Merrill Lynch hosts 2008 investing programme for next generation of ultra high net worth families

This year, in addition to tutoring on the processes and disciplines of investing, the five day programme will include a day focusing on effective charitable giving.

New Philanthropy Capital (NPC), a charity that conducts research and advises on the most effective ways to support charities is working with Merrill Lynch is this regard.

The 45 students on each of the two, week-long courses will be divided into teams of eight, each with a specific charitable issue to research.

Each team will visit one of seven London-based charities, which include Greenhouse, Core Arts and Thames Reach.

This part of the course will aim to give participants a broad understanding of philanthropy - from how to approach charitable giving, to how charities operate on the ground and the process of fund raising.

After the visit, the teams will present a fund raising pitch on behalf of the charity to a panel of Merrill Lynch judges, competing for a financial prize to be donated to the charity which the winning team is representing.

The programme will be held at Merrill Lynch Financial Centre in London and similar programmes also run in New York, Singapore and Hong Kong.

This invitation only programme helps attendees, aged from 18 to 25 years old, to understand the processes and disciplines of successful investing, making them better informed about managing their wealth in the future.

The success of the Merrill Lynch Global Investing Programme highlights the value GWM clients attach to developing the financial knowledge of their sons and daughters so they are equipped to take responsibility for managing and safeguarding the wealth that will be passed to them.

Over the five days, participants are taken through a step-by-step guide to investing with presentations by Merrill Lynch analysts and investment professionals on different asset types, discretionary asset management, wealth structuring and alternative investments.

The programme also includes a visit to Bloomberg and Schroders.

Other segments will focus on life coaching, developing leadership skills and also personal security - giving the participants practical advice about how to keep themselves safe when they travel or go online.

Amir Sadr, Head of the Middle East Wealth Management business for Merrill Lynch commented:

"A priority for our clients is equipping their sons and daughters with the skills and responsibility to manage the wealth they will inherit. In parallel with our clients' increased interest in philanthropy, we have added practical elements of this to the Merrill Lynch Global Investing Programme, an initiative that is more popular each year."

A podcast about the Merrill Lynch Global Investing Programme is available.