June 2020 Newsletter

Explore our June newsletter and discover the latest blog posts and insights from FX Initiative on currency risk management. We help finance, accounting, treasury, and sales professionals stay up to date with new training content, CPE webinars, and helpful tips & resources.

Scale the learning curve quickly and easily with our foreign exchange risk management training, which provides 24/7 365 access to our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Start Training >

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Structuring Summer CPE Sessions

Summer is an ideal season to structure learning and earning opportunities. From sharpening skills to sharing insights, our continuing professional education (CPE) sessions are designed to serve your organization’s professional development needs. Through live webinar training, we provide internal and external marketing opportunities to capitalize on recent events impacting the foreign exchange market, as well as to coincide with quarterly or annual planning processes.

Whether you are interested in a timely session related to current events such as COVID-19 or would like a formal way to start goal setting for a new calendar or fiscal year, our live webinar sessions are fully customizable and capable of addressing your group training needs. Each live webinar is eligible for CPE credit, and offers the ability to collaborate on content, engage the audience with real time poling and survey questions, and participate in question and answer segments.

Our CPE programs help organizations around the world stay current on the latest regulations, developments, and trends in finance, accounting, and related business industries while earning CPE credits to maintain professional credentials. As a member of the NASBA National Registry of CPE Sponsors, we cover a broad range of knowledge, skills, and abilities that enhance competence and increase confidence in participants’ ability to improve performance and profitability.

Leading organizations that prioritize professional development realize greater return on investment (ROI). Quality training that directly relates to job responsibilities benefits both the employee and the bottom line. Not only are employees more knowledgeable and capable after completing our training, but they are able to apply their knowledge for the benefit of their customers and the firm. To learn more about CPE opportunities, please 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

May 2020 Newsletter

Making May Training Meaningful: Explore our May newsletter and discover the latest blog posts and insights from FX Initiative. We help finance, accounting, treasury, and sales professionals stay up to date with new training content, CPE webinars, and helpful tips & resources.

Scale the learning curve quickly and easily with our foreign exchange risk management training, which provides 24/7 365 access to our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Start Training >

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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.

April 2020 Newsletter

Explore our April newsletter and discover the latest blog posts and insights from FX Initiative on currency risk management. We help finance, accounting, treasury, and sales professionals stay up to date with new training content, CPE webinars, and helpful tips & resources.

Scale the learning curve quickly and easily with our foreign exchange risk management training, which provides 24/7 365 access to our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Start Training >

View Newsletter

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.