SEGREGATED FUNDS (Chapter 2) Flashcards
Seg-fund Terminology
Segregated Fund
Investment pool structured as a deferred variable annuity and used by insurance companies to offer both capital appreciation and death benefits to policyholders.
Seg-fund Terminology
Downside Protection
Limits investment risk by establishing a
minimum contract value payable at maturity.
Seg-fund Terminology
Adjusted Cost Basis
A calculation that determines the tax cost of an investment to its investor
Seg-fund Terminology
Management expense ratio (MER)
The combined costs of managing a fund including operating expenses and taxes.
Seg-fund Terminology
Canadian Investment Funds Standards Committee (CIFSC)
Self-imposed mandate to standardize the classifications of Canadian-domiciled mutual funds.
Seg-fund Terminology
Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit (GLWB)
Guarantees a minimum payout level
Seg-fund Terminology
Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefit (GMWB)
Provides a regular income over a set period of time
CHAPTER 2 - Segregated fund
Name at least three ADVANTAGES of segregated fund
- Guarantees;
- Growth secured by reset;
- Funding flexibility through ongoing deposits;
- Ease of monitoring value;
- Guaranteed income;
- Professional management;
- Diversification;
- Tax benefits;
- Switches between funds;
- Ability to withdraw (redemption);
- Exemption from probate fees;
- Investor protection;
- Protection from creditors;
- Absence of medical underwriting;
- Right of rescission.
[Ref. 2.1]
Segregated funds provide two guarantees that protect the investor from the loss of principal, what are they?
- Maturity guarantee
- Death benefit guarantee.
The minimum maturity date on segregated fund is________.
The minimum maturity date on segregated fund is ten years never less, from the time the first deposit (or premium) is paid to the insurer.
Some contracts offer maturity dates much longer than ten years
FILL IN THE BLANK!
The maturity guarantee ensures that, on the maturity date, an amount that is equal to at least _____ of the amount the policy owner deposited to the contract is paid out.
The maturity guarantee ensures that, on the maturity date, an amount that is equal to at least 75% of the amount the policy owner deposited to the contract is paid out.
TRUE OR FALSE?
If the policy owner buys the segregated fund contract in an RRSP or a RRIF, the policy owner must be the annuitant of the policy.
TRUE
On maturity of the seg fund contract, the policy owner has two options, what are they?
- Withdraw the value of his investment
- Extend the contract and leave his investment in place
TRUE OR FALSE?
A partial withdrawal or full contract surrender before the maturity date receives the benefit of the maturity guarantee.
FALSE
A partial withdrawal or full contract surrender before the maturity date does not receive the benefit of the maturity guarantee
[Ref. 2.1.1.1]
TRUE OR FALSE?
Segregated funds require medical underwriting.
- Segregated funds do not require medical underwriting.
- Therefore, an older person or a person in ill health does not need to be concerned about poor market conditions at the time of his death. The guarantee gives him peace of mind that his beneficiary will receive at least 75% of deposits.
The death benefit on seg-fund may be reduced by a sales charge.
TRUE
Seg-fund Terminology
Reset
When the value of the contract rises due to fund performance and it achieves a new high, the investor can set the contract value at that higher level.
- The new maturity date of the contract is ten years from the reset date.
TRUE OR FALSE?
Both the policy owner, through the maturity guarantee, and beneficiary, through the death benefit guarantee, can benefit from “reset”.
TRUE
TRUE OR FALSE?
Each deposit in a seg-fund has its own maturity guarantee (of 75% or 100% of deposit value)
TRUE
- Deposit one has a maturity guarantee that
applies from its deposit date, deposit two has a maturity guarantee from its deposit date, deposit three has a maturity guarantee from its deposit date, and so on.
[Ref. 2.1.3]
TRUE OR FALSE?
An investment in a segregated fund provides the investor with an assigned number of units
TRUE
- (Example) An investor invests $1,000 in ZYX fund, in which units have a market value of $10; he is assigned 100 units ($1,000 ÷ $10). If the market value of the units increases to $12, his investment will be valued at $1,200 ($12 × 100).*
[Ref. 2.1.4]
Seg-fund Terminology
Net asset value per unit (NAV) / (NAVPU)
Net Asset Value is the net value of an investment fund’s assets minus its liabilities, divided by the number of shares or units outstanding.
TRUE OR FALSE?
Investment growth in a fund is generated in the form of interest, dividends and capital gains.
TRUE
FILL IN THE BLANK!
Interest income is taxed at ______ % while capital gains are only taxed at _____ %.
Interest income is taxed at 100% while capital gains are only taxed at 50%.
TRUE OR FALSE?
Interest, dividends, and capital gains increase the ACB.
Capital losses decrease the ACB.
The change to the ACB is tracked by the insurance company.
TRUE
TRUE OR FALSE?
If an investor wants cash from the fund, he must make a withdrawal by redeeming the fund’s ACB.
FALSE
If an investor wants cash from the fund, he must make a withdrawal by redeeming fund units.
[Ref. 2.1.4]
A segregated fund contract typically returns its value on maturity in a lump-sum payment or guaranteed stream of payment. Such a contract is available in two forms, what are they?
- Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefit (GMWB)
- Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit (GLWB)
TRUE OR FALSE?
The interest, dividends and capital gains earned in a fund are reinvested in that fund.
TRUE
- They increase unit value and increase the investor’s adjusted cost base (ACB) per unit.
TRUE OR FALSE?
The investor who wants to switch his account value from one fund to another may do so with a segregated fund investment.
TRUE
There are two information documents provided by the agent when the client wants to make a seg-fund account switch, what are those documents?
- Information folder
- Fund Facts for the new fund
TRUE OR FALSE?
There are no tax implications when an investor makes an account switch between fund accounts.
FALSE
An investor may incur a tax liability when a switch is made.
[Ref. 2.1.9]
TRUE OR FALSE?
An investor who switches funds where each fund charges the same load, (e.g. a front-end load (FEL)), will not incur a fee for the switch
TRUE
- However, there may be a fee for switching between funds with dissimilar loads, (e.g. a no-load fund to an FEL).
[Ref. 2.1.9]
A withdrawal in seg-fund is also known as…
Redemption
TRUE OR FALSE?
Probate fees are a charge by the province or territory (including Québec & Manitoba) against the value of a deceased’s estate.
FALSE
Probate fees are a charge by the province or territory against the value of a deceased’s estate. Only Québec and Manitoba do not charge probate fees
[Ref. 2.1.9]
TRUE OR FALSE?
Probate fees must be paid by the estate of the deceased after the property has been inherited.
FALSE
Probate fees must be paid by the estate of the deceased before any property can be inherited as specified in the will.
[Ref. 2.1.9]