Free CSI IFC Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 12

One of the main reasons why different entities have securities created and sold is to raise funds for various purposes. Governments, for example, can issue securities such as bonds or treasury bills to finance public spending, such as infrastructure, education, health care, or social programs. By selling securities to investors, governments can borrow money at a lower cost than other sources of funding, and can also stimulate the economy and create jobs12

References = Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC) - Module 2: Investment Products - Section 2.1: Money Market Instruments3 and web search results from search_web(query="reasons for issuing securities")12

3: https://www.ifse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CIFC-Module-2.pdf

According to the MFDA Rules, a Dealing Representative is required to make a suitability determination every time:

The Dealing Representative makes a recommendation to a client;

The Dealing Representative accepts a trade instruction from a client;

The Dealing Representative opens a new account for a client or changes the account type;

The Dealing Representative becomes aware of a material change in the client’s KYC information;

Securities are transferred or re-registered into the client’s account; or

There has been a change in the Approved Person responsible for the client’s account2

A suitability determination is the process of ensuring that any investment action taken for a client is suitable for the client based on their KYC information, such as investment objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon, financial situation, and investment knowledge. A suitability determination also requires putting the client’s interests first and disclosing any material factors involved in the investment action2

Therefore, Winter is required to make a suitability determination every time she makes a recommendation to a client (i) or she opens a new client account (iii). She is not required to make a suitability determination every time a client’s investment returns decline (ii) or the markets fluctuate (iv), unless these events trigger a material change in the client’s KYC information or affect the suitability of the client’s portfolio.

 1: MSN-0069 | MFDA 2 (Know-Your-Client (KYC) and Suitability)

Lydia can make an in-kind contribution of her mutual fund units to her RRSP, as long as the fund is eligible for RRSPs. The value of her contribution will be based on the fair market value of the units at the time of the transfer, which is $10,600. However, she will also trigger a deemed disposition of the units and realize a capital gain of $6,100 ($10,600 - $4,500), which is taxable in the year of the transfer.

References = Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC) - Module 3: Registered Plans - Section 3.1: Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)1 and web search results from search_web(query="RRSP contribution in kind")

A beta of 1.4 indicates that the Optima Equity Fund is 1.4 times more volatile than the market. If the market rises by 5%, the fund is expected to rise by 5% × 1.4 = 7%. The feedback from the document states:

"One way to measure market risk is by calculating a portfolio’s beta. Beta shows how much a portfolio fluctuates when the market as a whole fluctuates. A higher beta means that the portfolio is exposed to more risk. The market has a beta of 1.0. In this example: The Optima Equity Fund has a beta of 1.4, which means the Fund is expected to be 1.4 times more volatile than the market as a whole. If the S&P/TSX Composite Index is used to measure the performance of the Optima Fund, then if the Index rose by 10% you would expect to see the Optima Fund rise by 14% (1.4 × 10%)."

A Trusted Contact Person (TCP) is someone that an investor authorizes their brokerage firm to contact in limited circumstances, such as if the broker has trouble reaching the investor or has a reasonable belief that the investor’s account may be exposed to possible financial exploitation. A TCP does not have the authority to make changes to the investor’s account or direct trading, unlike a Power of Attorney (POA). A TCP also does not have the power to place a temporary hold on the investor’s account, which is a decision made by the brokerage firm. Therefore, C is the correct answer. References: What is a Trusted Contact Person and why you should name one, Do You Need A ‘Trusted Contact’ To Help Protect You?, Investor Bulletin: Please Consider Adding a Trusted Contact Person to Your Account

According to the Canadian Investment Funds Course, a stock exchange is a centralized and regulated market where securities of listed companies are traded between buyers and sellers. A stock exchange has strict listing requirements that companies must meet in order to be eligible for trading on the exchange. These requirements may include minimum capitalization, number of shareholders, financial reporting, corporate governance, and compliance with securities laws. A stock exchange also provides liquidity, transparency, and efficiency for the trading of securities.

An over-the-counter (OTC) market is a decentralized and unregulated market where securities that are not listed on a stock exchange are traded between dealers and brokers. An OTC market has no physical location, rather the trading is done through phone, email, or computer networks. An OTC market has lower listing requirements than a stock exchange, which makes it easier for smaller or newer companies to access capital. However, an OTC market also has less liquidity, transparency, and efficiency than a stock exchange.

Therefore, if Underground Airways Ltd. wants to take their privately owned corporation public through an initial public offering (IPO), they would have to weigh the pros and cons of listing on a stock exchange or the OTC market. One of the main considerations is that a stock exchange listing would provide them with greater market exposure and public confidence than listing on the OTC market. This is because a stock exchange listing signals that the company has met the high standards of the exchange and is subject to ongoing regulation and oversight. A stock exchange listing also attracts more investors, analysts, and media attention than an OTC listing. A stock exchange listing may also increase the value and liquidity of the company’s shares.

 1: Canadian Investment Funds Course - IFSE Institute 2 (Unit 5: Equity Securities)

The S&P 500 is the appropriate benchmark for researching the largest listed public companies in the US market. The feedback from the document provides:

"Index: S&P 500, Description: The 500 largest publicly held companies that trade on U.S. markets, Performance uses: U.S. equity funds."

Survivorship bias occurs when underperforming funds are terminated and excluded from performance rankings, making surviving funds appear to perform better over time. The feedback from the document states:

"All comparison universes exhibit some degree of survivorship bias no matter how carefully the universes are constructed. Survivorship bias develops as defunct portfolios drop out and are excluded from rankings in subsequent quarters. Funds that are terminated or cease to exist are usually those who have been unsuccessful, creating an upward bias in the returns of longer-run funds in the surviving universe."

A rational investor seeks to maximize return for a given level of risk or minimize risk for a given level of return. The feedback from the document states:

"Given a choice between two investments with the same amount of risk, a rational investor would always take the security with the higher return. Given two investments with the same expected return, the investor would always choose the security with the lower risk. Investors are risk averse, but not all to the same degree. Each investor has a different risk profile."