Wealth & Asset Operations Track

Track Overview

This free, self-directed track teaches the operational mechanics of wealth and asset management organizations. Students learn how firms administer portfolios, maintain custody and records, process investment activity, support advisors and portfolio managers, generate client and internal reporting, and manage operational controls across complex asset environments.

The through-line is simple: wealth and asset management depends on disciplined operating systems that keep client assets, portfolio data, transactions, records, and reporting accurate over time. Investment performance matters, but institutions only function when administration, controls, and infrastructure operate reliably.

Students gain practical literacy in portfolio administration, custody relationships, asset servicing, trading operations, reconciliation processes, reporting systems, operational controls, and institutional governance.

Track Units

• Layer 1: Foundations

  How wealth and asset management function as institutional operating systems.

• Unit 1: Financial Foundations for Wealth and Asset Management

  Portfolio value, investment returns, compounding, fees, settlement cycles, and client asset administration.

• Unit 2: Structure of the Wealth and Asset Management Industry

  Advisors, asset managers, custodians, administrators, broker-dealers, and institutional service providers.

• Unit 3: Client Types and Asset Pools

  Retail clients, high-net-worth households, retirement plans, trusts, endowments, and institutional portfolios.

• Unit 4: Revenue Models and Operating Economics

  Asset-based fees, advisory fees, performance fees, fund expenses, and operating scale economics.

• Layer 2: Products / Activities

  What wealth and asset organizations manage and administer.

• Unit 5: Advisory Accounts and Managed Portfolios

  Separately managed accounts, discretionary mandates, wrap programs, and advisor-managed portfolios.

• Unit 6: Funds and Pooled Investment Vehicles

  Mutual funds, ETFs, private funds, hedge funds, trusts, and collective investment structures.

• Unit 7: Financial Instruments and Position Management

  Portfolio tracking, management, and reconcile positions across trades, corporate actions, and lifecycle events.

• Unit 8: Cash and Liquidity Administration

  Cash balances, sweep programs, liquidity buffers, and portfolio cash positioning.

• Unit 9: Income and Distribution Processing

  Dividends, interest, capital gains, fund distributions, and client income payments.

• Unit 10: Retirement, Trust, and Fiduciary Accounts

  IRAs, retirement plans, trust accounts, fiduciary obligations, and specialized account structures.

• Layer 3: Operational Infrastructure

  Systems that maintain portfolio records, asset custody, and operational accuracy.

• Unit 11: Custody and Safekeeping Infrastructure

  Custodian banks, asset segregation, beneficial ownership records, and safekeeping frameworks.

• Unit 12: Portfolio Accounting Systems

  Position tracking, cost basis accounting, income accruals, and portfolio bookkeeping.

• Unit 13: Security Master and Reference Data Systems

  Security identifiers, asset reference data, instrument metadata, and portfolio data standards.

• Unit 14: Pricing and Valuation Data Infrastructure

  Market price feeds, valuation vendors, pricing models, and valuation data management.

• Unit 15: Trading and Settlement Infrastructure

  Trade capture systems, settlement cycles, confirmation systems, and trade lifecycle infrastructure.

• Unit 16: Reconciliation Systems and Break Management Infrastructure

  Cash reconciliation, position reconciliation, break detection systems, and operational matching tools.

• Unit 17: Reporting and Books-and-Records Infrastructure

  Client reporting platforms, statement generation, regulatory recordkeeping, and archival systems.

• Layer 4: Execution Workflows

  How wealth and asset operations move from instruction to completed process.

• Unit 18: Account Onboarding and Client Setup

  Account applications, documentation intake, regulatory verification, and client approval workflows.

• Unit 19: Asset Transfers and Account Conversion

  ACAT transfers, inbound/outbound asset transfers, account migrations, and custody transitions.

• Unit 20: Cash Movement and Payment Processing

  Deposits, withdrawals, wires, ACH transfers, and payment authorization procedures.

• Unit 21: Trade Support and Portfolio Implementation

  Order support, portfolio allocations, execution coordination, and settlement follow-through.

• Unit 22: Corporate Actions and Lifecycle Event Processing

  Dividends, stock splits, mergers, tender offers, and mandatory or voluntary corporate events.

• Unit 23: Client Reporting and Service Operations

  Statement delivery, performance reviews, service inquiries, and operational client communication.

• Layer 5: Risk & Controls

  How firms maintain operational accuracy and protect client assets.

• Unit 24: Authorization Controls and Asset Protection

  Dual control procedures, approval hierarchies, segregation of duties, and client asset safeguards.

• Unit 25: Reconciliation Break Management and Error Resolution

  Break investigation, transaction corrections, operational adjustments, and remediation procedures.

• Unit 26: Valuation Oversight and Pricing Controls

  Price validation, stale price monitoring, illiquid asset valuation review, and pricing governance.

• Unit 27: Investment Compliance and Mandate Monitoring

  Portfolio guideline testing, investment restrictions, concentration limits, and mandate compliance.

• Unit 28: Operational Risk and Incident Management

  Operational disruptions, system failures, incident response, and operational risk monitoring.

• Unit 29: Fraud Prevention, Cybersecurity, and Access Controls

  Access management, cybersecurity practices, fraud detection systems, and account protection.

• Layer 6: Institutional Management / Governance

  How wealth and asset organizations manage operational scale and oversight.

• Unit 30: Operations Team Structure and Functional Roles

  Front office, middle office, operations teams, accounting groups, and service departments.

• Unit 31: Front-to-Back Operational Coordination

  Advisor support, portfolio management interaction, trading coordination, and service escalation.

• Unit 32: Operational Reporting and Performance Management

  Processing metrics, reconciliation performance, service standards, and operational dashboards.

• Unit 33: Vendor, Custodian, and Platform Relationship Management

  Custodian oversight, fund administrators, technology vendors, and service-level management.

• Unit 34: Governance, Audit Readiness, and Institutional Oversight

  Policies, procedures, audit preparation, internal controls, governance frameworks, and accountability.