COBS/CASS Flashcards
when a loan is made to a retail client how long should the records be kept?
making a loan to a client is an ancillary service and given that this is on ‘MiFID business’ the standard record keeping requirement is five years. For non-MiFID (other than pensions and life insurance) the requirement is three years.
when is a firmed deemed to have discharged fiduciary duty?
Client money ceases to be such once it has been cleared. This is normally once the funds leave the account.
Suitability rule
required to be assessed for discretionary and advisory business, but not for execution-only business. The rule covers ‘all customers’ for MiFID business (RC and PC)
Opting down
it may be given for any product or service on either a trade by trade or general basis.
Which of the following would ALWAYS be considered a per se professional client?
A. Special purpose vehicle
B. A corporate body whose shares are listed or admitted to trading on any EEA exchange
C. A public body
D .An overseas individual
Special purpose vehicles come under the definition of ‘any other institutional investor’.
Advising charging on fees
Retail Distribution Review (RDR)
which of the following is permissible for the presentation of past, simulated past or future performance of a UK investment?
The information may not be the most prominent feature of communication. If the performance is presented as gross, the commissions etc. must be disclosed. If the currency is in a non-home currency it must be stated that there is a possible currency impact.
Cancellation rights
firms must tell consumers of their rights in good time before (or where that is not possible, immediately after) the consumer is bound by the contract; and they must do so in a durable medium
Trail comission
NOT ALLOWED - dvisers have been prohibited from receiving any trail commission (including from existing clients) as from April 2016 according to RDR
What happens during the reconciliation process if discrepancies are noticed?
Firms must make up for the shortfall
Aggregation policy
The firm should believe that aggregation will not work to the disadvantage of the clients. However, they should also notify the clients that a disadvantage is possible. Firms should also have an aggregations policy.
Cold calls
The calls must be made at an appropriate time of day.
Geared products are not considered appropriate of cold calls and existing clients can be called if they envisage a call.
The client must be given a contact point, the identity of the individual and the firm and be allowed to terminate the conversation at their request.
When do the promotion rules apply? What kind of client?
The financial promotion rules need to be applied when communicating financial promotions to retail clients.
A firm may treat a client as an elective professional client for non-MiFID business if
The qualitative test and a statement of protection loss are always required. The client must state that it wishes to be treated as a professional client, the firm must warn the client that the loss of protection might occur and the client has to state, in writing, separate to any contracts, that it is aware of this loss of protection.
Confirmation of trade for a RC should be sent by…
The notice must be given as soon as possible and not later than one business day as specified in COBS.
collective investment schemes
Per se professional clients
To whom do the client money rules apply?
ALL CLIENTS
RC PC and ECP
packaged product according to COBS
regulated CIS
A personal pension scheme
An interest in an investment trust savings scheme
Research recommendation - what rule should we look at?
All research recommendations are considered as being non-independent; research is to be considered as a marketing tool and so as a financial promotion
MiFID business, a firm must keep a copy of the periodic reports for
5 years from dispatch
3 years for nonmifid
Proper fees inducement rules
Proper fees necessary for the provision of the business (e.g. custody costs, settlement fees and legal fees) are permissible under the MiFID II inducement rules.
Limit orders not executed immediately must be made public to
Regulated market
When must a firm disclose charges to a retail client?
Explanation - Correct Answer: A
A firm must notify RETAIL CLIENTS of the amount or basis of charges IN WRITING, BEFORE any work is done. The FCA is comfortable with professional clients agreeing the basis of charges in arrears of any dealings, but this arrangement is not appropriate for retail clients.
Record keeping according to MIFID
up to 5 years after the relationship ceases
Limit orders not executed immediately must…
be made public to a regulated/unregulated market or an MTF.
Image advertising such as An advert in a national newspaper communicating the logo of the firm, a contact point and the regulated activities provided
would not have to follow the COBS promotion rules
Cancellable contracts period
14 days generally
life policies and some pensions it is 30 days.
The FCA requires that the firm discloses its charges to that client. When should this disclosure occur
Before doing the business
Which products are permitted to be sold on the cold call to a Retail Client?
A generally marketable low volatility packaged product
Where it comes to shares, they must be readily realisable. Only the services relating to these shares that can be sold on the cold call, NOT the shares themselves
Elective Elegible Counter Party (ECP) requirements
Quantitative requirements to be met by a COMPANY NOT individual
Net turnover of >=€40
Company funds of at least €2M
MiFID business, how long must a firm retain records of trade confirmations sent to a client?
records have to be kept for five years from date of dispatch.
MiFID business, when a loan is made to a retail client how long should the records be kept?
Making a loan to a client is an ancillary service and given that this is on ‘MiFID business’ - Five years from the date the loan ended
For non-MiFID (other than pensions and life insurance) the requirement is three years.
When can a UK firm communicate an unsolicited real time financial promotion to an overseas person?
The firm can communicate with clients in overseas countries via a cold call if it is compliant with the UK financial promotion COBS.
If a firm performs an ancillary service for a client, how long should the firm hold on to the records of the client agreements?
some agreements that must be kept indefinitely (pension transfers etc.). These, however, are not ancillary services. For ancillary services the best answer is ‘whichever is longest five years or the duration of the relationship with the client’.
Durable Media
Media that can be accessed by clients and allows unchanged reproduction of the information
It may be offered to the client, though there is no necessity of provision unless specified by a rule. Websites are not considered durable media.
Professional Client
Per se professional clients are, generally, those which fall into any of the following categories
• An entity required to be authorised or regulated to operate in the financial markets. This includes:
• a credit institution
• an investment firm
• any other authorised or regulated financial institution
• an insurance company
• a CIS or the management company of such a scheme
• a pension fund or the management company of a pension fund
• a commodity or commodity derivatives dealer
• a local
• any other institutional investor.
• Large undertakings – companies whose balance sheet, turnover or own funds meet certain levels
e.g. designated investment exchange, limited liability partnership, national body that manages public debt
The local authority must have met certain requirements to be eligible to opt up (e.g. portfolio exceeding £10m).
Examples of execution venues
Regulated market
Systematic internalisers
MTF multilateral trading facility
A RETAIL BROKER IS NOT AN EXECUTION VENUE
Appropriateness for retail clients
Appropriateness needs to be assessed and risks need to be highlighted to retail clients for derivative and warrant transactions.
For which kind of client would the Financial Promotions regulations need to be applied?
The financial promotion rules need to be applied when communicating financial promotions to retail clients.
which legislation would you find details of whether a firm is subject to the Conduct of Business rules contained within the FCA Handbook?
This information is contained within FSMA 2000.
A retail client would normally expect to get a periodic statement of their non-leveraged security based account at least:
A retail client will generally get a periodic statement every three months.
If the portfolio is LEVERAGED then monthly.
LIMIT PRICE ORDER, what happens when the firm is not willing to buy
Limit orders must be executed immediately or made public. As the firm is unwilling to execute the trade, they must place the order on a regulated market such as the LSE.
When considering best execution criteria for a retail client, what needs to be considered when obtaining the best possible result?
The characteristics of the client, the order, the investment and the execution venue will all be taken into consideration
In addition for a retail client, costs directly relating to execution - including execution venue fees and clearing and settlement fees - must also be considered.
Costs payable to the firm that the client is dealing with are not to be included in this assessment.
Trade confirmation notice elements included
The date on which the trade took place
The time at which the trade took place
The total consideration paid/received in the transaction
Execution venue
When is the FCA’s Conduct of Business Rule relating to suitability required?
when the firm is performing Discretionary MiFID services on behalf of retail and professional clients
To whom should a firm produce a document about compensation claims when carrying on MiFID business?
ALL CLIENTS should know about fees
must make available to any client who has used or intends to use those services, the information necessary for the identification of the compensation scheme or any other investor compensation scheme of which the firm is a member or any alternative arrangement provided for in accordance with the investor compensation scheme.
When carrying out a reasonable assurance Client Assets Report the auditor must take into account:
B the firm’s own risk assessment
During the audit the auditor will conduct a risk assessment, having considered the firm’s own risk
assessment, as to whether the firm has maintained systems adequate to comply with the CASS rules,
and has complied with the rules. It will conduct this assessment against each of the CASS rules.
The Supervision Manual (SUP)
determines whether a ‘reasonable assurance client assets report’ or
‘limited assurance client assets report’ must be completed
What is the overriding principle to be applied in determining the categorisation status of a client?
Any client is a retail client unless they meet the criteria of a professional investor or eligible counterparty
Which one of the following bodies is responsible for identifying and monitoring systemic risks with a view to protecting the UK financial system?
The Financial Policy Committee
the UK’s risk regulator with responsibility and powers
to reduce systemic risk. As an official committee
of the Bank of England it focuses on the macroeconomic
and financial issues that may threaten
long-term growth prospects, holding powers of
direction and recommendation over the PRA.
In line with the FCA Conduct of Business Sourcebook, what method of information storage meets
the requirements for a durable medium?
Email from an investment manager
Which of the following investment firms are subject to MiFID requirements when undertaking designated investment business?
A Stockbrokers
A firm receives a complaint from a customer relating to MiFID business.
What is the MINIMUM period records should be retained?
A Five years from the date the complaint was received
Which of the following is NOT a specified investment as defined by the Regulated Activities Order 2001?
Commodities such as gold
Which of the following claimants would warrant compensation by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme?
The trustee of a personal pension fund
Which of the following is a statutory objective of the FCA?
To secure an appropriate degree of protection for consumers
When dealing for a number of clients, which of the following must a firm consider in order to provide best execution?
B Order of execution
Which of the following would be an offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, Part 7 Money Laundering?
A firm’s nominated officer suspects money laundering is occurring. However, she is about to travel abroad for a vital business trip and decides to delay the disclosure to the authorities by a week
Which of the following is a special defence that is only available to market makers against the
accusation of insider dealing?
They were acting in good faith
If a client is classified as a ‘professional client’ in respect of dealing in listed UK investments and a firm is engaged to manage investments on a discretionary basis for the client, which of the following is a firm entitled to assume?
The client has the necessary level of experience and knowledge in respect of such dealings
Authorisation by the FCA is NOT required by which of the following in relation to specified investments?
Trustees of an estate
A bank advertises securities to the public.
What must be included in this advertisement?
detail of where investors can obtain the full prospectus
Financial firms which prepare research recommendations have to comply with detailed standards in relation to presentation and disclosure in order to ensure that:
such recommendations are fairly presented
Under the personal account dealing rules, which of the following must a firm ensure when placing a personal deal?
It does not conflict with the interests of its clients
An exemption from the FCA’s CASS rules is granted in connection with:
ICVCs
CASS does not apply to:
• ICVCs
• incoming EEA firms other than insurers, for their passported activities
• UCITS-qualifying schemes
• a credit institution (eg, a deposit-taking institution- ‘bank’) under the Banking Consolidation Directive (BCD), in relation to deposits held in accounts with themselves
• coins held for the value of their metal
• money held in connection with a DvP transaction (unless payment does not occur after three business days)
• money due and payable to the firm
• cases where firm carries on business in its own name, but on behalf of the client where this is required by the very nature of the transaction, and the client is in agreement
• the custody rules (CASS 6) and the client money rules (CASS 7) do not apply if a client transfers full ownership of a safe custody asset or client money to a firm for the purpose of securing or otherwise covering present or future, actual contingent or prospective obligations.
Which of the following statements about suspected money laundering transactions is TRUE?
Failure to report suspicious transactions is itself a criminal offence
Which of the following requirements is a Statement of Principle relating to approved persons?
A To act with due skill, care and diligence
Which of the following is exposed to the offence of insider dealing under the Criminal Justice Act 1993
The audit partner who sells the company’s shares after reviewing the audit file prior to signing
the annual accounts
Which of the following statements is TRUE of a firm requesting authorisation to carry out
investment business under the FSMA 2000?
-Legal status
-companies established under UK law to have their headand registered offices in the UK if they are to be authorised
-It must have adequate resources
-Business to be conducted in a prudent manner
Effective supervision (including the existing close links condition-
- Suitability – the firm is required to prove itself fit and proper to be granted Part 4A permission
Where information in one part of a firm’s business may either encourage or discourage another part from entering into a particular transaction with a client, what must a firm do?
Manage the potential conflict so as to ensure fair treatment of the clients through information barriers, reporting lines and segregation of duties