Introduction to Quantitative Investing & Hedge Fund Strategies
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need to use your multi-strategy model to invest? Can I adopt any one or more for my own investing?
First and foremost, what we do is to teach the principles behind each strategy and share our experiences in the course. For us, each strategy can be used as a standalone strategy. But each has its own strengths and weaknesses. It's best to understand them so that you can decide for yourself. For example, the volatility trading strategy, while potentially capable of providing higher returns and acting as a hedge in crucial times, it is also riskier and more time-sensitive than the rest. Using a multi-strategy approach allows a more diversified approach that taps on all the strategies to complement each other. So you can expect a more stable performance.
2. What is the minimum amount if I need to use your model & template for investing?
Depends on the commissions you are charged, whether you are using leverage, and if your broker allows fractional shares trading. But in general, there are 4 strategies, and the recommended amount for each ranges from USD10K to USD50K (using Interactive Brokers).
3. Beyond the 1-year guidance, do I have to pay and what are the fees?
The 1-year guidance is meant to assist you to operate the models we teach. We show the composition of the portfolio so that you can match it against your own when you operate the models. And any queries, just let us know, we will help you as best as we can to make sure you know how to run them. At the end of one year, most of you should be fairly proficient in terms of how to operate them. But if you still need the composition of the portfolio after one year, we charge USD 50/mth. General Q&A and support will still be there though.
4. Is PC/Laptop a must for the course? Can I use a mobile or tablet like iPad to attend the course?
There are parts of the course that involves operating excel files. These files will NOT function on mobiles or tablets. Of course, you can still watch how we do it and refer to the pre-recorded videos on how to operate these files in the Learning Management System after the course. But you will not be able to follow along during the live sessions where excel files are involved.
5. What sort of basic competence in MS Excel must I have?
We do not require you to be an expert in Excel. You will not need to key in Excel functions or write scripts. Those are already built into the excel model. But we do need you to enable Solver which is an add-in in Excel. That is a simple once-off task and instructions will be given before the course. And aside from that, you should know how to perform simple tasks such as refreshing a spreadsheet (hitting F9), copy and pasting on spreadsheets, and dragging to replicate rows or columns within Excel.
6. Do I need to have any experience with investing before I attend this course?
It is definitely preferable for you to have experience with investing in stocks at least. Because we do not cover things such as what are financial markets, what are brokers, how to open a brokerage account, etc. So if you are really new to investing, while we believe you can still get value out of our course, you may find what we teach overwhelming.
7. Are the strategies you teach 100% automated including the trade executions with the broker?
The investment decisions are 100% driven by the models. So in terms of application, you don't have to do any fundamental research, look at charts, or perform any manual calculations. All you need is to do is a few simple steps to update the models which take no more than a few minutes. But you do still have to execute the trades yourself based on the decisions produced by the models. That said, these are long-term models with low turnover e.g. once or twice a month, so you don't have to worry about having to execute trades every now and then. But if you want a totally hands-off approach, you can speak to iFAST Global Markets about implementing some of our strategies.
8. How is this IBF course different from the online Multi-Strategy Investing course?
The IBF course is delivered live via Zoom and conducted over 3 full days. It focuses more on the concepts and applications of quantitative investing. It also includes additional topics on behavioral finance and technical analysis. Upon successful completion of the IBF course, graduates will also be granted full lifetime access to the online Multi-Strategy Investing Course which covers the more technical aspects of building the models.