Tuesday 10 April 2018

Sunday 1 April 2018

FinTech – Where finance and technology meet - On-line Training Course


We are at the dawn of a new era. Startups are disrupting the world of finance and banking, and it’s only the beginning. With more and more funding going into FinTech than ever, it is clear that finance and banking are being transformed rapidly.

Traditional companies are at risk - they will have either to disrupt, or be disrupted. FinTech startups formulate new ways to deliver financial services faster, better, and at lower costs than the formal financial can. Corporates are now investing heavily and bringing in startups to help them to respond. The FinTech Revolution is here.


Do you want to understand FinTech?

Our on-line FinTech training course is focused on the hottest topics in FinTech today: Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, InsurTech, RegTech, Small Business Financing, Peer to Peer Platforms, Open banking, Mobile Banking, Big Data, Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and more.

Don’t lose out on the FinTech revolution.

Take our 3-part on-line training course “Understanding FinTech”.

This course carries full CPE accreditation. Each Part is at really affordable prices.

Use Coupon Code Citadel10 for a 10% discount.

Part 1 – FinTech Basics

Part 2 – Financial Service Functions & Innovation Clusters

Part 3 – Blockchain, Bitcoin & other Cryptocurrencies

Monday 26 March 2018

Online training course - Understanding Supply Chain Finance

Part 4 of our 4-part International Trade Online Training Course

Supply Chain Finance refers to a variety of financing and business processes aimed at providing short-term credit to improve the working capital situation throughout the supply chain for both buyers and sellers.

While the provision of short-term credit is not something new, connecting the financial transactions to the movement of value through a supply chain is. This is the process that lies at the heart of supply chain finance. 
The supply chain network – usually referred to as the ecosystem - is a complex one. This is especially true for multinational companies that operate with suppliers all over the world. The soundness of a global supply chain isn’t simply measured by revenues and profits. A more appropriate indicator is how efficiently capital flows between buyers and suppliers. Slow moving capital, just like slow moving inventory, creates unnecessary costs and inefficiencies in a supply chain.

In order to understand how supply chain finance can help both buyers and suppliers, it is important to understand its underlying principles. This is the objective of this Illumeo - Citadel Advantage course. 

Purchase this course now! Save 10% by using Coupon Code CITADEL10 

Access ths course today by clicking HERE
Buy this course NOW!

Tuesday 20 March 2018

Why managing operational risk is so important

By Stanley Epstein



Banks, like any other firm or individual, are exposed to many different forms of risk. So one would not expect it, but the term “risk” still remains one of the most misunderstood terms in the banking industry.

This short article will explain what risk is and some of the different types of risk that banks and other financial institutions are exposed to in their everyday business activities.
The definition of “Risk” as “exposure to the chance of injury or loss” is a typical one (with thanks to Dictionary.com).

There may be other variations on this theme, but what we have is good enough. The key elements of “RISK” are EXPOSURE to the CHANCE of LOSS. Put another way; the possibility that something will cause a financial or other loss. This is the basis for understanding the different types of risks that banks face.

In its basic form, banks take in deposits and lend these deposits out in the form of loans. Should the borrower not repay his loan the bank is faced with what is called “credit risk”. Credit risk is the possibility that a borrower will be unable to make payment of the amount of the loan when it falls due. Credit risk is absolute. It’s the chance that the borrower will never be able to repay the loan. Credit risk and bankruptcy are closely linked.

Liquidity risk is on the other hand not absolute. Liquidity risk is the possibility that a borrower will be unable to make payment of the amount due at the time that it is due. However the reason for this could be cash flow issues. It does not imply that the borrower is insolvent as he may be waiting for funds due to him to arrive. In terms of Liquidity risk the borrower may still be able to repay the loan at a later time.

Between them, Credit risk and Liquidity risk are the major business risks that banks face because they are the major part of the business of banking.

Over the last few years there has been a growing awareness that Operational risk is another source of danger to a bank. This was given “official” voice and form in the Basel Accords, where Operational Risk has been defined as “the risk of direct or indirect loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and systems or from external events”. Take note of this definition – it is very important.

Operational risk in terms of the Basel Accords has been subdivided into seven separate categories. We examine each of these categories and briefly explain what types of risks they cover.

  • Internal Fraud. By and large this covers fraud by bank staff such as the stealing of assets, theft of client information, covering up errors, intentional mismarking of positions, bribery etc.
  • External Fraud. This occurs where non-bank staff is involved such as in computer hacking, third-party theft, forgery.
  • Employment Practices and Workplace Safety. Inequitable staff policies, workers compensation claims, employee health and safety issues.
  • Clients, Products and Business Practice. This is a very wide field and generally covers market manipulation, antitrust issues, improper trading activities, bank product defects, fiduciary breaches, account churning. The sub-prime Mortgage debacle is a clear example of a product defect. The huge LIBOR rate rigging scandal which has dominated the news these past few years falls into this category as well.
  • Damage to Physical Assets. This covers things like natural disasters, terrorism and vandalism – anything that results in actual damage or destruction of the bank’s physical assets. These actions may be deliberate or purely accidental.
  • Business Disruption and Systems Failures. Power failures, computer software and hardware failures. A hurricane or a flood that results in banking services being disrupted also falls into this category.
  • Execution, Delivery and Process Management. This covers things like data capture errors, accounting errors, failure to meet legal reporting requirement, negligent loss of client assets.
There are other risks too, such as legal, reputational, market – the list goes on. But that is another story.

Saturday 23 December 2017

International Trade Finance (a full course in four parts)

This course has full CPE accreditation.

The course provides a comprehensive foundation for understanding all aspects of International Trade Finance in a global context, covering the key principles, concepts, infrastructures, practices, issues, and current developments.

Although the full course is divided into four parts, which together form a complete picture of international trade, its various instruments, its operations and its financing, each part may be
studied as a stand-alone unit.

This course will be of especial interest to banking, business, and import/export professionals who wish to expand their knowledge base as well as enhance their expertise and advance their careers in
or gain a deeper understanding of the international trade finance arena.

Part 1 - Trade Finance Instruments - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
Part 2 - Payment Instruments - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
Part 3 - International Payment Systems - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
Part 4 - Supply Chain Finance - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS


For 10% discount use coupon code Citadel10 when registering.

Monday 18 December 2017

Bitcoin

Bitcoin’s price fluctuated around its record high of about $20,000 as the cryptocurrency began to trade on the world’s largest futures exchange. Its smooth launch on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange came with a chorus of warnings about speculative valuation. A week ago it opened on the smaller of Chicago’s futures exchanges; the CME has many times the trading volume.

Friday 24 November 2017

On-line CPE Certified Training Courses


Citadel Advantage is proud to be associated with Illumeo, a provider of continuing education courses and webinars.

If you are one of the millions of certified professionals in the corporate world, it's critical to you, your current job, and your future career aspirations to remain certified and continuously improve your skills. For managers it’s increasingly important to hire and retain certified professionals in critical roles.

Illumeo delivers continuing education courses and webinars of the highest quality, for over two dozen of the most popular certification types for corporate professionals, at an incredibly affordable price.

Citadel Advantage is a providing a growing range of professional courses that are being marketed under the Illumeo brand.

Most of our Citadel Advantage’s Illumeo courses carry CPE credits for CPA, CPD, CMA, CFE, CGFM, CIA, CRMA.

Citadel Advantage’s two Principal Associates, Richard Barr and Stanley Epstein are both certified Illumeo instructors.

We list below titles of our growing range of on-line courses presented through Illumeo.

If you register through ourselves we are able to offer you a great 10% discount on course fees. Just use Coupon Code Citadel10 when registering.

For more information on each course and to start the registration process simply click on the course title.

Key Elements in Managing Operational Risk

Understanding the Blockchain

Understanding Supply Chain Finance

Business Continuity Planning Risk vs Reward 

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) - A Comparison of COSO & ISO

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Compliance

International Trade - Part 1: Trade Finance Instruments

International Trade - Part 2 - Payment Instruments

International Trade - Part 3 – International Payment Systems

International Trade - Part 4 - Supply Chain Finance  

Principles for the Management of Operational Risk in the Financial Industry

Understanding FinTech – Part 1 (FinTech Basics) 

Understanding FinTech – Part 2 (Financial Service Functions & Innovation Clusters) 

Understanding FinTech – Part 3 (Blockchain, Bitcoin & Other Cryptocurrencies) 

Understanding Operational Risk in Financial Institutions

Globalization, Finance and the Supply Chain 
 
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