CISI Updated IFC Exam Questions and Answers by evie-rose

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

New taxes on foreign direct investment increase the cost of investing in a country, making it less attractive for foreign capital and likely causing capital outflows. The feedback from the document explains:

"Capital moves in and out of a country based on a variety of risk factors. Increased trade barriers or increased taxes on foreign investments would typically reduce the attractiveness of a country for foreign investment. (a), (c), and (d) would all indicate positive trends in a risk factor analysis."

 C is correct because bond funds receive fixed interest payments from most of their investments, as they invest mainly in bonds and other fixed-income securities that pay a regular coupon rate. Dividend funds receive variable dividend payments from most of their investments, as they invest mainly in stocks and other equity securities that pay dividends based on the company’s earnings and policies. The return of dividend funds does not rely only on interest rates (A), but also on other factors such as stock prices, earnings growth, dividend yield, and dividend payout ratio. The return of bond funds also depends on interest rates, as well as other factors such as credit quality, maturity, duration, and yield curve. When interest rates rise, the NAVPU of both bond funds and dividend funds decreases (B), not rises, as it lowers the present value of their future cash flows. Bond fund distributions do not receive more favorable tax treatment than that of dividend funds (D), but rather less favorable, as interest income is fully taxable at the investor’s marginal tax rate while eligible dividends receive a dividend tax credit that reduces their taxable amount.

 Dollar-cost averaging is a strategy that involves investing equal amounts of money at regular intervals, regardless of the price of the security. By using dollar-cost averaging, investors may lower their average cost per share and reduce the impact of volatility on their portfolios. However, this strategy does not guarantee a better purchase price than making a lump-sum purchase. In this case, David got his 500 units at a higher price than the lump sum price he would have paid. His average cost per unit was $14.65, while the lump sum price was $14.10. Therefore, D is the correct answer. References: What Is Dollar-Cost Averaging?, What Is Dollar Cost Averaging?, Dollar-Cost Averaging: Definition and Examples

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

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."