The Investment Program Association » News

Job Opening at the IPA: Education Director

IPA Webmaster — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:24:47 +0000

The IPA is looking to hire an Education Director. The Education Director will work closely with the association’s Education Committee to grow the market of financial advisors selling Direct Investment products, including Non--Listed REITs, Oil and Gas Partnerships, Private Placements, Equipment Leasing, and Managed Futures. This individual will be primarily responsible for the development and implementation of the organization’s various educational initiatives in collaboration with the Education Committee.

The Education Director will be expected to:

Manage initiatives developed in consensus with the Education Committee and facilitating their efforts.
Be an ambassador for the IPA to the broker/dealer community.
Develop education programs of which the participation in and promotion of the effectiveness of the Direct Investment community will be paramount.
Have responsibility for maintaining and increasing exposure of the IPA through the development of proprietary education programs.

Please see full job description and qualifications

Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Please feel free to forward this on to anyone you believe is qualified and might be interested in this position. Please contact Dawn Jacobsen with any questions you may have at djacobsen@ipa.com

January 2012 IPA/FINRA Annual Meeting Recap

IPA Webmaster — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:19:23 +0000

On Monday, January 30th, an IPA board designated team met with members of FINRA for the annual strategy meeting. The primary objectives were to support the positive relationship between the IPA and FINRA, and to learn about FINRA’s priorities for 2012.

Please log into the IPA members only site to view the full notes from this meeting.

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Non-traded REITs face tough scrutiny

IPA Webmaster — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:09:38 +0000

InvestmentNews editor Bruce Kelly recently spoke with IPA CEO and President Kevin Hogan, as well as several other IPA-member representatives, to learn more about what to expect in the Non-Listed REIT industry during the upcoming year. Kelly outlined some of the largest industry events of the past year and provided an in-depth look into the innovative solutions and optimistic predictions provided by experts, many of which are largely aligned with the IPA’s key initiatives for 2012.

Read the Full Article here.

SEC Investor Alert: REITs

IPA Webmaster — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:38:10 +0000

Real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) have been around for more than fifty years. Congress established REITs in 1960 to allow individual investors to invest in large-scale, income-producing real estate. REITs provide a way for individual investors to earn a share of the income produced through commercial real estate ownership – without actually having to go out and buy commercial real estate.

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Quest for Safety and Income Drives Capital to Direct Investment Programs

IPA Webmaster — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:46:26 +0000

As a tepid economic recovery and a faltering European credit situation sustained fears of a double dip U.S. recession and roiled financial markets in 2011, investors did what they always do – flee to safety. But the usual flight paths had hitches. Seeking refuge in the traditional “safe harbor” of Treasury securities meant foregoing any real return on savings. Ditto money markets. Certificates of deposit offered only marginally better returns. Going long on high quality corporate bonds could give a relatively acceptable yield, but the continuing inability of Congress to tackle the deficit and mounting federal debt suggested considerable risk of future inflation and erosion of purchasing power of bond principal.

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Industry Pioneer and Visionary Dies

IPA Webmaster — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:20:54 +0000

Wm. Polk Carey, a businessman and entrepreneur who founded the New York-based investment management firm bearing his name, passed away from heart disease on January 2 in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was 81.

Carey served as Chairman of W. P. Carey & Co. LLC, a NYSE-listed company, which serves as sponsor to the CPA^® investment programs and manages a global portfolio totaling more than $11.8 billion. Carey was a leader in the field of corporate finance for nearly 60 years.

In business, Bill was well known as a pioneer in developing the strategy of sale-leaseback for the corporate real estate industry. While he made his fortune in corporate finance, his passion for education was made evident by the sizable endowment he made to notable institutions throughout his life. With a generous heart, in 1988 Bill started the W. P. Carey Foundation to support educational institutions, with the larger goal of improving America’s competitiveness in the world. In 2002, The Foundation provided a $50 million endowment to Arizona State University to create the W. P. Carey School of Business. It then donated $50 million to establish the Carey School of Business at John Hopkins University in 2006, and last April $30 million was donated to the University of Maryland to establish the Francis King Carey School of Law. He hoped these gifts collectively would help establish a joint law business degree offered by the two Baltimore-area universities.

“Bill was a visionary and early supporter of the IPA,” said Martel Day, Investment Program Association chairman. “He and many in his firm have played a very active role in advancing the IPA’s mission to educate advisors and investors on the value of Non-Listed REITs in a diversified portfolio. Our industry will miss Bill’s leadership. He was always gracious and exhibited an unyielding commitment to the quality of the industry, said Day.”

To honor his legacy, the IPA will make a monetary contribution to the W.P. Carey Foundation.

For information regarding the foundation, please contact:

Juliana Keyser Harris
Executive Director
W. P. Carey Foundation
50 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10020
Ph. (212) 492-1108
Fax (212) 333-2631
jharris@wpcarey.com

SEC Releases Non-Listed REIT Sales Material Guidance and an Investor Alert

IPA Webmaster — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:00:42 +0000

The SEC has published guidelines on preparing non-listed REIT sales material that covers topics such as: providing a balanced discussion of risk and reward; discussing distributions; providing information about affiliates; using market performance data; and presenting information about the volatility of an investment in real estate. Here is the link. http://www.sec.gov/divisions/corpfin/guidance/cfguidance-topic3.htm

In addition, the Investor Ed group at the SEC issued an investor bulletin on REITs generally, which is available at http://www.sec.gov/investor/alerts/reits.pdf

About The Investment Program Association

The Investment Program Association (IPA) was formed in 1985 to provide effective national leadership for the Direct Investment (including NLREITs) industry. For the last 25 years, the IPA has successfully championed the growth of Direct Investment products, which have increased in popularity with financial professionals and investors alike. Today, the IPA is the leading advocate for the inclusion of Direct Investments in a diversified investment portfolio. The mission of the IPA is advocating Direct Investments through education.

FINRA Enforcement Actions

IPA Webmaster — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:28:04 +0000

Evidently, some broker-dealers and compliance officers did not get the message that FINRA is serious about firms’ obligations to conduct a reasonable investigation of issuers and the securities they recommend in private placements. FINRA has been rather busy the first half of 2011 bringing enforcement actions against broker-dealers and compliance officers that failed to conduct reasonable investigations into private placements. This should not be surprising given that FINRA identified private placements as one of its examination priorities in both its 2010 and 2011 Annual Regulatory and Examination Priorities Letters. FINRA also issued Regulatory Notice NTM 10-22 in April 2010, describing broker-dealers’ obligations to conduct reasonable investigations in private placements.

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IPA Elects Martel Day Chairman of the Board Six New Members Join IPA Board of Directors

IPA Webmaster — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:20:23 +0000

Key Messages:

Martel Day, Independence Realty, was elected Chairman, succeeding Jack Hollander of Atlas Energy, L.P.
Six new board members were selected, creating a 22-member Board of Directors.

Non-Listed Real Estate Investment Trusts (NLREITs), and Oil and Gas, and Equipment Leasing Programs, are viable solutions to help advisors truly diversify investors’ portfolios.

ELLICOTT CITY, Md., November 30, 2011 – The Investment Program Association (IPA) has named Martel Day of Independence Realty Advisors, LLC as Chairman of the Board for 2012, and has added six new Board of Directors members. Mr. Day will lead the Board as the IPA continues to raise awareness and educate advisors and investors about the benefits of diversifying a portfolio with Direct Investments, including Non-Listed REITs (NLREITs), Oil and Gas, and Equipment Leasing Programs. Day will be supported by the Board’s strong leadership panel, including IPA CEO and President Kevin Hogan, Secretary and Treasurer Tracy Mesterharm, and Chair of Finance Louisa Quarto of American Realty Capital.

Current economic conditions have created an ideal climate for directly investing in hard assets, as indicated by recent Robert A. Stanger and Co. reports stating capital flows to NLREITs will reach $8.4 billion in 2011. These investments can offer portfolio balance, stable income, reduced volatility, and a hedge against inflation, among other things. As the industry has grown, so has membership in the IPA. This year, membership in the association has reached an all-time high, with more than 130 investment product sponsor, independent broker dealer, and associate members.

“The IPA is strongly positioned to further educate the investment community about the benefits of portfolio diversification using these investment products,” said IPA CEO and President Kevin Hogan “With 27 years of industry experience and more than a decade of service to the IPA, we are confident Martel Day will help lead our industry into a promising and healthy future.”

Mr. Day succeeds former Chairman Jack Hollander of Atlas Energy, L.P., who was honored at the IPA’s recent Fall Conference.

“Jack Hollander was an outstanding Chairman and we can’t thank him enough for his dedication to the IPA. His leadership has set a precedent not only in this association, but for the industry as a whole. He has contributed to the substantial positive strides the industry has taken in recent years,” said Hogan.

In addition to the election of Day, six new members have been added to create a 22-member Board of Directors. The elected include:

Brian Conlon, president, Inland Real Estate Corporation
Mike Crimmins, managing director / CEO, KBS Capital Markets Group
Steph Laflamme, managing director, First Allied Securities, Inc.
Marc Nemer, president & CEO, Cole Real Estate Investments
Wayne Souza, general counsel and executive vice president, Law & Corporate Secretary, Walton International Group (USA), Inc.
Gerald Stahlecker, executive vice president, Franklin Square Capital Partners

“Our industry and the IPA continue to evolve in a positive direction,” said Day. “Together we are actively engaged in regulatory, education, and practice guideline initiatives that will help us more widely communicate the benefits of Direct Investments in a diversified portfolio.”

About The Investment Program Association

The Investment Program Association (IPA) was formed in 1985 to provide effective national leadership for the Direct Investment industry, including Non-Listed REITs (NLREITs), Oil and Gas, and Equipment Leasing Programs. For the last 25 years, the IPA has successfully championed the growth of such products, which have increased in popularity with financial professionals and investors alike. The mission of the IPA is advocacy through education. Request your free copies of the Guide to Understanding Direct Investments and take the free IPA e-learning course today, or visit the IPA online for more information about becoming a member.

To stay up-to-date with IPA news, follow @IPADirectInvest on Twitter.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Roxanne Pipitone | Gibbs & Soell, Inc.| 847-519-9150,ext.2112| rpipitone@gibbs-soell.com

Educate Advisors with Direct Investment Tools

IPA Webmaster — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:07:52 +0000

Direct Investments are widely misunderstood. Developing digital media properties allowing for depth of information and two-way dialogue affords IPA and its members the opportunity to educate advisors about the “real story” of Direct Investments, including Non-Listed REITs (NLREITs).

In collaboration with several respected financial media, we have created an extensive amount of digital content available for download. While all metrics are still being compiled, to date the results have been strong.

IPA Financial Advisor webinar – ”Why REITs? Why Now?” – IPA members Peter Budko, ARC and Jay Steigerwald, WP Carey closely examined why the optimal time to diversify investor portfolios with NLREITs is now. This program has been approved for one CFP Board CE Credit and one CE hour toward the CIMA®/CIMC®/CPWA® designations.

In the IPA-sponsored podcast with Financial Planning magazine, Matt Tramel of Inland Real Estate Corporation presented an “Advisor’s Guide to NLREITs” to help advisors discuss NLREITs confidently with their clients.

The IPA-sponsored Registered Rep webinar, “Take a ‘Hard Asset’ Look at Your Client’s Portfolio,” featured IPA members Larry Goff, CNL and Pat Miller, Strategic Capital who offered unique perspectives and insights on the benefits of NLREITs.

IPA’s first Registered Rep podcast series, featuring IPA CEO & President Kevin Hogan, provided an overview of Direct Investing in hard assets (NLREITs, Oil & Gas and Equipment Leasing).

IPA’s second Registered Rep podcast series, featuring IPA member Jeffrey Schwaber, discussed why advisors should offer NLREITs to their clients, and how investors can benefit from adding these products to their portfolios.

IPA’s third Registered Rep podcast series, featuring Keith Allaire of Robert A. Stanger & Co., explored current industry initiatives to address public reporting and valuations, as well as the future of the NLREIT industry.

Additionally, IPA developed educational tools to provide a clear overview of Direct Investments, address misperceptions, enhance general knowledge and help advisors develop a greater level of comfort when discussing these products with their clients.

Additionally , IPA offers a complimentary e-learning program for financial advisors and wholesalers, which presents the full range of Direct Investments, including NLREITs, available today, and communicates the unique benefits of diversifying portfolios with this asset class. Advisors receive two continuing education credits toward the CFP® designation for the course. A second course is expected in early 2012.

Request a complimentary FINRA-reviewed and compliance-ready Guide to Understanding Direct Investments which provides a thorough overview of NLREITs, Equipment Leasing and Oil and Gas programs, as well as Managed Futures.

We encourage you to introduce advisors to these tools as a way to further educate them on how Direct Investment products, including NLREITs, Oil and Gas and Equipment Leasing Programs, can help achieve portfolio balance, income stability, reduce market volatility, hedge against inflation and more.