We encourage Seminar participants who are not typically involved with global financial markets to enroll in our Workshop on Financial Markets, Instruments, and Institutions; the Workshop is held on the Thursday and Friday immediately prior to the Seminar. Economists on our research staff introduce topics to prepare participants for the Seminar.

Since its introduction in 1998, the Workshop has proved beneficial not only to those wishing to strengthen their knowledge of basic finance concepts in preparation for the Seminar, but also to those having some background in financial markets who seek to enhance their command of terminology and institutional structure.

Workshop Agenda »

Preparation
We recommend that Workshop participants prepare ahead of time, to enable them to gain full advantage of the two-day session. In the Workshop program (see agenda), we identify chapters of two books that provide background on the topics covered in the Workshop.

Financial Markets and Institutions (ME)
Frederic S. Mishkin and Stanley G. Eakins, Fifth Edition, 2006, Addison Wesley, New York.

Investments (BKM)
Zvi Bodie, Alex Kane and Alan J. Marcus, Sixth Edition, 2007, Irwin McGraw-Hill, Chicago.

For reference:
Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms
J. Downes and J.E. Goodman, Barron's Educational Series, Seventh Edition, 2006.

Additionally, participants should complete problem sets for three analytical sessions before the Workshop:

Finance Concepts I: Present Discounted Value, Risk/Return Tradeoff
Problem Set
Data for Problem 7

Finance Concepts II: Term Structure of Interest Rates
Problem Set
Solutions

Introduction to Derivatives: Futures, Forwards, Swaps & Options
Problem Set

In review sessions following the lunches, lecturers will answer questions about the presentations and the problem sets.