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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)