Options Industry Council announces web education program for advisers

The Options Industry Council has announced a new effort to serve the educational needs of financial advisers by launching a dedicated adviser web portal and the addition of Eric S. Cott as director of financial adviser education. “Options are a powerful tool that financial advisers can use to build their business, particularly as more investors discover how this versatile product can help them protect capital, generate income, and successfully navigate different market conditions,” the council said in a statement. Behind a secure login at http://OptionsEducation.org/advisor are trading tools, best practices, concepts and strategies, and an options refresher course designed for advisers so they can help their clients achieve their investment goals. In a newly created consulting role, Mr. Cott will represent OIC at adviser-focused conferences, develop options curriculum and web content for the OIC Adviser website, and work with firms, associations and academic institutions to build and promote options education. Mr. Cott has spent much of his career as a financial adviser, including four years as a producing branch manager. Most recently, he was a regional vice president and retirement income consultant at Sunlife Financial Distributors Inc. of Wellesley Hills, Mass., where he identified and cultivated new business, increasing assets and revenue share. Prior to that he was an assistant vice president at New York-based Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., where he built and maintained a successful wealth management practice. Chicago-based OIC is an industry cooperative funded by a group of exchanges throughout the country.