CSI IFC - Investment Funds in Canada (IFC) Exam

Without the actual fund performance table (DEF, GHI, ABC, JKL), the CSC method of fund recommendation is:

Select the fund with the best risk-adjusted return (Sharpe ratio, quartile rankings, consistency).

Avoid funds with high volatility or inconsistent performance.

If you provide the return & performance details (quartile/Sharpe data) for DEF, GHI, ABC, and JKL, I can give the precise fund recommendation.

Money market funds invest in short-term securities that generate interest income, and their unit value remains constant (typically $10), preventing capital gains. The feedback from the document states:

"All returns earned on money market funds are considered interest earnings and are taxed as interest income. Since money market funds invest only in money market securities that pay interest, no other type of income can be earned. Because the value of the units of a money market fund is constant ($10), no capital gains can be made on the sale of units of the fund."

The Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) is a program that allows eligible first-time home buyers to withdraw up to $35,000 from their registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs) to buy or build a qualifying home without paying any tax on the withdrawal. The withdrawn amount must be repaid to the RRSP over a period of up to 15 years, starting from the second year after the withdrawal. If the required repayment for a year is not made, it is added to the taxpayer’s income and subject to tax. Therefore, option B describes a feature of the HBP. The other options are not correct descriptions of the HBP. Option A is false because to qualify as a first-time home buyer, you or your spouse must not have owned and lived in another home as your principal place of residence during the four-year period before the date of withdrawal. Option C is false because a qualifying home must be purchased or built before October 1 of the year following the year of withdrawal. Option D is false because if you have a spouse or common-law partner, each of you can withdraw up to $35,000 from your RRSPs, not $50,000. References: [Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP)], [Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) - Canada.ca], [Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) | GetSmarterAboutMoney.ca]

The availability bias occurs when investors rely on easily available or recent information rather than a thorough analysis. In this case, the investor bases decisions on internet recommendations and stock tips, believing they are accurate, instead of analyzing fundamentals. This clearly matches availability bias.

Endowment bias applies when investors overvalue what they already own.

Representativeness bias applies when investors judge outcomes by stereotypes or past patterns.

Overconfidence refers to excessive faith in one’s own knowledge.

Thus, the behavioural bias here is Availability .

A yield curve is a graphical representation of the relationship between the interest rates (or yields) and the term to maturity of different fixed income securities, such as bonds or debentures. A normal yield curve is upward sloping, meaning that the interest rates increase as the term to maturity increases. This is because investors typically demand higher compensation for lending their money for longer periods of time, as they face more uncertainty and risk. Therefore, a normal yield curve implies that short term rates are lower than long term rates.

Canadian Investment Funds Course, Unit 5, Section 5.2

Gifts and benefits may be provided to a client if your employer is aware of the benefits and has given approval. This is one of the rules concerning conflicts of interest set by the MFDA. A conflict of interest is a situation where a person’s personal interests conflict with their professional obligations or duties. Gifts and benefits may create a conflict of interest if they influence or appear to influence the person’s judgment or actions. Therefore, the MFDA requires that any gifts and benefits given or received by a mutual fund dealer or its representatives must be disclosed to and approved by the dealer, and must not compromise or appear to compromise the dealer’s or representative’s integrity or objectivity. References: MFDA Bulletin #0756-P - Conflicts of Interest

According to the Registered Investments (RIs) - Canada.ca, you must inform the regulatory authorities of any material or significant changes to your personal circumstances, such as a change of name, address, or employment status. You must also report any disciplinary actions, criminal charges, or civil lawsuits that may affect your suitability as a registrant. Failing to do so may result in suspension or revocation of your registration.