18

Reading 93

Ethical and Professional Standards · Ethics Application

MODULE 93.1: ETHICS APPLICATION

LOS 93.a

Evaluate practices, policies, and conduct relative to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.

LOS 93.b

Explain how the practices, policies, and conduct do or do not violate the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.

教授提醒
本讀物全部以「案例 + 適用準則 + 是否違規」的形式呈現。閱讀時請先預判結論,再對照解析。考試題型多為選擇題,重點在於分辨「違反哪一條準則」與「該條準則的細微例外」。
中文翻譯

LOS 93.a:依照CFA協會的《道德準則》與《專業行為準則》,評估各種實務作法、政策與行為。

LOS 93.b:解釋這些實務、政策與行為是否違反CFA協會的《道德準則》與《專業行為準則》,以及違反的原因。

Standard I: Professionalism

Standard I(A) Knowledge of the Law

Case 1: A member reports to his supervisor that the firm is overcharging clients by trying to recover expenses that are actually reimbursable. The remedy only addresses some clients but not others. The member must disassociate from the activity and not work with any clients who are still being overcharged.
Case 2: A member violates the Standard by failing to investigate transactions in an account that appear to be at high risk of violating money-laundering laws (overlooking it because it was a long-standing client connected to board members).
Case 3: A member violates the Standards (and the law) by forging customer signatures for expediency.

Standard I(B) Independence and Objectivity

Case 1: A member violates the Standard by contributing to a politician's campaign with the belief that doing so may lead to preferential treatment when awarding management contracts for government pension fund money.

Standard I(C) Misrepresentation

Case 1: A member violates the Standard by assuring a client that fund returns will outweigh penalties from shifting funds — essentially guaranteeing a specific rate of return on an investment that has no actual guarantee.
Case 2: A proposal to manage pension assets lists all personnel and their qualifications. While the proposal is under consideration, one of the key personnel leaves the firm. The member must inform the potential client of this change (misrepresentation by omission).
Case 3: The CEO of an electric car company posts on social media that private financing has been secured to take the company private at $420 per share when it is untrue and the price "was a joke." This is a violation of the Standard regarding misrepresentation.

Standard I(D) Misconduct

Case 1: A member is arrested for minor criminal offenses that are part of civil disobedience related to expressing personal beliefs. This is not necessarily a violation. The Standard prohibits professional conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, or deceit, or acts that reflect adversely on professional reputation, integrity, or competence.
Case 2: A member violates the Standard by using the firm's error-correction policy to effectively contribute his own money to a client account in order to make his management of the account look better.

Standard I(E) Competence

Case 1: A member violates the Standard by accepting a new role that includes supervisory responsibility but not taking steps to gain competence as a supervisor.
中文翻譯 — 準則一:專業精神

I(A) 法律知識

  • 案例1:公司多收費,向主管反映後僅部分客戶獲補救。會員必須脫離(disassociate)該活動,不再與仍被多收費的客戶往來。
  • 案例2:因客戶與董事關係深厚而疏於調查疑似洗錢交易,違規。
  • 案例3:為求方便偽造客戶簽名,違規(同時違法)。

I(B) 獨立性與客觀性

  • 案例1:捐款給政治人物以期獲得政府退休基金管理合約的優先待遇,違規。

I(C) 不實陳述

  • 案例1:向客戶保證特定報酬率會足以彌補轉換投資的損失,違規。
  • 案例2:投標時公佈關鍵人員資歷,但提案審查中該人離職卻未告知潛在客戶,屬因隱瞞而構成的不實陳述
  • 案例3:電動車公司CEO在社群媒體謊稱「已取得私募資金以$420/股下市」並承認是「玩笑」,屬不實陳述。

I(D) 不當行為

  • 案例1:因公民不服從(抗議活動)而被捕的輕微刑事案件,不必然違規。準則禁止的是涉及「不誠實、詐欺或欺騙」的職業行為,或損及專業聲譽、誠信、能力的行為。
  • 案例2:利用公司「錯誤更正」政策把自己的錢補入客戶帳戶以美化績效,違規。

I(E) 專業能力

  • 案例1:接受新的督導職位卻不採取行動以取得督導所需能力,違規。

Standard II: Integrity of Capital Markets

Standard II(A) Material Nonpublic Information

Case 1: A member violates the Standard by trading on material nonpublic information acquired by overhearing a friend's phone conversation and inferring an imminent takeover offer for a specific company.
Case 2: A member violates the Standard by sharing information with clients about a regulator's positive response to trials of a company's new drug, learned during a meeting of analysts with company management. The information is nonpublic because sharing it with a specific group of analysts is "selective sharing" and cannot be considered public disclosure.

Standard II(B) Market Manipulation

Case 1: A member violates the Standard by fraudulently including names of people who do not actually own shares to meet the minimum number of shareholders required for an exchange listing — misleading market participants about the potential liquidity of the shares.
中文翻譯 — 準則二:資本市場誠信

II(A) 重大非公開資訊

  • 案例1:偷聽到朋友的電話對話,推斷某公司即將被併購,並據此交易,違規。
  • 案例2:在分析師與管理層的會議上得知監管機構對公司新藥試驗的正面反應,分享給客戶。這屬於「選擇性揭露」,不算公開,違規。

II(B) 市場操縱

  • 案例1:為達上市所需最低股東人數,虛列實際未持股者的姓名,誤導市場對股票流動性的判斷,違規。

Standard III: Duties to Clients

Standard III(A) Loyalty, Prudence, and Care

Case 1: A member violates the Standard by inserting language into client agreements that excuses representatives from acting in clients' best interests in some cases, or restricts clients' rights to make claims for violating securities laws. Members and candidates cannot "opt out" of the Standards.
Case 2: A member executes trades for a self-directed client who has received the firm's policies on margin requirements. Here, the member's duty to act in the client's best interests is limited compared with an advisory relationship. The member must still act in good faith and not misrepresent the services provided. Margin shortfall terms are open to negotiation at the inception of the relationship.
Case 3: A member allocates expenses to a client that arise from actions designed to reduce total expenses (e.g., staying over a weekend to reduce transportation costs while increasing lodging costs). This is not a violation; charging a client for expenses that benefit other clients or are for the member's personal activities would be.

Standard III(B) Fair Dealing

Case 1: A member treats clients fairly by simultaneously sending emails about a recommendation change. Providing individual clients with updates or clarifications about the change is not a violation. The firm also offers some clients, for an additional fee, weekly updates that may indicate a change is forthcoming. This is not a violation as long as all clients are informed about the availability of the paid weekly updates and no recommendation change in a weekly update would disadvantage non-subscribers.

Standard III(C) Suitability

Case 1: A member violates the Standard by recommending investments that carry more risk than is suitable for some clients, even though the recommended portfolios offer tax advantages.
Case 2: A member violates the Standard by making a client-requested portfolio change without adequately investigating client circumstances to determine suitability.

Standard III(D) Performance Presentation

Case 1: A member violates the Standard by presenting performance based on a composite of separately managed accounts the firm managed before creating the fund being reported, giving the impression that the fund has existed for many years when it is relatively new.

Standard III(E) Preservation of Confidentiality

Case 1: Member A downloads clients' personally identifiable information to his personal home server to make working from home easier and gets hacked. He has violated the Standard by failing to take adequate steps to protect client information. Member B, the firm's head of compliance, likely violated the Standard by not taking proper steps to protect client information — evidenced by the fact that Member A was able to download sensitive client information to his personal server.
中文翻譯 — 準則三:對客戶的義務

III(A) 忠實、審慎、關懷

  • 案例1:在客戶合約中加入條款,免除部分情況下「以客戶最佳利益行事」的義務或限制客戶因違反證券法所享有的求償權,違規。會員與候選人不得「選擇退出(opt out)」準則。
  • 案例2:對自我交易(self-directed)帳戶的客戶,會員的最佳利益義務有限,但仍須誠信行事、不得對所提供服務做不實陳述。
  • 案例3:為節省總費用(如週末停留以降低交通費,但增加住宿費)而向客戶收費,不違規;但若費用是為其他客戶或會員私人活動而發生,則違規。

III(B) 公平對待

  • 案例1:同時以電郵發送投資建議變更,公平對待客戶;對部分客戶提供「每週付費更新」服務不違規,前提是所有客戶均知悉該服務存在,且每週更新不得包含會使未付費客戶受損的建議變更。

III(C) 適合性

  • 案例1:即使有稅務優勢,仍推薦超出客戶風險承受度的投資組合,違規。
  • 案例2:未充分了解客戶情況即依其要求調整投資組合,違規。

III(D) 績效呈現

  • 案例1:以基金成立前所管理的個別帳戶組合績效報告該基金,使人誤認基金存在多年,違規。

III(E) 保密性維護

  • 案例1:會員A為居家辦公方便,將客戶個資下載至家中個人伺服器後遭駭,未盡保護義務,違規。會員B(公司合規主管)也可能違規,因允許A下載敏感資料即顯示其未採取適當保護措施。

Standard IV: Duties to Employers

Standard IV(A) Loyalty

Case 1: A member violates the Standard by making harmful statements about Firm A, her current employer, and promoting the firm she intends to move to while she is still employed by Firm A.
Case 2: A member is pressured by his firm to sell its proprietary investment products, which are relatively expensive and have not performed well. After complaining to management with no result, he copies client records and records conversations with his supervisor to document his conduct, then takes this information to securities regulators. His actions are not a violation because he is acting in the interest of his clients (whistleblowing exception).
Case 3: A member violates the Standard by taking client information with her when she leaves her firm; the client list is the property of her current firm. Even though she only intends to send thank-you notes, the list contains personal information.

Standard IV(B) Additional Compensation Arrangements

Case 1: A member works for a firm that produces issuer-paid research reports and is involved in deciding which companies the firm covers. Some companies offer her a bonus payment if their firm is selected. Because this creates a possible conflict between her interests and her firm's interests, she must get approval in writing from her employer to accept the bonus arrangement.

Standard IV(C) Responsibilities of Supervisors

Case 1: A member with supervisory responsibility over a branch office violates the Standard by not making reasonable efforts to ensure that those under his supervision are not engaging in misconduct, and by not having clear written compliance policies, procedures, and employee training in place. If these are not in place, he must decline to take supervisory responsibility.
Case 2: A member violates the Standard by accepting the title of chief compliance officer even though she has no compliance experience, is denied permission to contact clients or review client communications, and is not allowed to enforce company policies. The Standard requires her to make reasonable efforts to detect and prevent violations by those subject to her supervision. Knowing she could not do this, she should have declined the supervisory role.
中文翻譯 — 準則四:對雇主的義務

IV(A) 忠誠

  • 案例1:仍受僱於A公司期間發表貶損A公司的言論,並宣傳即將跳槽的公司,違規。
  • 案例2:被公司施壓銷售昂貴又績效差的自有產品,向管理層投訴無果後,複製客戶紀錄、錄音與主管的對話作為證據,向證券監管機關舉發。屬「吹哨人例外」,不違規,因其為客戶利益行事。
  • 案例3:離職時帶走客戶名單(含個資),即使僅用於寄感謝卡,仍違規(客戶名單是現雇主財產)。

IV(B) 額外報酬安排

  • 案例1:在發行人付費研究公司任職並參與選擇覆蓋公司的決策;候選公司願以獎金換取被選中。因可能造成與雇主利益衝突,須事先取得雇主書面同意

IV(C) 督導者責任

  • 案例1:分支機構主管未盡合理努力防止下屬不當行為,且無書面合規政策與訓練,違規。若條件不具備,應拒絕承擔督導責任
  • 案例2:接受合規長頭銜卻無相關經驗,且被禁止接觸客戶、審閱通訊或執行政策,違規。明知無法履行職責,應拒絕承擔督導責任。

Standard V: Investment Analysis, Recommendations, and Actions

Standard V(A) Diligence and Reasonable Basis

Case 1: A member violates the Standard by recommending the purchase of shares without performing a diligent, thorough, and independent analysis. A second member who bases her recommendation on the first member's analysis and incorporates part of his report is also in violation.

Standard V(B) Communication With Clients and Prospective Clients

Case 1: A credit rating agency changes its methodology for determining ratings of commercial mortgage-backed securities without disclosing the change to potential users. A member responsible for publishing the ratings violates the Standard by publishing them without disclosing the change in methodology.

Standard V(C) Record Retention

Case 1: A member violates the Standard by not updating client records in a timely manner. Although he keeps himself updated on changes in client circumstances and adjusts portfolios accordingly, he does not keep written client profiles up to date.
中文翻譯 — 準則五:投資分析、建議與行動

V(A) 勤勉與合理依據

  • 案例1:未做盡職、徹底、獨立的分析即推薦股票,違規。第二位會員引用第一位會員的分析(並納入自己的報告)作為建議依據,同樣違規

V(B) 與客戶及潛在客戶的溝通

  • 案例1:信評機構修改商業不動產抵押貸款證券的評等方法卻未揭露,負責發佈評等的會員未揭露方法變更,違規。

V(C) 紀錄保存

  • 案例1:雖會根據客戶情況調整投資組合,但未及時更新書面客戶資料,違規。

Standard VI: Conflicts of Interest

Standard VI(A) Avoid or Disclose Conflicts

Case 1: A member receives payment from third-party subadvisors that she uses to manage client funds invested in some asset classes. To avoid violating the Standard, she must disclose these arrangements to clients because the payments may influence her choice of subadvisors.

Standard VI(B) Priority of Transactions

Case 1: A member violates the Standard by buying shares and call options in his personal account just prior to purchasing large blocks of the same stocks in client accounts (front-running), in anticipation of price increases caused by the large purchases.
Case 2: A member violates the Standard by telling friends and relatives about large buy orders he is to execute for clients of his employer prior to executing those orders, allowing them to front-run for quick profits.
Case 3: A member enters client trades grouped as block orders and allocates them to specific client accounts after the market closes for the day. The member violates the Standard (and likely Fair Dealing as well) by allocating profitable trades to personal accounts and a disproportionate amount of losing trades to his largest client accounts where they will likely go unnoticed.

Standard VI(C) Referral Fees

Case 1: A member invites existing clients who have referred very profitable accounts to her to lavish parties, rewarding them with discounts on fees and gift cards. The member violates the Standard by not disclosing these "referral fees" to all existing and prospective clients.
中文翻譯 — 準則六:利益衝突

VI(A) 避免或揭露衝突

  • 案例1:收受第三方子顧問支付的款項(用以管理部分資產類別的客戶資金)。因可能影響選擇判斷,必須向客戶揭露

VI(B) 交易優先權

  • 案例1:在以客戶帳戶大量買進前,先在個人帳戶買入該股票及買權(搶先交易 front-running),違規。
  • 案例2:在客戶大單成交前向親友透露,使其搶先獲利,違規。
  • 案例3:以批次下單方式於收盤後分配交易,將獲利交易分配給個人帳戶,將不成比例的虧損交易分配給最大客戶(不易察覺),違規(同時違反公平對待)。

VI(C) 轉介費

  • 案例1:邀請有轉介客戶的現有客戶參加奢華派對,並提供折扣與禮品卡作為獎勵;未向所有現有與潛在客戶揭露此「轉介費」,違規。

Standard VII: Responsibilities as a CFA Institute Member or CFA Candidate

Standard VII(A) Conduct as Participants in CFA Institute Programs

Case 1: A member who teaches exam-prep classes hosts a post-exam party for candidates and asks for their general impressions about exam difficulty and opinions on the most difficult questions. He is permitted to share their opinions about the difficulty of the exam with future candidates. However, he is not permitted to solicit or share information about specific exam questions or which topics were or were not tested.

Standard VII(B) Reference to CFA Institute, the CFA Designation, and the CFA Program

Case 1: A previous member who has not paid her dues to CFA Institute violates the Standard by using the CFA designation in marketing materials and on her business cards. Another member violates the Standard by claiming that all senior employees — including the member who has not paid her dues — are CFA charterholders.
中文翻譯 — 準則七:作為CFA協會成員或候選人的責任

VII(A) 作為CFA協會項目參與者的行為

  • 案例1:教考前班的會員辦考後派對,詢問考生對試題難度的整體感受與最難題目的意見。可以把考試「難度」的整體印象告訴未來考生;但不可蒐集或分享具體試題或哪些主題(未)被考的資訊。

VII(B) 對CFA協會、CFA頭銜與CFA項目的引用

  • 案例1:未繳會費的前會員在行銷資料與名片上使用CFA頭銜,違規。另一位會員聲稱所有資深員工(包含該未繳會費者)皆為CFA持證人,違規。
📝 Module Quiz 93.1
1. Karen Jones, CFA, is an outside director for Valley Manufacturing. At a director's meeting, Jones finds out that Valley Corp. has made several contributions to foreign politicians that she suspects were illegal. Jones checks with her firm's legal counsel and determines that the contributions were indeed illegal. At the next board meeting, Jones urges the board to disclose the contributions. The board, however, votes not to make a disclosure. Jones's most appropriate action would be to:
  • A. protest the board's actions in writing to the executive officer of Valley.
  • B. resign from the board and seek legal counsel as to her legal disclosure requirements.
  • C. inform her supervisor of her discovery and cease attending meetings until the matter is resolved.
B — According to Standard I(A) Knowledge of the Law, because she has taken steps to stop the illegal activities and the board has ignored her, Jones must dissociate from the board and seek legal advice as to what other actions would be appropriate. She may need to inform legal or regulatory authorities of the illegal activities. (LOS 93.a, 93.b)
2. Beth Bixby, CFA, uses a quantitative model to actively manage a portfolio of stocks with an objective of earning a greater return than the market. Over the last three years, the returns to a portfolio constructed using the model have been greater than the returns to the S&P Index by between 2% and 4%. In promotional materials, Bixby states, "Through our complex quantitative approach, we select a portfolio that has similar risk to the S&P 500 Index but will receive a return between 2% and 4% greater than the index." This statement is:
  • A. permissible because prior returns to the firm's model provide a reasonable and adequate basis for the promotional material.
  • B. permissible because the statement describes the basic characteristics of the fund's risk and return objectives.
  • C. not permissible because Bixby is misrepresenting the investment performance her firm can reasonably expect to achieve.
C — There can be no assurance that a premium of 2% to 4% will consistently be obtained. Bixby is in violation of Standard I(C) Misrepresentation, because she has made an implicit guarantee of the fund's expected performance. (LOS 93.a, 93.b)
3. Over the past two days, Lorraine Quigley, CFA, manager of a hedge fund, has been purchasing large quantities of Craeger Industrial Products' common stock while at the same time shorting put options on the same stock. Quigley did not notify her clients of the trades, although they are aware of the fund's general strategy to generate returns. Which of the following statements is most likely correct?
  • A. Quigley did not violate the Code and Standards.
  • B. Quigley violated the Code and Standards by manipulating the prices of publicly traded securities.
  • C. Quigley violated the Code and Standards by failing to disclose the transactions to clients before they occurred.
A — Quigley's trades are most likely an attempt to take advantage of an arbitrage opportunity that exists between Craeger's common stock and its put options. She is not manipulating prices to mislead market participants, which would violate Standard II(B) Market Manipulation. She is pursuing a legitimate investment strategy. Participants in her hedge fund are aware of the fund's investment strategy, so Quigley did not violate the Code and Standards by not disclosing this specific set of trades in advance. (LOS 93.a, 93.b)
4. Julia Green, CFA, has friends from her previous employer who have suggested that she receive information from them via an internet chat room. In this way, she receives news about an exciting new product being developed by a firm in Singapore that has the potential to double the firm's revenue. The firm has not revealed any information regarding the product to the public. According to the Code and Standards, this information is:
  • A. both material and nonpublic, and Green may not trade on it in Singapore but may trade on it elsewhere.
  • B. both material and nonpublic and Green may not trade on it in any jurisdiction.
  • C. public by virtue of its release in the chat room and Green may trade on it.
B — The release of such information to a limited circle via an internet chat room does not cause the information to be public. The information is also clearly material. Therefore, Green is not allowed to trade on the information under Standard II(A) Material Nonpublic Information. (LOS 93.a, 93.b)
5. Melvin Byrne, CFA, manages a portfolio for James Martin, a very wealthy client. Martin's portfolio is well diversified with a slight tilt toward capital appreciation. Martin requires very little income from the portfolio. Recently, Martin's brother Cliff has become a client of Byrne. Byrne proceeds to invest Cliff's portfolio in a similar manner to James's portfolio based on the fact that both brothers have a similar lifestyle and are only two years apart in age. Which of the following statements is most accurate?
  • A. Byrne violated the Code and Standards by knowingly creating a conflict between the interests of James's and Cliff's portfolios.
  • B. Byrne violated the Code and Standards by failing to determine Cliff's objectives and constraints prior to investing his portfolio.
  • C. Byrne violated the Code and Standards by failing to have a reasonable and adequate basis for Cliff's portfolio allocation.
B — Standard III(C) Suitability requires that before taking investment action, members and candidates must make a reasonable inquiry into a client's or prospect's investment objectives and constraints, as well as their prior investment experience. Byrne cannot assume that because the brothers have similar lifestyles and are close in age that they should have similarly managed portfolios. (LOS 93.a, 93.b)
6. Beth Anderson, CFA, is a portfolio manager for several wealthy clients, including Reuben Carlyle. Anderson manages Carlyle's personal portfolio of stock and bond investments. Carlyle recently told Anderson that he is under investigation by the IRS for tax evasion related to his business, Carlyle Concrete (CC). After learning about the investigation, Anderson proceeds to inform a friend at a local investment bank so that they may withdraw their proposal to take CC public. Which of the following is most likely correct?
  • A. Anderson violated the Code and Standards by failing to maintain the confidentiality of her client's information.
  • B. Anderson violated the Code and Standards by failing to detect and report the tax evasion to the proper authorities.
  • C. Anderson did not violate the Code and Standards because the information she conveyed pertained to illegal activities on the part of her client.
A — Standard III(E) Preservation of Confidentiality requires Anderson to maintain the confidentiality of client information. Confidentiality may be broken in instances involving illegal activities on the part of the client, but the client's information may only be relayed to proper authorities. Anderson did not have the right to inform the investment bank of her client's investigation. (LOS 93.a, 93.b)
7. Robert Blair, CFA, director of research, has had an ongoing battle with management about the adequacy of the firm's compliance system. Recently, it has come to Blair's attention that the firm's compliance procedures are inadequate in that they are not being monitored or carefully followed. What should Blair most appropriately do?
  • A. Resign from the firm unless the compliance system is strengthened and followed.
  • B. Send his superior a memo outlining the problem.
  • C. Decline in writing to continue to accept supervisory responsibility until reasonable compliance procedures are adopted.
C — According to Standard IV(C) Responsibilities of Supervisors, because he is aware that the firm's compliance procedures are not being monitored and followed and because he has repeatedly tried to get company management to correct the situation, Blair should decline supervisory responsibility until adequate procedures are adopted and followed. (LOS 93.a, 93.b)
8. Eugene Nieder, CFA, has just accepted a new job as a quantitative analyst for Paschal Investments, LLP. Nieder developed a complex model while working for his previous employer and plans to recreate the model for Paschal. Nieder did not make copies of the model or any supporting documents because his employer refused to grant him permission to do so. Nieder will recreate the model from memory. Which of the following statements is most likely correct?
  • A. Nieder can recreate the model without violating the Code and Standards as long as he also generates supporting documentation.
  • B. Nieder can recreate the model without violating the Code and Standards without documentation if the model is modified from its original form.
  • C. Nieder cannot recreate the model without violating the Code and Standards because it is the property of his former employer.
A — Nieder must not take models or documents from his previous employer without explicit permission, or he would violate Standard IV(A) Loyalty. He is allowed to reproduce the model from memory but must recreate the supporting documentation to maintain compliance with Standard V(C) Record Retention. (LOS 93.a, 93.b)
9. Fred Johnson, CFA, a financial analyst and avid windsurfer, has begun an investment survey of the water sports leisure industry. His brother sells windsurfing gear in Tampa and tells him that Swordfish9 is the "hottest windsurfing rig on the market and will be highly profitable for Swordfish Enterprises." Johnson had never heard of Swordfish9 previously, but after testing the board himself became very excited and issued an investment recommendation of "buy" on Swordfish Enterprises. As a result of issuing the recommendation, Johnson has:
  • A. not violated the Code and Standards.
  • B. violated the Code and Standards by failing to establish a reasonable and adequate basis.
  • C. violated the Code and Standards by failing to consider the suitability of the investment for his clients.
B — Issuing an investment recommendation without conducting a thorough financial investigation indicates a failure to exercise diligence and that he lacks a reasonable and adequate basis. Violation of Standard V(A) Diligence and Reasonable Basis. (LOS 93.a, 93.b)
10. Neiman Investment Co. receives brokerage business from Pick Asset Management in exchange for referring prospective clients to Pick. Pick advises clients — in writing, at the time the relationship is established — of the nature of its arrangement with Neiman. With regard to this practice, Pick has:
  • A. complied with the Code and Standards.
  • B. violated the Code and Standards by failing to preserve the confidentiality of the agreement with Neiman.
  • C. violated the Code and Standards by inappropriately negotiating an agreement that creates a conflict of interest.
A — There is no violation. The referral arrangement is fully disclosed to clients before they agree to do business with Pick, so clients can fully assess the effect of the agreement on the referral and how it may affect their accounts. (LOS 93.a, 93.b)
11. After sitting for the Level I CFA exam, Jerry Green writes on an online forum, "I feel that CFA Institute misled me by putting so many examples in the curriculum. I expected a lot of dividend discount model calculations, but I only had to do one of them on my exam." Regarding the CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct, Green most likely:
  • A. did not violate the Standards.
  • B. violated the Standards by discussing exam content.
  • C. violated the Standards by impugning the reputation of CFA Institute.
B — Standard VII(A) Conduct as Participants in CFA Institute Programs prohibits candidates from revealing which portions of the Candidate Body of Knowledge were or were not tested on an exam. Members and candidates are free to disagree with policies of CFA Institute and express their opinion. (LOS 93.a, 93.b)
Module Quiz 93.1 — Answer Summary

1.B · 2.C · 3.A · 4.B · 5.B · 6.A · 7.C · 8.A · 9.B · 10.A · 11.B

各題詳細解析請點擊上方各題的 Show Answer 按鈕。

中文翻譯 — 答案總覽

1.B 必須脫離董事會並尋求法律意見 — Standard I(A)。

2.C 隱含保證報酬,違反 Standard I(C) 不實陳述。

3.A 套利策略,並非市場操縱;客戶已知策略。

4.B 聊天室並非公開揭露,屬重大非公開資訊;任何司法管轄區皆不得交易。

5.B 未調查Cliff的投資目標與約束 — Standard III(C) 適合性。

6.A 違反保密義務;只能向「適當機關」揭露違法資訊。

7.C 在合規制度健全前,應書面拒絕承擔督導責任 — Standard IV(C)。

8.A 可從記憶中重建模型,但須重新建立支援文件 — Standard V(C)。

9.B 缺乏合理與充分依據 — Standard V(A)。

10.A 已書面揭露轉介安排,無違規。

11.B 不可透露考試題型或哪些主題(未)被考 — Standard VII(A)。

Key Concepts — Reading 93
LOS 93.a / 93.b — Standard I: Professionalism
  • I(A) 法律知識:發現違法時須報告主管;若未獲改善必須脫離(dissociate)
  • I(B) 獨立客觀:不得藉政治捐款換取業務優先。
  • I(C) 不實陳述:不得(隱含或明示)保證報酬;隱瞞關鍵人員異動屬「omission」型不實陳述。
  • I(D) 不當行為:以公民不服從為由的輕微違法未必違規;用錯誤更正政策補貼客戶帳戶則違規。
  • I(E) 專業能力:接任新職位須採取行動以取得勝任能力。
Standard II: Integrity of Capital Markets
  • II(A) 重大非公開資訊:偷聽電話、選擇性揭露皆構成「非公開」,禁止交易與傳遞。
  • II(B) 市場操縱:虛報股東名單以達上市門檻,誤導市場流動性,違規。
Standard III: Duties to Clients
  • III(A) 忠實審慎:會員不得「opt out」於準則;自我交易帳戶責任有限但仍存在;費用分攤須真實合理。
  • III(B) 公平對待:付費更新服務不違規,但所有客戶須知悉,且建議變更不得首先傳遞給付費客戶。
  • III(C) 適合性:必須先了解客戶目標與約束,不可因親屬關係假設投資需求相同。
  • III(D) 績效呈現:不得以前期不同帳戶績效冒充新基金歷史。
  • III(E) 保密性:禁止下載客戶個資至個人伺服器;合規主管亦負連帶責任。
Standard IV: Duties to Employers
  • IV(A) 忠誠:在職時不得詆毀現雇主或宣傳新東家;吹哨人例外 — 為客戶利益向監管機關舉發不違規;客戶名單為公司財產,不得帶走。
  • IV(B) 額外報酬:第三方獎金須事先取得雇主書面同意
  • IV(C) 督導責任:條件不具備時應拒絕承擔督導責任。
Standard V: Investment Analysis, Recommendations, and Actions
  • V(A) 勤勉與合理依據:不可未盡分析即推薦;引用他人未經獨立驗證的研究亦違規。
  • V(B) 與客戶溝通:評等方法變更必須揭露。
  • V(C) 紀錄保存:客戶書面資料須及時更新。
Standard VI: Conflicts of Interest
  • VI(A) 揭露衝突:第三方子顧問付款須揭露給客戶。
  • VI(B) 交易優先:禁止front-running、洩漏大單、不公平分配。
  • VI(C) 轉介費:派對、折扣、禮品卡等獎勵屬「referral fees」,須揭露。
Standard VII: Responsibilities as a CFA Member or Candidate
  • VII(A) CFA項目參與行為:可分享考試「整體難度感受」;不可透露具體題目或哪些主題(未)被考。
  • VII(B) CFA頭銜引用:未繳會費的前會員不得使用CFA頭銜;不得錯誤聲稱員工皆為持證人。
中文翻譯 — 重點整理

本Reading以案例形式測試七大準則的應用。考試重點:

  1. 區分「違規」與「不違規」的細節差異(如自我交易帳戶、吹哨人例外、公民不服從)。
  2. 記住標誌性關鍵字:dissociate(脫離)、opt out(不可選擇退出)、selective sharing(選擇性揭露)、front-running(搶先交易)、referral fees(轉介費)、misrepresentation by omission(隱瞞型不實陳述)
  3. 督導責任的處理層級:先檢舉→未獲處理→拒絕承擔/脫離。
  4. 保密原則例外:違法資訊只能向「適當機關」披露,不得告知第三方。
  5. 頭銜使用:未繳會費期間視同非會員,不得使用CFA頭銜。

重要備考提醒:本讀物為Ethics整個Topic的最後一站,建議完成後立即進行Topic Quiz(Schweser線上儀表板),時間配置1.5分鐘/題;得分低於70%表示需要回頭重新研讀R89–R93。

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