Investment Funds in Canada (IFC) Exam Questions and Answers
Last year, the return on YXY fund was 10.5%. It reported a standard deviation and beta of 6.5% and 1.9, respectively. Over the same period, Treasury bills and 15-year government bonds yielded 2.2% and 4.3%, respectively. What is the fund's Sharpe ratio?
What type of investment account has the option to open it with rights of survivorship?
Why is it important to include ethical decision-making as a Standard of Conduct?
Your client Charlie is thinking about making a large investment into the Sentinel Canadian Equity Fund on December 15. The ex-dividend date for the mutual fund is December 20. What advice would you give
Charlie to avoid the tax trap?
What type of risk is the fundamental risk factor for fixed-income securities?
Calculate the 2-year simple return for the AAA Mutual Fund.
AAA Mutual Fund Performance
Year | Price at Beginning | Distribution | Price at End | Simple 1-Yr Return
1st Year | $10.00 | $0.25 | $11.00 | 12.50%
2nd Year | $11.00 | $0.25 | $10.20 | -5.00%
When selecting an investment to add to a portfolio, what feature would reduce the overall risk?
Which of the following best describes how a target date fund works?
When calculating an individual's annual RRSP contribution limit, what adjustments can be made to the base calculation?
David is reviewing a simplified prospectus and is particularly interested in one of the funds. The investment objective stated for this fund is to provide dividend income, capital preservation, and some potential for capital gains. What fund is David interested in?
Karen’s know your client (KYC) profile corresponds to someone who has a long time horizon, is comfortable with risk and volatility, and is primarily interested in growth. She watches the daily movements of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and wants a mutual fund that will closely match what she sees.
What kind of mutual fund would be BEST for her?
Natasha currently owns 2 mutual funds: a bond fund and a Canadian equity fund. She would like to use one of them as her registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) contribution for the year. From a tax efficiency perspective, which mutual fund should she contribute?
What term describes the range of possible future outcomes on the price of a security?
What portion of the withdrawal from a Registered Educational Savings Plan is tax-free?
Rebecca, an investor in a 40% marginal tax bracket, receives $1,200 in Canadian dividends eligible for the dividend tax credit. What is the dividend tax credit that applies to this income?
Which of the following statements is TRUE about inflation?
Xian-Li believes she is a sophisticated investor. She has constructed her own portfolio and has had some success. She does not believe in studying a company’s details such as earnings, expenses, or assets. She is more concerned with patterns in a company’s stock price over time. She believes patterns form and can be used to predict future movements in the market.
How does Xian-Li evaluate the companies in her portfolio?
All else being equal, which factor impacts fixed-income duration?
What would be considered a fixed asset of a company?
Which form of investment income is taxed at an investor’s marginal tax rate?
In which of the following situations would the client mobility exemption apply?
Which of the following statements regarding mutual fund fees is correct?
What activity is expected of mutual funds registrants?
Jane Lawrence meets with an investment colleague for lunch. Her colleague discusses a new fund that he is recommending to his clients. He also tells her that until the end of the day, the fund company is offering advisors a $50 bonus for first-term orders completed using the firm's new automated application tool. When Jane returns to the office, she immediately contacts all her clients to recommend they purchase this fund. Which component of the duty of care standard has Jane violated?
Suzie received a T3 for investment income earned on her investment in DEW Canadian Balanced Fund. In what account type is this investment held?
What is a general observation of the Canadian mutual fund industry's evolution?
A sales representative is comparing the performance of a mutual fund with other funds of similar investment mandates. What is this method of relative performance evaluation called?
An increase in which factor is a result of a deflationary environment?
Leira has a marginal tax rate of 45% and may deduct $5,000 in registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) contributions on her income tax return. If she decides to use her available deduction and assuming
this does not reduce her taxable income to a lower tax bracket, by how much will it reduce her tax payable?
Jeff is a new client. He is 50 years old with modest savings in the low six figures, and wants to reinvest his portfolio to ensure that he can retire comfortably at age 65. In his meeting with Jeff, the advisor uncovered some of Jeff’s biases. Jeff displayed several strong emotional biases along with a few weak cognitive biases. What should the advisor do?
Irina Pluskova is a financial advisor for a multi-national firm. She is a well-known personality within the local community for her philanthropic work with children's charities. What must Irina do to uphold the Standards of Conduct?
Stan, a portfolio manager, is looking at two steel companies as potential investments. Truesteel Inc. has a current ratio of 2:1 while Strongco Ltd. has a current ratio of 0.8:1.
What could this information indicate?
You are meeting a potential client, William, for the first time. He is a high net worth individual and you are keen to get his business. Which of the following would you consider the most important to create an impressive first impression on your potential client?
Which of the following statements about pension adjustments (PA) is TRUE?
Catarina is a Dealing Representative for Ethical Financial which represents 20 different mutual fund families. Darlene is a fund manager from one of those mutual fund families and wants to send a gift card to Catarina as a symbol of appreciation. Ethical Financial's policies and procedures manual (PPM) require that Catarina decline the gift.
What method of addressing conflict of interest is being used by Ethical Financial?
Why is it important that an investor receive a copy of the Fund Facts document when buying a mutual fund?
Jack and Jill hold a mutual fund account as tenants in common. What conditions would apply to their account?
Should either die, full ownership of the account would pass to the other
Each would be the owner of 50% of the account’s assets
Either could issue trading instructions on all account assets
Each would be required to provide KYC information
Which drawback of the comparison universe method makes average fund managers look more like underperformers as the comparison period lengthens?
Which of the following statements about nominee name accounts is TRUE?
Your clients, Philip and Helen, have a disabled son, Alex, age 22. They want to set up a registered disability savings plan (RDSP) for Alex and have asked you for some information.
Which statement is TRUE?
What party is responsible for ensuring that a public corporation's total number of outstanding common shares does not exceed its total number of authorized shares?
What value are withdrawals under a ratio withdrawal plan based upon?
Lior is considering an investment that gains exposure to companies that trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). He is not sure what the differences are between a Canadian equity fund and a Canadian dividend fund.
What would you tell him?
Last year Peter’s earned income from employment was $50,000.
Last year, after receiving a $2 per share in dividends from 500 shares in ABC Inc., a publicly-traded Canadian corporation, he sold his shares. The sale resulted in a capital gain of $15,000.
Based on the tax rates mentioned above, what is Peter’s net federal tax liability for the year? (Round to 2 decimal places).
What type of pension plan usually provides better protection against inflation up to the time of retirement?
Who is responsible for the explicit costs of operating a mutual fund?
What stage in the business cycle typically has increasing wages, rising inflation, rising interest rates with slowing sales, and decreasing business investment?
Frederic recently sold his units in a US dollar (USD) denominated mutual fund. He wants to convert the proceeds back to Canadian dollars (CAD). If he received proceeds of $1,200 USD from the sale and the exchange rate is $1 CAD for $0.99 USD, how much will Frederic receive in Canadian dollars?
What is the most substantial reward for providing excellent customer service as a mutual fund sales representative?
On January 3, John invests $500 in the Blue Sky U.S. Equity Fund. On July 1 of the same year, he invests another $500 into the same mutual fund. Information about the net asset value per unit (NAVPU) at the time of each transaction is provided below. Given this information, what will be the value of John's investment on December 31 of this year (please ignore transaction costs and distributions)?
Which statement best describes one of the main differences between short and long transactions?
Wilma has always used the services of a tax preparation firm to file her taxes but is skeptical that she has really benefitted. This year she plans to file her own taxes for the first time.
What would be useful for her to know?
In what circumstance would an investor receive a T3 or T5 reporting a capital gain from a mutual fund investment?
What response would a loss-averse investor be most likely to choose in selecting a preferred investment return scenario?
Barend is a Dealing Representative with Planvest Group Inc., a mutual fund dealer and member of the Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada (MFDA). Which of the following CORRECTLY describes
Barend's obligation for conflicts of interest?
Based on return and performance, which fund should be recommended?
Armand, a financial advisor, recently met with Austin, a potential client. Austin is interested in a conservative portfolio that focuses on mature companies that are out of favour with a low turnover. What is the best investment philosophy for Austin?
Manuel is a Dealing Representative for Commonwealth Financial Inc., a mutual fund dealer. His dealer represents many different mutual fund families available, including their own: CF Group of Funds. He is
considering recommending a CF equity fund to one of his clients, Stefania. While describing details about the fund, he informs her that accounts are set-up in nominee name, and that their mutual funds are not transferable. In addition, the fund does pay trailer fees.
What type of information has Manuel described about his potential investment recommendation?
Kendrick is a newly registered Dealing Representative for Oak Solid Financial. He has been assigned the task of contacting existing clients where there has been no record of consultation within the last 12 months. The first person he sees on his list is a client named Chandra Ruffino. He double-checks if her phone number is on the Do Not Call List (DNCL) registry. Which of the following statements apply?
What is the time period during which an individual must complete a training program once she starts acting as a dealing representative?
The following data is available for an investment:
Purchase value
$125
End of the year value
$133
Quarterly dividend amount
$1
What is the annual return for this investment if held for one year?
Which investor's needs would be BEST met with an income trust?
When purchasing a mutual fund, what is the correct way to determine the number of units purchased if the order was entered today at 2:30 p.m. ET?
How is a $10,000 withdrawal from a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) taxed?
Which of the following transactions takes place in the secondary market?
What type of fee is used to compensate mutual fund sales representatives for providing ongoing services to clients?
Which of the following is typical for a normal yield curve?
What equity investment philosophy places greater emphasis on industry weighting than on security selection?
Helen is an experienced investor and after all these years she believes that the market is completely efficient. What action would she undertake?
While assessing the suitability of an investment recommendation as a Dealing Representative, which statement applies to the "Client's Interest First" standard?
Which factors would cause the management expense ratio charged by a mutual fund to be higher?
The fund invests in foreign equities
The fund is large in size
The fund is managed by the fund sponsor’s management team
The fund pays a trailer fee
What may be used to determine which of two bond portfolios is more sensitive to interest rate changes?
You wish to sell a perpetual preferred share with a par value of $25.00, which pays a quarterly dividend of $0.25. If other preferred shares of similar quality are currently yielding 3.5%, what price should you expect to receive for your share?
Thomas, a resident of Ontario, is a full-time university student. He does food delivery to supplement his income. During the school year, he works on weekends and works full-time during his summer break.
Thomas' pensionable earnings were $16,000 for the year. How much must Thomas contribute to CPP when CPP contribution rate is 5.95%?
Which statement about unused registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) contribution room is CORRECT?
Danica is looking for a mutual fund to hold in her non-registered account that provides a regular stream of income with potential for capital growth. She is having difficulty distinguishing between bond funds and dividend funds. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
Lucas wants to participate in the Lifelong Learning Program (LLP). He currently has $10,000 in his registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) for this purpose. He plans to make his maximum permitted
withdrawal of $10,000 under the LLP in two months. Based on this information, what would be his investment objective for the $10,000 currently sitting in his RRSP?
As it pertains to fixed-income securities, which yield metric factors in cash flows relative to ongoing bond prices rather than the initial amount invested?
The XYZ Canadian Equity Income fund is classified as a large cap Canadian equity fund. Despite overall growth in the Canadian equity markets over the last several years, the fund has underperformed its peer group. What is one possible explanation for the underperformance?
Maalik opens an account for a new client, John. During the new account process, Maalik determines that he will need to confirm John’s identity. Which of the following statements about Maalik’s identification requirements is CORRECT?
You are comparing the performance of ABC Equity Fund and XYZ Equity Fund to their benchmark. Indicate the correct statement.
Return | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | 3 Year Compound Return
Benchmark | -2.0% | 12.6% | 20.6% | 10.0%
ABC Equity Fund | -10.0% | 16.0% | 24.0% | 9.0%
XYZ Equity Fund | 8.0% | 9.0% | 10.0% | 9.0%
Fred's client, Matteo, holds a technology-themed mutual fund. The fund's investment objective recently changed, allowing it to hold various cryptocurrencies, resulting in a high-risk rating and making it unsuitable for Matteo. Fred discussed the change with his client, but Matteo insisted on continuing to hold the fund. What action must Fred take?
Which newspaper article would be likely to result in foreign capital moving out of a country?
Dale will be using his mutual fund portfolio to supplement his income from other sources. He is comfortable with variable payouts and fluctuating markets. What is the best solution for Dale?
An investor seeks an equity investment that will mirror the performance of the energy sector in Canada. She desires a low-cost, flexible alternative that can quickly be bought or sold. Which product is most suited to her needs?
A self-directed investor bases stock purchase decisions on internet recommendations and stock tips, believing this provides the most accurate information. What is the investor's behavioural bias?
The owners of Underground Airways Ltd. want to take their privately owned corporation public through an initial public offering (IPO). They are speaking to a specialist from an investment dealer to determine
whether it would be advisable to become listed on a stock exchange or the over-the-counter (OTC) market.
In comparing the two options, which of the following considerations is TRUE?
Gershon is a Dealing Representative and he opens a new account for his client, Isaac. Gershon collects the necessary information from Isaac in order to designate the Trusted Contact Person (TCP) for Isaac’s account. Which of the following statements about Isaac’s TCP is CORRECT?
Darryl has a diversified investment portfolio of mutual funds in a non-registered account with Investwell Mutual Funds, a mutual fund dealer. Darryl’s diversified portfolio is composed of 3 mutual funds. Each mutual fund is currently worth about $100,000. The ABC Canadian Equity Fund has a total return of 6%, the DEF Bond Fund has a total return of 8% and GHI Global Equity Fund has a total return of 10%. Darryl wants to make an in-kind contribution to his registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) account. He has unused RRSP contribution room of $60,000.
From a tax-efficient viewpoint, which funds contribute in-kind to his RRSP account?
What type of unemployment is caused by a lack of skilled workers?
In a mutual fund dealer, who is the person responsible for establishing and maintaining compliance policies and procedures as well as monitoring and assessing compliance?
Last year at age 70, Gregory opened a registered retirement income fund (RRIF). Recently, Gregory unexpectedly received a large cash gift and presently does not need to depend on any payments from his RRIF. He contacts his financial advisor Eric for guidance.
Which of the following statements by his financial advisor would be CORRECT?
When can an individual legally start selling mutual funds?
What term refers to surplus cash flow after expenses have been paid?
What role do investment dealers play in the Canadian and global financial markets?
What does a Sharpe ratio of 1 indicate?
What entity receives all fund money obtained from investors buying units/shares?
A client has $950,000 in his RRSP account and $550,000 in his non-registered account held in nominee name with Tradewell Mutual Funds.
In the event of his dealer, Tradewell Mutual Funds declaring insolvency, what is the total amount the client be eligible to receive from the Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada Investor Protection Corporation (IPC)?
Which of the following statements is true when comparing fund of funds to traditional mutual funds?
10 years ago, Felipe opened a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) account and purchased a mutual fund. The mutual fund purchased included a 7-year deferred sales charge (DSC). At the time of making his investment, him and his Dealing Representative agreed that he had a 25-year growth objective. Since Felipe knew that he was not planning to use his investment until he retired, he was not
concerned about the DSC. Although the rate of return did vary from year-to-year, he never noticed his mutual fund having a drop in value. This gave Felipe more confidence in the investment. As a result, he has never made any changes to his investment.
What category of Know Your Client (KYC) information has been given?
Which of the following are obligations on mutual fund dealing representatives imposed by The Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act?
Sonya, a mutual fund manager for Drake Financial, has had a stellar year in managing their Canadian equity portfolio and has outperformed the benchmark by over 200 basis points. She is now concerned that within the last couple of months of this calendar year, the Canadian equity market is due for a 10 to 15% pullback. Which investment strategy would be most appropriate for her to implement for the last couple of months of the year to offset the market correction?
How is the annual contribution limit for a TFSA determined?
Recently interest rates have gone up. Your customer, Mr. Corelli, has asked you how this will affect the value of his mortgage fund. What is the best response to give to Mr. Corelli?
Which financial leverage ratio measures a company’s ability to repay its borrowings?
What is the current yield on a $5,000 Government of Canada bond paying a 6% coupon and trading at a price of $102 (rounding to the nearest hundredth)?
Martine is working with Ishmail, her financial advisor, to develop her client investor profile. In her overall risk profiling, it was determined that Martine could tolerate an asset allocation of up to 70% of her portfolio. She currently has a goal of saving for a down payment for her first home, saving for her young children's education and retirement. Ishmail uses a one-fund strategy for all his client accounts - Martine would be allocated the "growth" fund to all her investments and savings under his management. What should be Martine's most significant risk in using this strategy at this stage?
What expense ratio is paid by mutual fund investors for the explicit costs of running the fund?
Which money market fund yield is calculated as the most recent seven-day yield?
On January 2nd of this year Evan purchased 500 preferred shares of Ingram Ltd. The preferred shares have a par value of $25 per share and a quarterly dividend of $0.98 per share. They also give Evan the option to sell the shares back to Ingram at par value any time from now until September 1st two years from now. What type of preferred shares does Evan own?
Based on your discussions with your client Sierra, you believe an asset allocation of 30% fixed income and 70% equities will help her achieve her long-term goals. What type of asset allocation strategy are you implementing?
Davis invested in a tactical asset allocation fund in his non-registered investment account. Distributions from the mutual fund are paid directly to Davis and not reinvested. Assuming a federal marginal tax rate
of 26%, dividend gross-up rate of 38% and federal dividend tax credit rate of 15%, which type of distribution would result in the lowest amount of tax payable?
Your employer has a contributory group RRSP under which he matches employee contributions, up to a maximum of 5% of salary.
Which of the following statements about a group registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) is CORRECT?
Throughout the year, the Redwood Global Equity Fund generated the following outcomes:
. $1.00 per unit of interest income from Canadian treasury bills
. $2.50 per unit of dividend income from foreign corporations
. $7.75 per unit of capital gains from the sale of Canadian corporations
. $6.50 per unit of capital gains from the sale of foreign corporations
. $2.00 per unit of capital losses from the sale of foreign corporations
Given that the Redwood Global Equity Fund is structured as a mutual fund trust, which of the following statements is true?
Malik has been saving money for retirement but he is worried about the impact inflation may have on the value of his savings. He wants to purchase a bond that will give him a steady stream of income that is greater than the inflation rate. He has found a bond issued by a major airline with a market price of $9,200, a par value of $10,000, and a coupon rate of 6.75%. What is the current yield of this bond?
Your client, a high-income earner in a high marginal tax bracket, is seeking to minimize the amount of tax he pays on investment income while continuing to invest in mutual funds. Which mutual fund would best meet his investment objective?
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the movement of business cycles in the Canadian economy?
A portfolio manager of a bond fund who believes interest rates will fall should do what?
What is Widget Inc.’s gross profit?
Widget Inc. Earnings Statement
Sales: $200,000
Cost of Goods Sold: $80,000
Selling & General Expenses: $40,000
Depreciation: $5,000
Total Expenses: $30,000
Net Earnings: $40,000
Sandra presently participates in her employer-sponsored defined contribution pension plan (DCPP). As contributions continue to be made into her plan, what can she expect?
What type of fixed-income fund would have the most tax-advantaged form of income distribution?
Jasmine purchases a 1-year, $10,000 face value strip bond for $9,600. At maturity, when Jasmine receives $10,000, which of the following statements is CORRECT?
In conjunction with investment objectives, what Know Your Client information is essential to allow an advisor to fulfill suitability assessment obligations?
Which statement regarding the underwriting process and over-the-counter (OTC) markets is CORRECT?
Which financial instruments trade primarily in an auction market?
Which of the following qualifies as personal information under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)?
Which of the following individuals would qualify for a full or partial Old Age Security (OAS) pension?
With respect to the tax treatment of dividends received from a taxable Canadian corporation, which of the following statements is CORRECT?
An investor owns equity mutual funds and is concerned about overall fund expenses. She prefers investment options that have lower management expense ratios, along with the opportunity for higher returns. What is the most appropriate fund type for this investor?
Which of the following applies to a mutual fund trust?
Which exemplifies the tendency of mutual fund companies to shut down poor performing funds?
When must client complaints be acknowledged in writing?
Which of the following statement about Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) is TRUE?
Your client, Cosmo, recently inherited $50,000 from his uncle. He wants to use this money towards his retirement savings. Cosmo is a 50-year old, self-employed carpenter and he earns on average $65,000
per year. He has a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) with the bank worth $425,000 and a tax-free savings account (TFSA) worth $46,000. He started saving when he was 25 years old and has always
made his own investment decisions. His money is mostly invested in balanced funds. He feels most comfortable with these types of mutual funds since they offer potential investment growth but without being too aggressive. Cosmo has no other assets.
What additional information do you need about Cosmo to fulfill your know your client obligation?
A math problem with numbers
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