ETHICS Flashcards
What is Ethics
Ethics encompasses a set of moral principles and rules of conduct that provide
guidance for our behavior.
How does a standard of conduct serve
serve as
benchmarks for the minimally acceptable behavior of community members and can
help clarify the code of ethics.
Code of Ethics
Specific communities or societal groups in which we live and work sometimes codify their beliefs about obligatory and forbidden conduct in a written set of principles,
Profession
A profession is an occupational community that has specific education, expert
knowledge, and a framework of practice and behavior that underpins community
trust, respect, and recognition.
Professions normalize practitioner behavior.
Professionalism is underpinned by
codes and standards developed by professional bodies.
Professions provide a service to society
There is an obligation for professionals to go
beyond codes and standards.
Professions are client focused
An integral part of a profession’s mission is to develop
and administer codes, best practice guidelines, and standards that guide an industry
Professions have high entry standards
Membership in a profession is a signal to the
market that the professional will deliver high- quality service of a promised standard,
going beyond simply academic credentials.
Professions possess a body of expert knowledge.
A repository of knowledge,
developed by experienced and skilled practitioners, is made available to all members
of a profession
Professions encourage and facilitate continuing education.
Entry into a profession does not, on its own, guarantee that an individual will maintain competency and
continue to uphold professional standards. A
Professions monitor professional conduct.
Members of a profession must be held
accountable for their conduct to maintain the integrity and reputation of an industry
Professions are collegial.
Professionals should be respectful to each other, even
when they are competing.
A profession’s code of
ethics:
publicly communicates the shared principles and expected behaviors
of a profession’s members
Situational influences
External factors, such as environmental or cultural elements, that shape our thinking, decision making, and behavior.
What determines whether an individual will behave unethically
External factors, such as environmental or cultural elements
Types of Conduct
Legal,Legal & Ethical and Ethical
Judgement
the ability to make
considered decisions and reach sensible conclusions.
Strategy to build trust
increase the ability and motivation of market participants to act ethically
and help them minimize the likelihood of unethical actions.
ICDR
Identify,Consider,Decide,Reflect
Challenges to ethical behavior
being overconfident in our own morality,
underestimating the effect of situational influences, and focusing on the immediate rather than long- term outcomes or consequences of a decision.
The Standards of Practice Handbook
provides guidance to the people
who grapple with real ethical dilemmas in the investment profession on a daily basis;
the Handbook addresses the professional intersection where theory meets practice
and where the concept of ethical behavior crosses from the abstract to the concrete.
What does the handbook contains
contain practical ethical principles of conduct that members and candidates must follow to achieve the broader
industry expectations.
When does the code should be reviewed
must be regularly reviewed and updated if they are to
remain effective and continue to represent the highest ethical standards in the global
investment industry.
What does the CFA believes how the revisions should be
CFA Institute strongly believes that revisions of the Code and
Standards are not undertaken for cosmetic purposes but to add value by addressing
legitimate concerns and improving comprehension.
What is required by the CFA members and candidates
CFA
Institute members and candidates are required to adhere to the Code and Standards.
What does the handbook seeks to do
The Handbook
seeks to educate members and candidates on how to apply the Code and Standards to
their professional lives and thereby benefit their clients, employers, and the investing
public in general.
What is the CFA Institute Board of Governors
maintains oversight and responsibility for the Professional Conduct Program (PCP), which,
in conjunction with the Disciplinary Review Committee (DRC), is responsible for
enforcement of the Code and Standards.
What is the Disciplinary Review Committee
The DRC is a volunteer committee of CFA
charterholders who serve on panels to review conduct and partner with Professional
Conduct staff to establish and review professional conduct policies.
One source of Professional Conduct
members
and candidates must self- disclose on the annual Professional Conduct Statement all
matters that question their professional conduct, such as involvement in civil litigation
or a criminal investigation or being the subject of a written complaint.
How does the CFA becomes aware of questionable conduct by a member
through the media, regulatory notices, or another public source.
What happens when an inquiry is initiated
When an inquiry is initiated, the Professional Conduct staff conducts an investigation that may include requesting a written explanation from the member or candidate;
interviewing the member or candidate, complaining parties, and third parties; and
collecting documents and records relevant to the investigation.
What happens after the review
Upon reviewing the
material obtained during the investigation, the Professional Conduct staff may conclude the inquiry with no disciplinary sanction, issue a cautionary letter, or continue
proceedings to discipline the member or candidate.
What are the sanctions imposed by the CFA
Sanctions imposed by CFA Institute may have significant consequences; they
include public censure, suspension of membership and use of the CFA designation,
and revocation of the CFA charter. Candidates enrolled in the CFA Program who have
violated the Code and Standards or testing policies may be suspended or prohibited
from further participation in the CFA Program.
Does the CFA welcomes public acknowledgment of compliance
Yes when appropiate and notify the CFA the adoption plans
What is The CFA Institute Standards of Practice Council (SPC),
a group consisting of CFA
charterholder volunteers from many different countries, is charged with maintaining
and interpreting the Code and Standards and ensuring that they are effective.
Whats the mission of the Code and Standards
lead the
investment profession globally by promoting the highest standards of ethics, education,
and professional excellence for the ultimate benefit of society.
The Code of Ethics
■ Act with integrity, competence, diligence, and respect and in an ethical manner
with the public, clients, prospective clients, employers, employees, colleagues in
the investment profession, and other participants in the global capital markets.
■ Place the integrity of the investment profession and the interests of clients
above their own personal interests.
■ Use reasonable care and exercise independent professional judgment when
conducting investment analysis, making investment recommendations, taking
investment actions, and engaging in other professional activities.
■ Practice and encourage others to practice in a professional and ethical manner
that will reflect credit on themselves and the profession.
■ Promote the integrity and viability of the global capital markets for the ultimate
benefit of society.
■ Maintain and improve their professional competence and strive to maintain and
improve the competence of other investment professionals
Standard I(Professionalism)
Knowledge of the Law,Independence and Objectivity,Misrepresentation,Misconduct
Standard II(Integrity of Capital Markets)
Material Nonpublic Information,Market Manipulation
Standard III(Duties to Clients)
Loyalty, Prudence, and Care,Fair Dealing,Suitability,Performance Presentation,Preservation of Confidentiality
Standard IV(Duties to Employers)
Loyalty,Additional Compensation Arrangements,Responsibilities of Supervisors
Standard V(Investment Analysis,Recommendations and Actions)
Diligence and Reasonable Basis,Communication with Clients and Prospective Clients,Record Retention
Standard VI(Conflicts of Interest)
Disclosure of Conflicts,Priority of Transactions,Referral Fees
Standard VII(Responsibilities as a CFA member or Candidates)
Conduct as Participants in CFA Institute Programs,Reference to CFA Institute, the CFA Designation, and the CFA Program
Standard IA Knowledge of the Law
Members and Candidates must understand and comply with all applicable laws, rules,
and regulations (including the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional
Conduct) of any government, regulatory organization, licensing agency, or professional
association governing their professional activities. In the event of conflict, Members
and Candidates must comply with the more strict law, rule, or regulation. Members and
Candidates must not knowingly participate or assist in and must dissociate from any
violation of such laws, rules, or regulations.
What does one do in the event you are doing business in a less strict country
When applicable law and the Code and Standards require different conduct, members and candidates must follow the more strict of the applicable law or the Code and Standards.
What principles does members and candidates must comply
■ Members and candidates must comply with applicable laws or regulations
related to their professional activities.
■ Members and candidates must not engage in conduct that constitutes a violation of the Code and Standards, even though it may otherwise be legal.
■ In the absence of any applicable law or regulation or when the Code and
Standards impose a higher degree of responsibility than applicable laws and
regulations, members and candidates must adhere to the Code and Standards.
What are the CFA members obligated to
to abide by the CFA Institute Articles of
Incorporation, Bylaws, Code of Ethics, Standards of Professional Conduct, Rules of
Procedure, Membership Agreement, and other applicable rules promulgated by CFA
Institute, all as amended periodically.
Steps to dissociate from ethical violations
The first step should be to attempt to stop the behavior by
bringing it to the attention of the employer through a supervisor or the firm’s compliance department. If this attempt is unsuccessful, then members and candidates have
a responsibility to step away and dissociate from the activity. Dissociation practices
will differ on the basis of the member’s or candidate’s role in the investment industry.
It may include removing one’s name from written reports or recommendations, asking
for a different assignment, or refusing to accept a new client or continue to advise a
current client. Inaction combined with continuing association with those involved
in illegal or unethical conduct may be construed as participation or assistance in the
illegal or unethical conduct
Methods of compliance
Stay informed: Members and candidates should establish or encourage their
employers to establish a procedure by which employees are regularly informed
about changes in applicable laws, rules, regulations, and case law.
Review procedures: Members and candidates should review, or encourage their
employers to review, the firm’s written compliance procedures on a regular
basis to ensure that the procedures reflect current law and provide adequate
guidance to employees about what is permissible conduct under the law and/
or the Code and Standards.
Maintain current files: Members and candidates should maintain or encourage
their employers to maintain readily accessible current reference copies of applicable statutes, rules, regulations, and important cases
Should you get legal council
Yes,When in doubt about the appropriate action to undertake, it is recommended that
a member or candidate seek the advice of compliance personnel or legal counsel
concerning legal requirements.
What policies or procedures members should encourage firms to consider
Develop and/or adopt a code of ethics,Provide information on applicable laws,Establish procedures for reporting violation
Standard I(B) Independence and Objectivity
Members and Candidates must use reasonable care and judgment to achieve and maintain
independence and objectivity in their professional activities. Members and Candidates
must not offer, solicit, or accept any gift, benefit, compensation, or consideration that
reasonably could be expected to compromise their own or another’s independence
and objectivity
Should you accept benefits from clients
When possible, prior to
accepting “bonuses” or gifts from clients, members and candidates should disclose to
their employers such benefits offered by clients. If notification is not possible prior to
acceptance, members and candidates must disclose to their employer benefits previously accepted from clients. Disclosure allows the employer of a member or candidate
to make an independent determination about the extent to which the gift may affect
the member’s or candidate’s independence and objectivity
Recommendations
Recommendations must convey the
member’s or candidate’s true opinions, free of bias from internal or external pressures,
and be stated in clear and unambiguous language.
Source of Pressure
buy- side clients. Institutional clients
are traditionally the primary users of sell- side research, either directly or with soft
dollar brokerage. Portfolio managers may have significant positions in the security
of a company under review. A rating downgrade may adversely affect the portfolio’s
performance, particularly in the short term, because the sensitivity of stock prices
to ratings changes has increased in recent years.
When is appropiate for research analysts to work with investment bankers
Having analysts work
with investment bankers is appropriate only when the conflicts are adequately and
effectively managed and disclosed. Firm managers have a responsibility to provide an
environment in which analysts are neither coerced nor enticed into issuing research
that does not reflect their true opinions. Firms should require public disclosure of
actual conflicts of interest to investors
Analysts must distinguish fact from opinion
Yes,Conclusions must have a reasonable and adequate basis and must be supported by appropriate research
Recommendend Procedures for Compliance
■ Protect the integrity of opinions: Members, candidates, and their firms should
establish policies stating that every research report concerning the securities
of a corporate client should reflect the unbiased opinion of the analyst.
■ Create a restricted list: If the firm is unwilling to permit dissemination of
adverse opinions about a corporate client, members and candidates should
encourage the firm to remove the controversial company from the research universe and put it on a restricted
■ Restrict special cost arrangements: When attending meetings at an issuer’s
headquarters, members and candidates should pay for commercial transportation and hotel charges.
■ Limit gifts: Members and candidates must limit the acceptance of gratuities
and/or gifts to token items. Standard I(B) does not preclude customary, ordinary business- related entertainment as long as its purpose is not to influence
or reward members or candidates.
■ Restrict investments: Members and candidates should encourage their investment firms to develop formal policies related to employee purchases of equity or equity- related IPOs.
■ Review procedures
■ Independence policy: Members, candidates, and their firms should establish
a formal written policy on the independence and objectivity of research and
implement reporting structures and review procedures to ensure that research
analysts do not report to and are not supervised or controlled by any department of the firm that could compromise the independence of the analyst.
■ Appointed officer: Firms should appoint a senior officer with oversight responsibilities for compliance with the firm’s code of ethics and all regulations concerning its business
Standard I(C) Misrepresentation
Members and Candidates must not knowingly make any misrepresentations relating to
investment analysis, recommendations, actions, or other professional activities
What is misrepresentation
A misrepresentation is any untrue statement or omission of a fact or any statement
that is otherwise false or misleading. A member or candidate must not knowingly
omit or misrepresent information or give a false impression of a firm, organization,
or security in the member’s or candidate’s oral representations, advertising (whether
in the press or through brochures), electronic communications, or written materials
(whether publicly disseminated or not)
What includes as written materials and internet communications
research reports, underwriting
documents, company financial reports, market letters, newspaper columns, and books.
Electronic communications include, but are not limited to, internet communications,
webpages, mobile applications, and e- mails
What does Standard I C prohibits
prohibits members and candidates from guaranteeing clients any specific return on volatile investment
What do with third party information
Misrepresentations resulting from the use of the credit
ratings, research, testimonials, or marketing materials of outside parties become
the responsibility of the investment professional when it affects that professional’s business practices
Another form of misrepresentation
Members and candidates may misrepresent the success of their
performance record through presenting benchmarks that are not comparable to their
strategies
What bench mark should an investor use
Members and candidates should discuss with clients on a continuous
basis the appropriate benchmark to be used for performance evaluations and related
fee calculations
Does an omission of a fact or outcome can be misleading?
Yes,When inputs are knowingly omitted, the resulting outcomes may provide misleading
information to those who rely on it for making investment decisions
Does Standard I(C) prohibits Plagiarism?
Yes,Members and candidates must not copy (or represent as their own) original ideas or material without permission and must acknowledge and identify the source of ideas or material that is not their own.
Can you use research conducted within the same firm?
Research and models developed
while employed by a firm are the property of the firm. The firm retains the right to
continue using the work completed after a member or candidate has left the organization. The firm may issue future reports without providing attribution to the prior analysts.
Recommended Procedures for compliance
Factual Presentations,Qualification Summary,Verify Outside Information,Maintain Webpages,Plagiarism Policy
Standard 1(D) Misconduct
Members and Candidates must not engage in any professional conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, or deceit or commit any act that reflects adversely on their professional
reputation, integrity, or competence.
What does Standard 1 ( D) addresses
addresses
all conduct that reflects poorly on the professional integrity, good reputation, or
competence of members and candidates. Any act that involves lying, cheating, stealing, or other dishonest conduct is a violation of this standard if the offense reflects
adversely on a member’s or candidate’s professional activities.
Can the absence of effort be in violation of Standard 1 (D)
In some cases, the absence of appropriate conduct or the lack of sufficient effort
may be a violation of Standard I(D).
Recommended Procedures for Compliance
■ Code of ethics: Develop and/or adopt a code of ethics to which every employee
must subscribe, and make clear that any personal behavior that reflects poorly
on the individual involved, the institution as a whole, or the investment industry will not be tolerated.
■ List of violations: Disseminate to all employees a list of potential violations and
associated disciplinary sanctions, up to and including dismissal from the firm.
■ Employee references: Check references of potential employees to ensure that
they are of good character and not ineligible to work in the investment industry
because of past infractions of the la
Does Standard I(d) covers civil disobedience
Yes Generally, Standard I(D) is not meant to cover legal transgressions resulting from
Standard II(A) Material Nonpublic Information
Members and Candidates who possess material nonpublic information that could affect
the value of an investment must not act or cause others to act on the information.
What is Material Information
Information is “material” if its disclosure would probably have an impact on the price
of a security or if reasonable investors would want to know the information before
making an investment decision. In other words, information is material if it would
significantly alter the total mix of information currently available about a security in
such a way that the price of the security would be affected
Does Factual infomation is material?
factual information from a corporate insider regarding a significant new
contract for a company is likely to be material, whereas an assumption based on
speculation by a competitor about the same contract is likely to be less reliable and,
therefore, not material
When does information is nonpublic
Information is “nonpublic” until it has been disseminated or is available to the marketplace in general (as opposed to a select group of investors). “Disseminated” can be
defined as “made known.” For example, a company report of profits that is posted on
the internet and distributed widely through a press release or accompanied by a filing
has been effectively disseminated to the marketplace
What activities is possible to use material nonpublic information
mergers, loan
underwriting, credit ratings, and offering engagements. In such instances, the investment professional would not be considered in violation of Standard II(A) by using
the material information
Whats a case when one is not in violation
Accordingly, violations of Standard II(A) will not result when
a perceptive analyst reaches a conclusion about a corporate action or event through
an analysis of public information and items of nonmaterial nonpublic information
Recommended Procedures for Compliance
Achieve Public Dissemination
If a member or candidate determines that information is material, the member or
candidate should make reasonable efforts to achieve public dissemination of the
information. These efforts usually entail encouraging the issuing company to make the
information public.
Adopt Disclosure Procedures
Members and candidates should encourage their firms to develop and follow disclosure policies designed to ensure that information is disseminated to the marketplace
in an equitable manner
Issue Press Releases
Companies should consider issuing press releases prior to analyst meetings and
conference calls and scripting those meetings and calls to decrease the chance that
further information will be disclosed. If material nonpublic information is disclosed
for the first time in an analyst meeting or call, the company should promptly issue a
press release or otherwise make the information publicly available
Firewall Elements
An information barrier commonly referred to as a “firewall” is the most widely used
approach for preventing the communication of material nonpublic information within
firms. It restricts the flow of confidential information to those who need to know the
information to perform their jobs effectively.
Appropriate Interdepartmental Communications
Although documentation requirements must, for practical reasons, take into account
the differences between the activities of small firms and those of large, multiservice
firms, firms of all sizes and types benefit by improving the documentation of their
internal enforcement of firewall procedures.
Prevention of Personnel Overlap
There should be no overlap of personnel between the investment banking and corporate
finance areas of a brokerage firm and the sales and research departments or between
a bank’s commercial lending department and its trust and research departments.
A Reporting System
A primary objective of an effective firewall procedure is to establish a reporting
system in which authorized people review and approve communications between
departments. If an employee behind a firewall believes that he or she needs to share
confidential information with someone on the other side of the wall, the employee
should consult a designated compliance officer to determine whether sharing the
information is necessary and how much information should be shared.
Personal Trading Limitations
Firms should consider restrictions or prohibitions on personal trading by employees and should carefully monitor both proprietary trading and personal trading by
employees. Firms should require employees to make periodic reports (to the extent
that such reporting is not already required by securities laws) of their own transactions
and transactions made for the benefit of family member
Standard II(B) Market Manipulation
Members and Candidates must not engage in practices that distort prices or artificially
inflate trading volume with the intent to mislead market participants.
What includes Market Manipulation
Market manipulation includes (1) the dissemination of false or misleading information and (2) transactions that deceive or would be likely to mislead market participants
by distorting the price- setting mechanism of financial instruments.
Information Based Manipulation
Information- based manipulation includes, but is not limited to, spreading false rumors
to induce trading by others.
Standard III(A) Loyalty, Prudence, and Care
embers and Candidates have a duty of loyalty to their clients and must act with reasonable care and exercise prudent judgment. Members and Candidates must act for
the benefit of their clients and place their clients’ interests before their employer’s or
their own interests.
What’s paramount to Standard III(A)
clarifies that client interests are paramount. A member’s or candidate’s
responsibility to a client includes a duty of loyalty and a duty to exercise reasonable
care.
What does it establishes the standard III(A)
Standard III(A) establishes a minimum benchmark for the duties of loyalty, prudence,
and care that are required of all members and candidates regardless of whether a legal
fiduciary duty applies.
Who is due the loyalty
The duty of loyalty is owed
to the ultimate beneficiaries.
What a member and candidate do
Members and candidates must follow any guidelines set by their clients for the
management of their assets. Some clients, such as charitable organizations and pension
plans, have strict investment policies that limit investment options to certain types
or classes of investment or prohibit investment in certain securities. Other organizations have aggressive policies that do not prohibit investments by type but, instead,
set criteria on the basis of the portfolio’s total risk and return
What is soft commissions
An investment manager often has discretion over the selection of brokers executing
transactions. Conflicts may arise when an investment manager uses client brokerage
to purchase research services