Baker Bond School

Education is the foundation of performance for investment portfolio managers, and that is why The Baker Group has presented hundreds of seminars and conferences across the country over the last forty years. Now we are bringing that history of educational experience to the introduction of a school designed specifically for new portfolio managers and those needing to learn the fundamentals of fixed income investing. The Baker Bond School will give attendees the knowledge to better understand the various types of securities available, how to analyze them effectively, and how to use that knowledge to build and manage a high-performance investment portfolio within the framework of the entire balance sheet.

“The Baker Group has always prided itself on being a top provider of education to financial institutions on a wide range of topics, particularly investments and interest rate risk management. Founded by a professor of banking and economics, education is an essential part of our history.” — Jeff Caughron, President and CEO

What You Will Learn

  • Fundamentals of bonds and bond market investing
  • Understanding the impact of the economy, monetary policy, and interest rates on the bond portfolio
  • Demystifying the complex world of bond analytics including pricing, duration, convexity, and total return
  • Characteristics of high performance portfolios and how industry allocations have changed over the years
  • Introduction to bond types, and the pros and cons of including each in your investment portfolio
        – Treasuries
        – Agencies
        – Municipals
        – Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS)
        – Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMO)
        – Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS)
        – Small Business Administration (SBA) pools
        – Adjustable Rate Securities
  • How to develop an effective municipal credit analysis process
  • Security selection techniques, and how to conduct effective pre-purchase analysis
  • How to analyze bond offerings and Bloomberg screens
  • Regulatory implications for the bond portfolio
  • Incorporating investment portfolio management into asset/liability management

Bond School Schedule

Tuesday, November 5

7:00 a.m.Breakfast
8:00 a.m.Program
12:00 p.m.Lunch
1:00 p.m.Program
4:30 p.m.Adjourn
 6:00 p.m.Dinner Included — Mickey Mantle’s 

Wednesday, November 6

7:00 a.m.Breakfast
8:00 a.m.Program
11:30 a.m.Lunch
12:30 p.m.Program
2:30 p.m.Conclusion

Hotel

You are responsible for your own hotel reservations. Identify yourself as a Baker Bond School attendee (or group code BBS) when calling 1-800-HILTONS or click here to make hotel reservations. The special room rate will be available until October 6th. Hotel price: Deluxe $189 + tax.

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You will receive an email confirmation upon receipt of your registration. You will also receive an email from Skoshi Heron which will have an invoice, including how to pay for the event. For questions, please contact Skoshi Heron at (405) 415-7222.

Note: Dress is business casual for all sessions and activities. Light sweaters or jackets are always a good idea, to assure your comfort during meeting hours as well as evening events.

Date and Location

November 5-6, 2019

Oklahoma City, OK
The Skirvin Hilton 
One Park Avenue
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
405.272.3040

Who Should Attend

This school is designed for CEOs, CFOs, and those new to their roles in managing or working with the investment portfolio. Directors and new members of the investment and asset/liability management committees will also benefit from the Baker Bond School.

Fees

Price: $395

You will receive an email confirmation upon receipt of your confirmation and an invoice will follow in the mail.

The Baker Group LP requires full payment of the registration fee upon booking. Registration is not guaranteed until payment is received. Please remit payment of $395 to:

The Baker Group LP
Attn: Skoshi Heron
1601 NW Expressway, Floor 20
Oklahoma City, OK 73118

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations received by November 1, 2019 are eligible for a full refund.

CPE Credits

Potential for up to 14 hours of CPE credits.

The Baker Group is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.

After completing this bond school, you will be able to:

  • Identify the various types of securities as well as their advantages and disadvantages
  • Understand the tools and analytics used to analyze securities
  • Identify strategies for increasing portfolio performance
  • Explain the Relationship Between Price Risk and Cash Flow Volatility in Bond Portfolios
  • Measure and Assess Relative Value Between and Among Bonds

14 hours of Economics and Finance CPE will be earned for your attendance.

Baker Speakers

Sessions will be presented by The Baker Group’s team of speakers drawn from these qualified and experienced individuals:

Ryan W. Hayhurst joined The Baker Group in 1991 and is now a Managing Director and member of the board of directors. He serves as Manager of the Financial Strategies Group, overseeing the design and implementation of investment and asset/liability strategies for financial institutions. Hayhurst holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Oklahoma.
Jeffrey F. Caughron is a Managing Director with The Baker Group, where he serves as President and Chief Executive Officer. Caughron has worked in financial markets and the securities industry since 1985, always with an emphasis on banking, investments, and interest rate risk management. He previously served as the Chief Operations Officer of the firm, and has been Director of Asset/Liability Management since 2008.
Phil Stenseth, CFA, is a Managing Director of The Baker Group, and is responsible for directing the firm’s fixed income trading operation. A Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA), Stenseth serves as a faculty member of several banking schools. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Arizona.
Lester Murray joined The Baker Group in 1986 and is an Associate Partner within the firm’s Financial Strategies Group. He helps community financial institutions develop and implement investment and interest rate risk management strategies. Before joining The Baker Group, he worked at two broker/dealer banks in Oklahoma City and was also an Assistant National Bank Examiner. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, he holds Bachelor of Science degrees in finance and economics.
Andrew Okolski is the Director of Credit Union and Municipality Strategies at The Baker Group. He works directly with clients in a broad range of areas including ALM, education, portfolio management, interest rate risk management, strategic planning, regulatory issues, and wholesale market strategies for credit unions. Before joining the firm, he spent fifteen years building and managing a financial strategies group at a New York broker/dealer with a specific focus on the credit union industry. Andy holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Long Island University – C.W. Post.
Matt Harris, CFA, is Senior Vice President at The Baker Group, where he serves as Assistant Director of Asset/Liability Management. He started with the firm in 2007 as an intern while attending the University of Texas-Austin, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and economics. In 2010, he joined the firm’s Financial Strategies Group at the home office in Oklahoma City, where he works directly with bankers, examiners, and auditors regarding fixed income portfolio analysis and asset/liability management. Harris is also involved in the development and testing of Baker ’s proprietary bond accounting and interest rate risk software.
Drew Simmons serves as Senior Vice President at The Baker Group, where he works with community bank needs pertaining to interest rate risk, asset/liability management, and fixed income portfolio management. He created the firm’s municipal credits database, and is a frequent speaker at banking schools and financial seminars. Simmons holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and earned his master’s degree in finance from Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business.
Dana Sparkman, CFA, is a Senior Vice President in the Financial Strategies Group and runs the firm’s Municipal Credit Department. She manages a municipal credit database that covers more than 150,000 municipal bonds, providing clients with specific credit metrics essential in assessing municipal credit. Dana earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Dale Sheller is Senior Vice President in the Financial Strategies Group at The Baker Group. He joined the firm in 2015 after spending six years as a bank examiner with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Sheller holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in business administration from Oklahoma State University. He works with clients on interest rate risk management, liquidity risk management, and regulatory issues.