Hi, my name is Chris Nelson, and I have been involved in banking and investments for more than 30 years.  I help community bankers master the skills of fixed income investments and portfolio management, so that they can optimize their institution’s financial risk/reward performance.

I created Bond Investment Mentor to help you become more knowledgeable about managing your bank or credit union investment portfolio.  My goal is to share relevant and meaningful information to help you better understand bonds and other fixed income securities as well as to effectively analyze them.

Occasionally, I may cover other related areas such as interest rate and liquidity risk, asset-liability management and other topics related to financial institution management.  If you are a community banker responsible for managing your institution’s investments – or a bank or credit union executive with oversight responsibilities for the investment portfolio – then you have come to the right place.

If you are just getting started here, check out my blog, where I share my thoughts and lots of great information about investments, the fixed income markets, interest rates and other topics.  You can also subscribe to my podcast, where I cover fixed income securities and investment portfolio management, as well as discussing the latest news and developments in the financial markets.

My Background

In addition to creating Bond Investment Mentor, I am the founder and President of Nelson Capital Advisors, a registered investment advisor that specializes in working with community-based financial institutions.  Between the two, I provide investment advisory, consulting, training, and mentoring services.

Previously, I served as the Director of Finance & Treasury and Chief Investment Officer for a New England-based community bank.  In addition to managing the bank’s $1 billion investment portfolio, I was responsible for supervising the bank’s financial operations relating to liquidity and funds management, asset/liability and interest rate risk management, loan and deposit pricing, hedging and derivative activities, and international services.  I have worked in the banking and investment management industries since 1991, working for a community bank on Cape Cod, Massachusetts before moving to Maine.

Besides my investment duties, I am a faculty member at the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado and have served as a college instructor for the University of Maine Business School.  I have also been a guest speaker at several banking and investment conferences.  In addition, I served on the Member Advisory Panel for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston and previously served on the Investment Committee for the Baxter State Park Authority in Maine.

My wife and I have been married for 32 years, and we have two children.  We live outside of Bangor, Maine.  In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing, cooking and being a bit of a tech geek (love those gadgets!).

My Disclaimer

The opinions I express here are mine alone and do not represent those of my employer.  The information I provide is on an as-is basis with no warranties and confers no rights.  I make no representation as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its use.  It should be noted that the information contained on this site does not constitute a soliciation, offer or recommendation to acquire or dispose of any investment, or to engage in any other transaction.  All investments involve risk, including loss of principal.  Anyone considering an investment should consult with an investment professional before making any investment decisions, as well as consulting legal and tax advisors when necessary.