategies, and everything FX risk management related. Controllers and consultants alike can enhance their FX policies and procedures and simulate common hedging strategies using our collection of tools to clarify complex issues in real time and mitigate currency risk when transacting across borders.

FX Initiative is focused on foreign exchange, and our mission is to help your international business succeed abroad by teaching corporate currency risk management best practices. To learn more, start your FX risk management training today, which provides 24/7 365 access to our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples & events at FXCPE.com.