Free CISI ICWIM Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 2

What is Back-End Loading?

A fee structure where costs are charged when an investor sells out of an investment, typically in mutual funds or other collective investments.

Why the Answer is B

Collective investments, such as mutual funds, frequently use back-end loads as a way to encourage long-term investment.

Why Other Options are Incorrect

A. Bonds: Fees are not typically structured as back-end loads.

C. Equities: Equities do not have fee structures similar to back-end loads.

D. Real estate: Transaction costs in real estate are upfront, not back-end.

ICWIM Study Guide, Chapter on Collective Investments: Discusses fee structures, including back-end loading.

Investment Fund Literature: Explains back-end loads as a feature of mutual funds.

References

Expansionary Fiscal Policy and Inflation:

Expansionary fiscal policy increases aggregate demand by boosting public spending or reducing taxes.

This raises employment, leading to higher wage demands as workers negotiate for their share of economic growth.

Higher wages increase production costs, causing inflationary pressures.

Elimination of Other Options:

A: Higher interest rates are associated with contractionary, not expansionary, policy.

C: Private sector investment typically rises, not falls.

D: Time lag affects the policy's impact but is not a direct cause of inflation.

References:

ICWIM Module 1: Discussion on fiscal policy and its effects on inflation.

Need for a Composite Benchmark:

Portfolios that span multiple asset classes (e.g., equities, bonds, commodities) require a composite benchmark to provide a fair performance comparison.

Single benchmarks (e.g., S&P 500) would not accurately represent multi-asset portfolios.

Elimination of Other Options:

A: Composite benchmarks complicate fund management rather than simplify it.

C: While portfolios are part of the investment universe, this does not necessitate a composite benchmark.

D: Reducing tracking error is a goal but not the main reason for composite benchmarks.

References:

ICWIM Module 3: Details on portfolio management and benchmark selection for performance measurement.

Personal Accident Policies:

These policies often include a waiting period before payouts, allowing insurers to verify claims and ensure eligibility.

The waiting period varies depending on the policy terms.

Elimination of Other Options:

A: A doctor's visit is often necessary but not sufficient for payout.

B: Payments are not instantaneous.

D: Documentation is required, but it is part of the claim process, not the trigger for payout.

References:

ICWIM Module 5: Details on insurance policy structures and claims processes.

Personal Accident Policies:

These policies often include a waiting period before payouts, allowing insurers to verify claims and ensure eligibility.

The waiting period varies depending on the policy terms.

Elimination of Other Options:

A: A doctor's visit is often necessary but not sufficient for payout.

B: Payments are not instantaneous.

D: Documentation is required, but it is part of the claim process, not the trigger for payout.

References:

ICWIM Module 5: Details on insurance policy structures and claims processes.

What is an Accumulation and Maintenance Trust?

This is a trust designed primarily for minors or young beneficiaries.

Trustees have discretion over income and capital distributionsuntil a specified event or age, after which the discretion typically ceases.

When Does Discretion Cease?

Generally, trustees' discretion ends at theend of a prescribed periodor when the beneficiary reaches a predetermined age, often 18 or 25.

This ensures the trust complies with legal requirements, such as therule against perpetuitiesin some jurisdictions.

ICWIM Study Guide, Chapter on Trusts: Details the rules around accumulation and maintenance trusts.

Trust Law Principles: Highlights limitations of trustee discretion.

References

The EU and Financial Services

The European Union’s goal is to establish asingle marketwhere financial services, goods, and capital can move freely between member states.

This involves harmonizing laws and regulations across countries to reduce barriers to trade and investment.

Why the Other Options are Incorrect

A. Single regulator: The EU has no single financial regulator; financial regulation is shared across bodies like ESMA and EBA.

C. Power of veto: The EU does not override national regulators; instead, it ensures compliance with its directives.

D. ECB and systemic risk: The ECB handles systemic risk in the Eurozone but not for the entire EU, especially countries outside the Eurozone.

ICWIM Study Guide, Chapter on Global Financial Markets: Covers the EU’s role in creating a single market.

EU Financial Directives: MiFID and others promote cross-border market access.

ReferencesThus, the correct answer isB. It aims to bring about a single market.

Performance attribution analysis evaluates the performance of a portfolio by breaking it into components attributed to specific investment decisions. These include:

Asset Allocation: The decision on the proportion of the portfolio allocated to different asset classes (e.g., stocks, bonds).

Sector Choice: Selecting specific sectors (e.g., technology, healthcare) within asset classes.

Security Selection: Choosing individual securities within the selected sectors.

Risk analysis, while critical for investment management, is not typically part of standard performance attribution frameworks.

References:

International Certificate in Wealth & Investment Management: Portfolio performance evaluation section.

Standard attribution models: Brinson, Hood, and Beebower model widely used in performance attribution.

Determine the shortfall in income:

Desired income: £40,000

Pension provided: £35,000

Annual shortfall: £40,000 - £35,000 = £5,000

Adjust for inflation over 20 years:Future value = Present Value × (1 + Inflation Rate)^n£5,000 × (1 + 0.02)^20 = £7,430 (inflation-adjusted shortfall)

Calculate the lump sum required to generate this shortfall:Use the real rate of return formula: (1 + nominal return) ÷ (1 + inflation rate) - 1Real rate of return = (1 + 0.03) ÷ (1 + 0.02) - 1 = 0.98% per year

Use the present value of annuity formula:PV = PMT × [(1 - (1 + r)^-n) ÷ r]PV = £7,430 × [(1 - (1 + 0.0098)^-20) ÷ 0.0098]PV = £7,430 × 44.64 = £331,631

Standard deviation measures the dispersion of returns around the average (mean) return. A higher standard deviation indicates greater historical volatility, showing how much the returns deviate from the expected average.

Formula:

Standard Deviation=Σ(Ri−Rˉ)2n\text{Standard Deviation} = \sqrt{\frac{\Sigma (R_i - \bar{R})^2}{n}}Standard Deviation=nΣ(Ri​−Rˉ)2​​

Where:

RiR_iRi​ = Individual returns

Rˉ\bar{R}Rˉ = Mean return

nnn = Number of data points

Key Person Protection:

This insurance protects a business against financial loss if a critical employee (e.g., founder, CEO) becomes incapacitated or dies.

It is designed to mitigate reliance on essential individuals whose absence would disrupt operations.

Elimination of Other Options:

B: Size of the business is not the determining factor.

C: Significant customers are protected under other insurance (e.g., credit insurance).

D: Seasonal profits do not relate to key person risk.

References:

ICWIM Module 5: Focus on business risk management and insurance needs.