IFC CSI Investment Funds in Canada (IFC) Exam Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

The availability bias occurs when investors rely on easily available or recent information rather than a thorough analysis. In this case, the investor bases decisions on internet recommendations and stock tips, believing they are accurate, instead of analyzing fundamentals. This clearly matches availability bias.

Endowment bias applies when investors overvalue what they already own.

Representativeness bias applies when investors judge outcomes by stereotypes or past patterns.

Overconfidence refers to excessive faith in one’s own knowledge.

Thus, the behavioural bias here is Availability .

The endowment bias occurs when investors place a higher value on assets they already own compared to the market value, simply because of ownership.

Dave overvalues his property relative to the market.

Farida = representativeness bias.

Kendra = availability bias.

Peter = status quo bias.

Thus, Dave demonstrates endowment bias.

The cash flow from operations to total debt ratio assesses a company’s ability to meet its debt obligations using cash generated from operations. The feedback from the document states:

"The cash flow from operations/total debt ratio gauges a company’s ability to repay the funds it has borrowed. A company’s annual cash flow should therefore be adequate to meet these commitments."

The statement that is correct about Maalik’s identification requirements is option A. According to Section 7 of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA), registered firms and individuals must report any suspicious transactions or attempted transactions to FINTRAC, which is Canada’s financial intelligence unit that collects, analyzes, and discloses information related to money laundering and terrorist financing activities. A suspicious transaction or attempted transaction is one that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that it is related to a money laundering or terrorist financing offence. Therefore, if Maalik determines that there is anything suspicious about John’s transaction, he must report the matter to his dealer, who must report it to FINTRAC within 30 days of making the determination. The other statements are not correct about Maalik’s identification requirements. Option B is false because Maalik does not need to report John as a PEFP to his dealer; rather, he must take reasonable measures to determine whether John is a PEFP or a family member or close associate of a PEFP, and if so, he must obtain senior management approval before opening an account for John, take enhanced measures to verify John’s identity, and conduct enhanced ongoing monitoring of John’s account activity. Option C is false because Maalik does not need to collect personal information about John and report it to his dealer if John wants to make a large cash deposit; rather, he must verify John’s identity using an original, valid, and current document or information from a reliable source, keep a record of John’s name and address and the date and amount of the deposit, and report any large cash transactions of $10,000 or more in Canadian currency or its equivalent to FINTRAC within 15 days of receiving the cash. Option D is false because Maalik does not need to report the attempt to his dealer if John attempts to make a suspicious deposit; rather, he must report the attempt directly to FINTRAC within 30 days of detecting the suspicion, regardless of whether the transaction was completed or not. References: [FINTRAC - Home], [FINTRAC - Reporting], [FINTRAC - Guideline 2: Suspicious Transactions], [FINTRAC - Guideline 6A: Record Keeping and Client Identification for Financial Entities]

Lenny would qualify for a partial OAS pension, because he meets the following criteria:

•He is 65 years old or older.

•He is a Canadian citizen or a legal resident at the time of his OAS pension application.

•He has resided in Canada for at least 10 years since the age of 18.

The amount of his partial OAS pension would be proportional to the number of years he has lived in Canada after the age of 18, divided by 40. For example, if he has lived in Canada for 15 years, he would receive 15/40 or 37.5% of the full OAS pension1

References = web search results from search_web(query="Old Age Security pension eligibility")

Rights of survivorship means that if one account holder dies, their share of the assets automatically transfers to the surviving holder(s).

This feature is available in joint non-registered accounts.

Registered accounts (A) (e.g., RRSP, TFSA) are individual accounts and cannot be opened jointly with rights of survivorship.

Trust accounts (B) follow trust law, not survivorship rules.

Corporate accounts (D) belong to the company, not individuals.

Gerard’s investment time horizon is the length of time he plans to hold his investment until he needs to use the money for his specific goal. In this case, Gerard’s goal is to use his mutual fund portfolio to meet the 20% down payment requirement to buy a house for $650,000. Therefore, his investment time horizon is determined by how long it will take him to accumulate enough money in his portfolio to cover the down payment amount. Assuming that Gerard does not withdraw any money from his portfolio and that his portfolio earns a constant annual rate of return of 6%, we can use the following formula to calculate how long it will take him to reach his goal:

FV=PV×(1+r)n+PMT×r(1+r)n−1​

where:

FV is the future value of the portfolio

PV is the present value of the portfolio

r is the annual interest rate

n is the number of years

PMT is the monthly payment

We can rearrange the formula to solve for n:

n=log(1+r)logPV+PMT×r1​FV−PMT×r1​​​

Plugging in the given values, we get:

n=log(1+0.06)log40,000+1,500×0.061​130,000−1,500×0.061​​​

n=4.98

Therefore, Gerard’s investment time horizon is approximately 5 years, not considering market fluctuations. This means that he will need to invest his money in a way that matches his risk tolerance and expected return for this time period.

Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC) Study Guide, Chapter 4: Mutual Funds, Section 4.6: Asset Allocation and Diversification, page 4-271

Future Value of an Annuity Definition - Investopedia2

Thomas must contribute to CPP based on his pensionable earnings, which are his income from employment or self-employment that are subject to CPP. However, he can deduct a basic exemption amount from his pensionable earnings, which is $3,500 for the year. Therefore, his contributory earnings are:

16,000−3,500=12,500

The CPP contribution rate is 5.95% for employees and self-employed workers. Therefore, Thomas must contribute:

12,500×5.95%=743.75

Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC) Study Guide, Chapter 6: Registered Plans, Section 6.3: Canada Pension Plan (CPP), page 6-101

Canada Pension Plan - How much could you receive - Canada.ca2

The Annual Information Form (AIF) is a document that provides detailed information about a mutual fund, such as its history, structure, management, fees, expenses, risks, policies, and performance. The AIF also contains information regarding the Independent Review Committee (IRC) compensation, which is the amount of fees and expenses paid by the fund to the IRC members for their services. The IRC is a committee of independent individuals who oversee the fund manager’s decisions on conflict of interest matters and act in the best interests of the fund and its investors12

References = web search results from search_web(query="Independent Review Committee compensation")12 and Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC) - Module 2: Investment Products - Section 2.2: Mutual Funds3

3: https://www.ifse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CIFC-Module-2.pdf

The holding out rule is a regulatory requirement that prohibits registered individuals from using any title or designation other than their registration category when dealing with clients or potential clients. The purpose of this rule is to prevent misleading or confusing representations about the qualifications, roles, and responsibilities of registered individuals. According to Section 4.4 of National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations (NI 31-103), individuals who are registered to sell mutual funds must use the title “dealing representative” when holding out to clients or potential clients. Therefore, Ai Fen must prominently note “dealing representative” on her business card to comply with the holding out rule. The other options are not valid registration categories for selling mutual funds. Option B is a generic term that does not specify the type of securities that can be sold. Option C is a registration category for individuals who trade securities on behalf of an investment dealer. Option D is a professional designation that does not indicate registration status. References: [Holding Out Rule], [Registration Categories], [Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations]

By asking Brad about his financial obligations and assets, you are trying to gather information about his net worth, which is one of the essential facts that you need to know about your client according to the KYC rule. Net worth is the difference between the total value of a client’s assets and the total value of their liabilities. It reflects the client’s financial position and helps you assess their risk tolerance, investment objectives, and suitability for different products and services.

References = Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC) - Module 1: The Financial Services Industry - Section 1.3: Know Your Client (KYC)1 and web search results from search_web(query="know your client rule")23

1: https://www.ifse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CIFC-Module-1.pdf

A mortgage fund is a type of income fund that invests in mortgages and other debt instruments secured by real estate. It provides a steady stream of income to investors and has a low correlation with other asset classes. A mortgage fund is suitable for Yael because she needs income to pay her monthly expenses and is comfortable with high risk. A global equity fund, a money market fund, and a Canadian equity index fund are not suitable for Yael because they do not meet her income objective and risk tolerance.

Ian, as a Stage 1 – Early Earning Years investor, has no family or financial commitments, allowing for a higher risk tolerance. An asset allocation with a heavy equity weighting, such as 80% in equity funds, is suitable. The feedback from the document states:

"Ian would be considered a Stage 1 – Early Earning Years investor. Stage 1 investors, in general, are free of family and financial commitments, and would typically have a higher ability to tolerate risk. Thus, with its higher level of risk and lower component of income-based investments, 10% in a bond fund, 80% in equity funds and 10% in a money market fund would be most likely to be suitable."

Factors that increase a mutual fund’s management expense ratio (MER) include investing in foreign equities and paying trailer fees, as these add to operational costs. The feedback from the document states:

"Four factors primarily affect the management expense ratio. Funds that invest in foreign equities; are small in size; are managed by an outside specialist firm; and charge trailer fees will have higher management expense ratios."

The secondary market involves trading previously issued securities between investors, enabling liquidity for those who initially purchased the securities. The feedback from the document states:

"The secondary market involves the resale of previously issued securities between investors. It enables investors who originally bought the investment products to sell them and obtain cash."